Traveller’s Code of Conduct
Notes
What we mean in point 1 here is that we believe nature conservation will reap more benefits if the right people and reasons come under the spotlight of local people’s and regional stakeholders’ gazes. Responsible tourism can sow and reap part of its own harvest, by contributing to the continued existence of what travellers are there to see or to experience.
Responsible tourists and nature travellers can influence their public profile by their own behaviour and choices, which in turn influences the general public’s perception of them and their influence. In most developed countries it is almost impossible for responsible tourism and nature travel to compete on economic impact terms with mass tourism (beach holidays, skiing, etc) but it has many good possibilities to outdo mass tourism on the grounds of perceived costs and benefits to the local inhabitants and small-scale tourist infrastructures.
So for example a respectful foreigner carrying binoculars or a camera who enters a bar to drink a coffee, or a shop to buy some groceries, or who passes through reception at a small rural hotel is someone who stands out from the crowd. And that can be turned to the benefit of nature conservation. They are there to see the birds, to enjoy the natural landscapes, etc. and their presence makes a difference, no matter how small a difference. Perhaps their stay coincides with the tourist low season (as the period immediately after Easter usually is in Spain), perhaps local café owners can boast of the people of different nationalities who stop for a drink or a snack in their café; perhaps a farmer can be made to feel proud that his land holds populations of birds which are considered internationally important or attractive. That’s what we mean by being noticed for the right reasons.
We apply the following measures in our office to avoid wasteful practices:
We save used paper and use both sides for personal and office use.
We turn off computer terminal standbys when not in use.
We make minimal commercial use of paper by: very selective mailing of our catalogue, no paper mailing of greetings, newsletters, etc.
We use quality recycled paper for most of our correspondence.
All discarded paper is destined for recycling.
We maximize the use of natural lighting in the office.
We use low energy lighting.
Travellers! What about….
Reusing towels as much as possible – could they be hung out to dry rather than washed again by the hotel?
Reducing your luggage usually means approaching the optimal use of clothing. Do those items really need to be washed or can they be worn again?
Please be aware that when clean, unused water goes down the drain it is not just a waste of water, but also energy (to transport it and make it suitable for human use) and that large-scale water storage is achieved by transforming the natural landscape. So please use it, but don’t abuse it!
Apart from visiting National and Natural Parks around different parts of Spain we also incorporate into our itineraries visits to park and information centres such as those at Monfragüe, Gallocanta, Doñana and the Ebro Delta, among others. The visitors can see exhibitions about the places they are visiting, purchase locally made souvenirs whenever available, and their visit is usually registered by the park authorities. In this way we the presence of nature-motivated visitors is also reflected in regional and national government statistics. Furthermore, we endeavour to stay at suitable accommodation as near as possible to such destinations, so that local populations can see and perhaps share in some of the benefits of having these attractive natural areas on their doorstep.
We also regularly organize personalized guided visits to some historical buildings (monasteries, for example), local wine cellars, and small nature reserves run by non-governmental organizations.
We have worked closely with one of the rural hotels which we regularly visit with clients near els Ports massif - Mas del Rei. Our aim was to establish a nature trail audio guide guiding the visitor around the extensive hotel grounds. The proprietors Jordi and Helena spent much time and money renovating an old farmhouse estate, and turned it into a delightful rural hotel. Walking around the grounds is a relaxing and pleasant experience, and on our first walk we were struck by the variety of birds and birdsong we encountered.
Later we approached Jordi and Helena with the idea of making a commented walk around the grounds, with the focus on an introduction to the birdlife through birdsong and other features. It was important though that the audio guide and the experience should be suitable for all of their able-bodied guests, and not just experienced birdwatchers! They listened to our explanations and before long were as excited as we were about the whole idea!
We think of the clients and invited guests of Mas del Rei following the indications on the audio guide (which is available as a recorded commentary downloaded from the hotel website) and learning about the birdlife, trees and nature of the area, walking and breathing fresh air, and even learning how to calculate the height of a standing tree using just a stick!
We are eagerly awaiting further developments in this field.
An important part of our activity is centred around bird photography, mostly from our own hides, for which we have formed a local partnership with a small travel agent based in Montsonís, Catalonia, and a local but renowned wildlife photographer.
Here is a little story we tell about our relationship with a very special bird, the Bonelli’s Eagle.
The Montsonís Bonelli's Eagle Story
Montsonís is a tiny village that clings to a hillside on the edge of the rocky Montsec range in Lleida province, Catalonia. For many years now I have been guiding birders there to enjoy thrilling views of the resident Bonelli’s Eagles*, and with great success.
There are only 5 pairs of Bonelli’s Eagles inhabiting the province of Lleida, and this magnificent bird is a rare and declining species over all of its European range. So I count my blessings to be able to bank on the presence of these birds year after year. Another joy of this particular site is that after enjoying views of the eagles we can then all saunter along to Montsonís itself, and have refreshments, a cup of tea or coffee perhaps, while admiring the village’s cobbled streets and the distinguished castle.
However, I started to get a little concerned that something might happen to the Montsonís eagles, my eagles. Firstly, I didn’t want to have to mount a difficult search for another Bonelli’s Eagle site which would offer me the same degree of success and service. Secondly, I’m a conservationist, and I don’t want the eagles to disappear, full-stop.
