Eco-guilt: when awareness of the environmental crisis clashes with a desire to do something not particularly eco-friendly, something I’ve become familiar with while preparing for my placement in Greece – a place I’ll be travelling to by plane. So, is it possible to travel sustainably?
In today’s world with endless opinions on every issue, separating fact from theory is difficult. As a result, experience is more valuable than ever. Can you really advocate for a planet you haven’t seen? Eyewitness accounts and field-based knowledge are often the most reliable sources. If those with the resources and drive to protect threatened ecosystems can’t see or learn about them, will their voices carry enough weight? Will they understand what they’re advocating for? Sir David Attenborough said he’s seen more of the natural world than anyone else. If he hadn’t ventured into this world to see the effects of humankind for fear of being unsustainable, would he have inspired action? I think not. That said, there are many ways to travel more sustainably.
Since I was little, I’ve always known what I wanted to do when I grew up – look after animals worldwide. Progressing through my education, this developed into a love for wild and exotic species, and a deep respect for the unique, beautifully adapted environments that support them. The relationship between creature and habitat – completely dependent on one another – fascinated me. When starting university, my big brother gave me some advice for sharing a communal room for the first time: leave the space how you found it, if not better. That’s the mindset I’ll carry with me as I travel throughout my career. Travelling, to me, means to explore and discover. But the art of doing so without causing damage has been largely lost to tourism. Earth didn’t come with borders and territories separating one land from the next. It is all our home and just as my mum would be cross if I left rubbish in her house, I’ll hold myself accountable for what I leave behind when travelling. For me, this means clearing up my mess, and others’ too, because there’s no room for pride when the planet is burning. Opting for sustainable alternatives – soap bars, homemade cleaners, locally sourced and second-hand items, reusable options wherever possible, public transport, cycling or walking, and natural materials over plastic which would outlive my time there a hundred times over. The sun and wind are my hair and tumble dryer.
I’m all grown up now, and my dream to be an animal rehabilitator is taking shape. Joining the terrestrial team at the Archipelagos Institute of Marine Conservation, a non-profit, protecting wildlife habitats, means working towards one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: “Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, […] and halt biodiversity loss” (https://sdgs.un.org/goals). Through mindful choices and respect for the natural world, I’m committed to supporting not just conservation work in Greece, but the broader mission of a cleaner, more sustainable planet for all.
