The exams are done, new Glastonbury 2015 photos are still making the occasional appearance on your Facebook feed and the streets are lined with pale, knobbly knees beneath floral surf shorts and crumpled linen skirts – that’s right, summer is here.
But in a world facing climate change, mass resource depletion and insupportable air, land and water pollution, there’s no excuse for the likes of short-haul flights and disposable barbeques as summertime kicks in.
We’ve therefore compiled a students’ sustainable summer bucket (and spade) list. Enjoy.
1. Go wild!
“Camping is perfect for students,” says travel writer Dixe Wills. “It can be enjoyed with minimal equipment and is still as cheap as chips. Indeed, if you choose to go wild camping, then there’s no charge at all. Just follow the wild campers’ dictum, ‘Pitch late, leave early and leave no trace’ and it becomes one of the most sustainable getaways you’ll ever enjoy.”
Unless you’re glamping – which, let’s face it, bears little relation to camping bar the fact that the two words rhyme – there are a few bits of essential kit you’ll need: sleeping bag and mat, tent, headtorch and suncream. For a more comprehensive kit list specifically for students, Student.com has compiled one which includes a trunk kitchen/bar, a water trampoline and an off-road commode. All vital camping items, obviously.
The good news is that most of the essentials that you don’t already have can be borrowed. If friends and family don’t come up trumps, check out Streetbank, the free neighbourhood sharing service that enables you to lend and borrow locally. You might also be able to score some kit for free on Freecycle.
For the things you can’t get hold of elsewhere, Blacks and Cotswold Outdoor offer NUS extra cardholders 10% off. Whether you’re buying or borrowing though, just remember to take it all away again with you when you leave. The tens of thousands of tents left at Glastonbury is the opposite of what we want to achieve here.
2. I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike … or the train
Many a good word has been written about the joys of train travel, including lists of the world’s greatest train journeys – can you imagine the same being written about flights?
Trains are a bike-friendly, low-carbon alternative to flying, and there are bargains to be had if you book in advance. Interrail offers a Youth pass for under 25s that enables you to travel across 30 European countries for up to 10 days for only £149. For advice, The Man in Seat Sixty-one, offers information on train travel worldwide.
If you’re into cycling, Warm Showers is a free worldwide hospitality exchange for touring cyclists where members share local knowledge or a meal with touring cyclists, or even offer them a bed for the night. Websites like GoCarShare and BlaBlaCar likewise tap into the community ethos, connecting drivers with spare seats to passengers looking to get somewhere - cutting carbon in the process. What’s more, GoCarShare now works with universities including St Andrews, MMU and Queen Margaret University to help build more sustainable student travel networks.
Remember, when it comes to choosing where to go, don’t forget there is a wealth of holiday opportunities on your doorstep. The north coast of Cornwall is perfect for student surfers on a budget. The Youth Hostel Association (YHA) offers camping pods in England and Wales and membership benefits of 10% off for 16-25 year olds. And music festivals aren’t hard to come by these days – not to mention a great way to spend the summer and a pretty amazing student work experience opportunity too.
3. Activities
Freedom from lectures and exams is a great opportunity to try new activities. Growing your own food might be a bit daunting if you’ve not done it before, but there’s a wealth of advice out there to help students get started.
Summer is also the perfect time to get fit. GoodGym helps people get into shape by combining regular exercise with activities such as turning compost at a city farm or painting a community space. The project runs in Bristol and almost a dozen London boroughs, and people are proposing to start GoodGyms everywhere from Glasgow to Gibraltar. If running sounds a bit too strenuous, however, BorrowMyDoggy enables you to borrow local dogs for walks or offer pet-sitting and holiday care.
Finally, there’s nothing like having a bit of time on your hands to get those things done that you never seem to get round to – activities that save you money and help you live more sustainably. Seize the opportunity summer offers to get your electronics fixed, stock up on secondhand books for next year and switch to a more ethical bank.
Now where did I put that bucket and spade …
Read more
- From eco sex to peeing in the shower: six ways students can go green
- Forget fad diets: sustainable food is healthier and more eco-friendly
- Seven questions you should ask before you volunteer abroad
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