Five Ways to Practice Sustainability when Visiting the Lakes
“We hear
people talk about
being sustainable a lot now,
which is amazing,
but what does it actually mean?”
Sustainability is what keeps national parks such as the Lake District going. We hear people talk about being sustainable a lot now, which is amazing, but what does it actually mean? Sustainability is made up of three sectors; the economy, society, and the environment. The concept is, by meeting the needs of these three factors without hindering future development is living sustainably. It’s up to national parks to ensure they are doing all they can to make the area sustainable, but it is equally important both residents and visitors do their part to help these beautiful parts of the world thrive.
Here are five easy ways we can lend a helping hand…
Sustainable travel: Walk, Bus or Cycle when you can
Take the path less driven
With over 19 million visitors every year, the carbon footprint of tourists is huge, but it doesn’t have to be. The Department of Transport funded a £6.9 million scheme called the Go Lakes Travel programme aiming to change how visitors travelled around the national park. This included improving public transport, providing pay-as-you-go car and cycle hire, improving and maintaining safe public footpaths, and investing in marketing features to change the way people think when they travel. So next time you plan a hike, maybe get the train to the lakes and get around by walking, cycling, or taking the bus between towns. Better for the environment and better for your health, everyone wins!
2. Stick to the Footpaths
We’ve got them,
so let’s use them
This may sound strange and have you wondering what is wrong with veering of a footpath, but straying from paths can lead to erosion and create a few problems for the Fix the Fells team. The charitable organisation made up of volunteers repair over 300 paths in the Lake District and ensure they are safe and suitable for the landscape. Eroded footpaths not only make hiking less enjoyable, but the loss of vegetation also causes stone and the surrounding landscape to wash away, in turn, washing away animals’ habitats, precious mountain plants, and polluting rivers and lakes at the bottom. Sticking to the beautiful footpaths Fix the Fells work so hard to maintain not only makes hiking more enjoyable for you, it keeps everything on the mountain where it should be.
3. Shop and Eat with Local Small Businesses
#buylocal
The Lakes has endless cosy pubs, quaint little gift shops, and characterful café’s and restaurants selling local produce, you’re spoilt for choice on where to eat and shop. A few good places to start could be trying the famous goulash dish at the Dog and Gun in Keswick, bringing home a gift of Gingerbread from the world-famous Grasmere gingerbread, or sampling some local gins at the Lake Distillery. Eating, drinking, and shopping in the name of sustainability?
You don’t have to ask us twice…
4. Be Mindful of the Environment
Respect the landscape
It’s easy to get carried away in the enjoyment of being in the Lake District, but it’s important that we enjoy the landscape at the same time as respecting it. This includes taking your litter home and maybe picking up any litter you see, camping respectfully; don’t light any campfires or use cooking equipment on the bare ground, don’t pollute water sources, and leave no trace. Unfortunately, the summer following lockdown saw parts of the lakes being littered with camping equipment from a rise in wild campers. It’s frustrating picking up other people’s mess, but joining a local litter-picking group is a great way to help manage litter. Friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk has a useful map of local litter picking groups around the Lake District. It’s surprising how fun it can be once you get started, you can meet a lot of new, like-minded people and get some walking in too! Want to go alone? That’s fine too, there are several ‘two-minute litter-picking stations’ installed by the national park around key parts of the lakes.
5. Invest in Reusable Equipment
Buy cheap buy twice
It’s mind-blowing how many things we subconsciously throw away every day, from plastic water bottles to cutlery, coffee cups, packaging… the list is endless. Investing in reusable items saves money in the long term and has a better long-term impact on the environment too. Some great places to start include reusable water bottles. When hiking, taking plenty of water is essential, which may lead people to overbuy plastic bottles. Handy gadgets such as a WaterWell are perfect for hiking- fill it up once then refill it in a freshwater source such as a stream or waterfall. Planning our mountain dinners and snacks is also an easy step to avoiding single-use plastic. Sea to Summit provides a range of re-usable cups, cutlery, and storage boxes to help you plan your meals more sustainably.
Written by Kate Dawson, Content Writer for One Lake District
Photos via Stock Images: @andrewwelch3 @john_cameron @supergios @anniespratt @jakecolling