A GREENER OUTING: HELPING YOUR CHILDREN LEAVE A FOOTPRINT THAT MATTERS | News
Holiday getaways are about switching off, reconnecting and creating new memories. For many families, this means the joy of spending time outdoors. Breakfasts cooked on a ‘skottel’, fires lit for a braai as dusk turns to evening, stargazing, muddy shoes after walks on the hill, the joy of discovery. These are the moments that children remember.
But holidays can also teach us something much more sustainable: nature is not only something we enjoy, but it is also something we learn to cherish and care for.
According to Onwaba Gonyora, director of Brahman Hills in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, sustainable holidaying does not have to be complicated. “It doesn’t have to be difficult, expensive or perfect,” she says.
“It can start with a few small, environmentally conscious choices, and a family holiday is a practical way to teach children that caring for nature isn’t a big isolated act. It’s something we can build into everyday practices, from the way we use water to the way we leave a place behind.”
Gonyora shares six easy ways to leave a greener footprint this holiday:
1. How you get there matters: One of the biggest environmental choices families make happens before they even leave. Consider driving instead of flying whenever possible, especially during local holidays. A road trip can also become part of the experience, giving families time along the way to stop and admire the scenery and hidden treasures around them. For example, those traveling along the N3 through the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and spotting the mysterious giant sculpture at Brahman Hills can add to the excitement of the trip.
2. Stay where sustainability matters: When booking your stay, look for accommodations that make responsible environmental choices in practical, measurable ways. At Brahman Hills, for example, sustainability is part of our long-term approach, from operating 85% off-grid to collecting rainwater, recycling gray water, using refillable glass bottles and supporting biodiversity through our gardens.
3. Hang up your towels: Most hotels and resorts have towel recycling systems in place, but it’s easy to forget how they work. As a general rule, towels left on the floor are taken as a sign that they need to be replaced, while towels hung up mean that they can be reused. It’s a small action, but it helps save water, energy and detergents.
4. Be water conscious: A long, hot shower may feel like part of the holiday treat, but water remains one of our most precious resources. Shorter showers, properly closed taps and avoiding unnecessary water use all make a difference.
5. Save energy when you’re away: Turn off lights, heating, air conditioning and unnecessary plugs when you leave your room. In colder destinations, such as the Midlands, it also helps to turn off the electric blankets once the bed is warm. Comfort and nature conservation can work together.
6. Leave nature as you found it: Whether you’re walking through gardens, enjoying a picnic, visiting a dam or exploring a forest trail, encourage children to leave natural spaces as they found them. This means you are not allowed to pick flowers, disturb wildlife, litter, chop trees or take ‘souvenirs’ from nature. One of the best lessons children can learn is to look closely without taking. Take a leaf, admire it and put it back. Watch an insect without harming it. Instead of taking pieces of nature home with you, take photos.
Vacation gives families time to slow down and notice things again: birds in the morning, grass under bare feet, the peace of open space. These are the moments that make children fall in love with nature. And when you love something, you tend to care about it.
“The real legacy,” concludes Gonyora, “is not just the memories we make on holiday, but the world we leave behind. If we want our children’s children to enjoy the same views, the same gardens and the same peaceful moments in nature 100 years from now, we must start with the choices we make today.”
So enjoy the holiday. Make the memories. Take the pictures. Enjoy the beauty around you. Just travel more quietly while you do so.
Looking for an eco-friendly destination? Then visit brahmanhills.co.za to book your stay.
