Give Mother Nature a hug this Earth Day

It’s difficult to travel the world without considering the impact you have on the earth. There are several things each of us can do to reduce our travel imprint on the world, and some travel operators make it easy to help.

G.A.P Adventures, a world leader in adventure travel and responsible tourism, is organizing a voluntary worldwide clean-up initiative for Earth Day. While sporting eco-friendly t-shirts, tour participants will clean local areas in places such as Peru, South Africa, Belize, and China. G.A.P’s travel concept stores in Vancouver and Toronto will hand out seedlings to the public. The company will also offset all carbon emissions for international airfare purchased it sells from April 20-27.

Although I have tremendous respect for those who can get their hands dirty (literally) on a vacation, I’m much more likely to choose a getaway where I can pamper myself and Mother Earth. BedandBreakfast.com provides several ways to do just that, with its Green Getaways/Eco Escapes program, in which B&Bs all over the country are offering the most carbon-neutral vacations possible. Trips include activities such as bike riding, hiking, planting trees, compost and recycling education, and cooking with local produce. However, if you just want a vacation, you can pay your respects to Mother Nature by staying at one of the top 10 eco-friendly B&Bs in the world.

Regardless of how you celebrate Earth Day, the most important thing to do is celebrate. Consider how much trouble you’d be in if you forgot your mother’s birthday. Now, imagine your mother is capable of destroying major cities with her tears. Enough said.