Recreation

Bicycle Touring: Why I Travel By Bike

My first tour was almost 10 years ago. It was the first time I had been west of the center states. The transition from riding steep green mountains in Virginia to the rolling hills of Missouri, and then the open flatness of Kansas was slow (over a month of riding!) and quite amazing.

Eco Sports

The more time we spend in urban environments, the more important it is to get away from life as we know it and venture into the great outdoors. Outdoor sports and recreation do much more than simply promote mind and body wellness. Being out and active in nature facilitates our connection with the world around us, even if our time investment extends to just a few moments every day.

Eco Sports: Put a Little Eco in Your Stride!

Going green with sports may not be the first thing you think about when it comes to being eco friendly. As it happens, there are more ways to play green than you may think. Aside from the obvious, "Leave No Trace" rule when you are visiting state parks or camping, there are other important environmental factors to consider when playing your sport.

Endangered Destinations

Most people have a mental wish list of places they would like to see in their lifetime. Some are local and others may be halfway around the world. It may seem unimaginable to think that our global terrain would be so affected that some of these places may not exist when we finally visit the travel agent, but it's true.

Family-Friendly Eco Activities

A list of family-friendly eco-activities in the Twin Cities.

Forests and Parks in the Twin Cities Metro Area

Many city dwellers dream of building a rustic cabin in the north woods. We want to escape the city and get back to nature. It is perhaps a response to the seemingly unsettled wilderness so tantalizingly close to us near the Canadian border. City dwellers listen with true longing to their neighbors, the cabin owners, making plans to head up north for the holiday.

From Wasteful Tourist to Ecotraveler

The convenience of tourism, complete with tiny non-recyclable toiletries, gas-guzzling airplanes and over-packaged fast food, leads to an accumulation of waste. In order to revamp travel into a more sustainable practice, we must abandon the traditional idea of tourism and adopt a new goal to become an ecotourist.

Green Up Youth Sports

Ten Things You can do to Green Up Your Youth Sports Experience

Harvesting Wild Food Plants in Minnesota

From the rich prairie soils of the southwestern part of the state, to the steep coulees of the southeastern corner, and the wild boreal forests of the north, Minnesota boasts a great diversity of landscapes and an exciting variety of edible wild plants. Collecting and consuming these delicacies is one of life's most satisfying activities.

Host an Eco Party

The Do It Green! Eco Party Kit was created by Do It Green! Minnesota in conjunction with the City of Minneapolis Climate Change Grant Program and the Minnesota Energy Challenge in 2008. The Eco Party Kit is filled with fun, educational activities and games for adults and kids that focus on climate change and energy conservation.

Living With Wildlife

The Raptor Center and other wildlife rehabilitators in Minnesota receive hundreds of phone calls every year regarding injured wildlife. We also receive numerous phone queries on what to do because some species of wildlife have become a "nuisance" animal to someone. I say "nuisance" because a nuisance animal to one person may not be so to another.

Local & Eco Minnesota Getaways

With the environmental impacts of long distance and international travel, consider a local and eco vacation this year. Here are some itineraries from Green Routes for the family, a solo trip or a romantic getaway all in the great state of Minnesota! Green Routes is made up of destinations that subscribe to a "triple bottom line" business strategy.

Lodging: Alternatives to the Hotel

Finding a place to stay for the night whether you're traveling across the country or on a business trip can be hard for an ecologically-minded person. There aren't too many "green" hotels that will be on your route of travel.

Minnesota's Top Ranked Eco Cities

A list of the cities in Minnesota which were ranked at the top of various eco categories.

Non-Toxic Alternatives for Outdoor Sporting Goods

What is lead?

Lead is a heavy metal naturally found in several minerals around the world. It is soft, melts easily, has a high density and is cheap. For over three thousand years, human societies have used and crafted this metal inexpensively with relatively simple equipment.

On the (Budget) Road

When you're traveling on a budget, sometimes it seems like you can't get anywhere. For the resourceful and cash-strapped hobo/wanderer, however, there is always a way. Getting out of Minneapolis and most other cities isn't so hard. There isn't one way that is perfectly safe, and thus none of the following suggestions can be officially recommended. That said, here are a few options.

Responsible Recreation Through "Silent Sports"

Last night the snow fell lightly whispering through the air like a million tiny silver spiders dangling from their threads — a perfect night for cross country skiing! I accepted the night's invitation and headed to the trail. I let my skis lead the way as the darkness rendered my sight useless. The crisp 9 degree air was freezing the moisture on my eye lashes.

Sports & Recreational Activities That are Damaging to the Environment

For many back country hikers, bird-watchers and cross-country skiers, aggravation is spelled "ORV". Off-road vehicles shatter the wilderness silence, crush vegetation, terrify wildlife, leave rutted trails, and cause erosion.

Sustainable Fishing Tips

One area where anglers can make a difference is in what they choose for tackle. Lead is a toxic metal that has adverse effects on the nervous and reproductive systems of mammals and birds. Found in most fishing jigs and sinkers, this metal is poisoning wildlife such as loons and eagles.

The Myths and Facts of Eco-Tourism

Ecotours, adventure tours, sustainable tours, reality tours - if you are seeking a vacation alternative to Disneyland or Club Med, there are certainly plenty of options. However, how do you decide what is right for you, and what kind of vacation matches your values? Do you have to leave your social, political or environmental consciousness at home just to have a good time?

The Necessity of Nature in Children's Development

With non-stop schedules, a plethora of electronic devices and a devastated image of the environment, children today have little opportunity or encouragement to experience nature as an enjoyable and sustaining presence in their lives. The result, Richard Louv suggests, can be found in record diagnoses of obesity, attention deficit and emotional disorders in children.

Tips for Reducing Waste While Traveling

The U.S. Travel Data Center estimates that 43 million U.S. travelers are "ecologically concerned." It is important that we think about our actions when we are traveling. Being on vacation does not mean we should take a vacation from our environmental practices. If we recycle at home, then we should recycle on the road.

Top 10 Green Cities

We wanted to present the Top 10 Green Cities in the U.S., but that would have become a whole project in itself. We'll put that in our future projects file. In the meantime, here's what Cy Yaokam of Urban Quality Communications in Michigan found for us. You might want to consider traveling to these cities to learn and bring back new green, sustainable and healthy ways to improve the Twin Cities.

Travel That Mirrors Your Values

World travel can be a wonderful way to promote peace, gain understanding, and create friendship between people of different cultures. At the same time travel and tourism, by its very nature of increasing the flow of people and use of resources in an area, can contribute to economic inequalities or cultural and environmental degradation.

Try a Staycation this Year!

What is a Staycation? A Minnesota Staycation is a vacation near home that offers all the fun and relaxation of any vacation trip. A camping vacation has always been a frugal way to enjoy Minnesota’s outdoor splendors and can be one of the best staycation ideas. There are state parks and campgrounds within just a few miles, no matter where you are in Minnesota.

Used Sports Equipment

As recreational activities, sports and outdoor adventures have grown in popularity, so has the market for recreational equipment. Suddenly, going for a camping trip or taking up a new sport isn't quite so simple as it used to be - now you have to be equipped.
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