Thank you for following along! This is fourth (and last) part of our Eco-Conscious Travel series. If you’re new here, please read our articles on eco-conscious flying (and planning ahead), where to stay, and what to do while you’re there.

Now that you’ve leaned a bit on how to be more eco-conscious before and during your travels, here’s what you can do after.

On Donating Items

We’ve been very lucky to have met a lot of friendly people on our travels. There have been instances during a camping or backpacking trip when our neighbors would share their leftover food, fuel canisters (used for cooking), or firewood — nothing goes to waste when traveling. We’ll do the same too! Another example on donating items was when a friend of ours recently traveled abroad; she wasn’t able to take her clothes home so she donated them to a few close friends she made in the city.

Whether you’re backpacking in the outdoors or exploring a new city, look up where you can donate unused or lightly used items, food, or clothes. There are visitor’s center, local food banks, and community spaces that will gladly welcome them.

On Posting on Social Media

It’s likely that many of us will want to post about our travels on social media. Everyone does it; we’re excited and we want to share. No matter how big or small your platform is, it serves as an influence to those who follow you. When you post a photo, consider telling a story. What did you learn about the place and the people? How were you mindful on your trip?

• Highlight a positive impact or experience you had at your destination. When we were in Alaska in the summer of 2018, we were ecstatic to witness orcas and humpback whales in their natural habitat! It inspired us to keep writing and posting on @tinycaravan.
  
  
• Kindly make note of behaviors you saw from other travelers that may have caused unintended harm. A simple post that reminds others to “stay on the trail” can have a huge positive impact.
  
  
• Educate those on their environmental impact and offer alternatives that you used during your trip. Brought a reusable water bottle or tumbler to a coffee shop to get coffee? Everyone would love to see it. Showcase others way you were being a respectful and responsible traveler.
  
  
• Refrain from placing a geotag on travel destinations (or even post those places at all). Sometimes not sharing can help protect the places we love from getting overcrowded and unintentionally damaged.

When we travel, we are merely a visitor in someone’s home; it’s important to be mindful of our actions and respectful of those places. Our actions play a large role in how we impact not only the places we visit, but also the people, the culture, and the surrounding communities. You have the power to leave a positive lasting impression – just as how your personal travels and can do the same for you. We can all do more protect the places we love so that others may enjoy them too.

Cheers,
Jennifer and Vivian