The Canary Islands and their helping hands.

Biosphere Reserve, what's that?

Biosphere Reserves are unique ecosystems. They contain plants and animals of unusual scientific and natural interest. They’re used to encourage the conservation of all living things. They also encourage sustainable use.

In short, they’re recognised as ecologically vital areas, which are protected by the government.

Fuerteventura's heroes

Not only is the whole island a Biosphere Reserve, this protection extends up to 3 miles out to sea. With regard to other wildlife, whales & dolphins are spotted off the coast on a regular basis.

AVANFUER 

The Association aims to design and implement programs and actions aimed at defending the territory, the coast and the marine space of Fuerteventura and the Canary Islands in  general.

The association reintroduces and preserves Loggerhead turtles into the Canaries as well as Workshops for adults and children alike, beach cleaning campaigns and similar activities.

They run off a lot of volunteering, so if you feel up to the challenge then don’t hesitate asking for more info online:

https://avanfuer.org/

Clean ocean project

Whilst we are talking about water, we feel it’s really important to mention the clean ocean project’s name. Over the years they have organized regular beach clean ups, initiated projects to inform and educate and joined activities of other organisations on Fuerteventura, the Canary Islands and abroad.

Lately they focused on the plastic pollution of the ocean. It endangers the ocean and marine wildlife around the world. And in the end us. To recycle and reuse is a good step. But the only solution is to stop the use of plastic. And therefore we have to stop our single-use mentality.

Stop sucking. The Clean Straw Project.

Just to give you an idea: Plastic straws are among the fifth most common waste found on Spanish beaches. According to Greenpeace, Spain consumes around 13 million straws a day, the highest consumption of plastic straws in a European country. Straws that are used for around 10 minutes, but will sit in landfills for up to 500 years or end up in our oceans.

We visit local bars and restaurants, asking them to sign a compromise contract with the environment. By signing the contract, they promise to never use plastic straws again. We inform them about alternatives like reusable bamboo straws, paper straws or simply no straws. All the places that sign our contract receive a wooden sign, stating that they don’t offer plastic straws, this way the customer gets informed.

They have so many projects going on, check them all out here:

http://www.cleanoceanproject.org/projects/

Nature's wings

There are also a number of nature parks on the island and a sand dune system at Corralejo. Used as a stopover for migratory birds travelling between Africa and Europe via the western route Fuerteventura is the perfect place to observe nature’s wings.

Tenerife: high energy

The island has been using renewable energy for decades now. Tenerife’s electricity system has broken its record for renewable production. Last Sunday, wind and photovoltaic energy raised the percentage of demand covered by renewables to over 50%.

It’s also home to the first zero CO2 emissions village in the world, Casas Bioclimáticas

It is a collection of 24 unique houses of enormous charm.  The philosophy guiding the project is to obtain a group of self-sufficient houses with CO2 = 0, intended to serve as a model for the development of new buildings.  The passive architecture incorporates renewable energies. 

Lanzarote: Doing great together

Earlier this year, Lanzarote was awarded Biosphere Responsible Tourism Certification. The award recognises Lanzarote’s hard work over the last 20 years to become a sustainable tourist destination. They’ve helped to establish standards for responsible tourism worldwide by doing this.

If you want to become a more responsible tourist, here are some ways you can try:

        1.Include sustainable tourism alternatives in your trip.

  1. Go green at your hotel.
  2. Reduce your carbon footprint.
  3. Say NO to illegal trade.
  4. Support sustainable options in island destinations.
  5. Take care of heritage places.
  6. Challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone.
  7. Support community-based tourism and initiatives.
  8. Respect the practices of local people.
  9. Use reusable bags and bottles.

Ready for your trip of a lifetime?

We are back on the island soon! A new stunning location with breathtaking views is awaiting you.

REOPENING 7TH MARCH: 15% Special Discount for all bookings entering until 15th March using the code:

CommunityTribe

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