Environmental Ethos - Carbon Conservation
In Jan 2007 CNDo launched Scotland's first voluntary contribution carbon conservation scheme to support the first of a range of Upland Peat restoration projects in Scotland. Peat is the ideal Carbon sink for the Scottish climate. Restoring degraded peat bogs will help to return them to full efficiency as natural storage for Carbon.
These projects are local, achievable and supporters can get actively involved in NTS work parties. Alternately, they can make donations to help offset their travel pollution. Either way, by supporting the scheme, people are gaining an understanding of their own ecological footprint and trying to do something positive about it.
Now in its 3rd year, with 4 workparties having taken place and another 2 planned for 2009. Over £600 raised so far by donations. This includes donations from CNDo in respect of their total travel by vehicle (fulltime and sessional staff, activity groups) and energy consumption at base: (total energy use + travel mileage ) x 110%.
For 2010, this will become an opt out policy and additional projects will commence with:
- John Muir Trust biodiversity appeal
- Friends of Loch Lomond & Trossachs
- Scottish Wildlife Trust
- Encourage customers not to have mobiles switched on when out in the countryside as this is very intrusive to others and the environment
- Encourge people to arrive by public transport. All are encouraged to use the Carbon Offset Scotland scheme as a means of balancing their travel pollution.
- Have always provided a day walks scheme to get locals, of all abilities, out walking learning about and exploring their countryside
- Provide outdoor skills courses to encourage individuals to gain the skills to become independent and be aware of their environmental responsibilities in the outdoors
- Utilise 1 mini-bus rather than 10 to 15 separate cars
- Rendezvous in Stirling for trips further north so minimising fuel wastage / excessive car use
- Review of our vehicle policy resulted in our changing from running our own minibuses into using vehicle hire for the main part - this is a far better use of natural resources. Hire vehicles are diesel but being new have the most efficient engines so minimising emissions.
- Trips are planned to try to minimise energy consumption, integrating activities where possible.
- 10 years ago, encouraged landlord to but in bike racks and shower for use of all the small businesses in the Park to encourage walking and cycling to work
- Although we do not own any land, we provide free advice information to accommodation providers and clients about home-based renewable energy resources especially microgeneration, such as home based wind turbines, ground source heat pumps, small scale hydro, Photovoltaic cells, LPG conversions, heat exchange boilers, etc
- NNA courses include core environmental elements
- CNDo are providers of the John Muir Award, as stand alone with schools and in conjunction with other activities
- Deliver NGB award courses which include environmental training and where we can put especial effort to ensuring higher than expected standards of instruction for future leaders for ourselves and other providers
- Minimal impact wild country backpacking journeys
- Wild country journeys for the older / less able walker (Road to the Isles, Wild West Fringe, Scotland's Sea Kingdom. etc) to enable people of many abilities to enjoy the wilder places.
- Enabling less able people to get out for example working over the years with Guide Dogs for the Blind Adventure Group; Visually impaired groups from the UK and abroad, Muscular Dystrophy, mental health recovery group…
- Enabling individuals with less ability to enjoy the outdoors - visual, hearing, physical (recovering from cardiac problems, stroke..) or mental problems etc to join our scheduled programme where possible or to put on something special for them.
- Providing meeting space for small groups - MCofS Access Committee, Scottish Canoe Assoc. Access group, Mountain Aid, MCofS Mountain Safety committee…
Environmental Ethos
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