After a few years of escorting keen birders and beginners alike to watch the eagles it occurred to me that our birds had showed very few signs of having bred successfully in all that time. In 2010 things came to a head one day when Frank, a Dutch bird photographer, and I stood and saw how the eagles had just abandoned one long-standing nest in early spring and had started building another nearby, which in turn was also abandoned. What had happened? Perhaps it had been nothing unusual, as we eventually found out that the Montsonís Bonelli’s Eagles hadn’t reared a chick successfully since 2005.
With that knowledge I felt that it was in our hands to do something. So we recruited Ramon. Ramon is a local travel agent and tourism entrepreneur who lives at Montsonís, and was the first one among us who confessed to be in need of some exercise, so he was the obvious candidate. With his regular walks from Montsonís up to the hillside close to the eagles’ territory we set in motion a supplementary feeding programme to provide food for the hungry eagles trying to raise a chick. We also drew up a polite informative letter addressed to the local population requesting their co-operation in our task of ensuring that that year would be a good one for the eagles. The main way we could all achieve that was to avoid frightening the eagles by not making loud noises with fireworks and music, which were commonplace at Easter and wedding celebrations.
Our efforts bore their fruits. The local people responded well and let off their fireworks elsewhere, Ramon lost a few pounds, and above all the local pair of Bonelli’s Eagles raised a healthy chick for the first time in 6 years!
THE END
But no, the story continues…The Montsonís Bonelli’s Eagles have now bred successfully in 2 of the last 3 years, while they hadn’t done so at all in the period 2005-2010. The Bonelli’s Eagle is of high conservation concern in the European Union, is an Annex I species on the Birds Directive, and is the target of many special protection schemes, including European Union LIFE programmes and funding.
Another, indirect, result of our commercial hide business with the Bonelli’s Eagle as one of the star attractions has been the establishment of fluid relationships with the Catalan department of the environment and the Bonelli’s Eagle study working group of the University of Barcelona:
https://www.ub.edu/aligaperdiguera/EEAPang/indexang.htm
We have been able to provide both of these entities with useful information stemming from our activities and observations and even from some of the photographs that our clients have taken from the hide. We have also applied some measures within our power to minimize disturbance at the nest site, such as purchasing hunting rights around the eagles’ territory, and communicating with local stakeholders and agents to underline the importance of controlling certain leisure activities for the same reason. We are happy with the public’s response and so too, it seems, are the eagles!
We have made direct economic contributions to some farmers and landowners where our hides are placed, which are made possible by the activity generated by photographers coming to photograph the species in question.
We have made and located a total of 6 nest boxes for Little Owls in appropriate areas on the drylands of Noguera, where we regularly escort photographers to photograph this species.
Songbirds
We have created a small drinking pool for songbirds regularly topped with water to maintain a place where songbirds of many species can drink and bathe, even in the hot, dry summer months. Amphibians have also recently colonized this pool, and we hope their presence will be sustained over the years.
Many bird photographers are encouraged to spend an hour or two in the hide we have built overlooking this pool, and so far more than 35 species have been photographed here.
Now you’ve come this far we’d like you to meet some people who our tourism enterprise has brought positive benefits.
Meet Pep: His is one example of our employment of local people. The people who attend arrivals, transfer visitors, clean their rooms, cook their food, wait on them at tables, install, maintain and repair any hides they may use. Then there are others who benefit to some degree by souvenirs and local produce, suppliers, administrative staff, etc.
Meet Vasyl: He is responsible for the maintenance of our drinking pool and the maintenance of our hides at Montsonís, as well as backup for supplementary feeding when required. Vasyl is a conscientious worker and thanks to his great workmanship we have been able to construct hides and create new bird habitat: the drinking pool hide at Montsonís for one thing provides a locally important source of water for many songbirds in the often hot and dry spring and summer.
Vasyl repairs the broken and torn hides too. And is usually the muscle and craftsmanship behind the construction of nest boxes which we have put up for species such as Roller, Little Owl, and Kestrel.
Our single day guiding fees do not include fuel costs and this is communicated directly to the potential client. Fuel is counted as a separate item and is a direct transfer of fuel costs to the visitor. This is intentional as it passes the emphasis to the client to be aware of how many kilometres are covered and how much fuel is consumed by their activities.
We drive a low fuel consumption vehicle and employ a fuel-saving driving style, which usually means that the average fuel consumption is no more than 6 litres per 100 kilometres.
We also encourage the use of the highly efficient Spanish network of trains to reach tour starting points if these are not at either Barcelona or Madrid. We are gratified that this suggestion is often acted upon by many of our private tour participants.
Our clients are always served by well-informed local guides. For the most part they are conservationists who have actively contributed to conservation, awareness-raising, environmental education and recruitment, campaigning, etc. They are familiar with local traditions, history, and landscape because they form a very real part of it!
In general terms for us responsible tourism means understanding that there are limits; identifying these limits; and respecting and promoting respect for them.
We have been actively involved in awareness-raising to promote conservation and environmental protection for many years. Some examples of how we have done this are: designing and imparting bird identification courses for official environmental protection agents, local authorities and schools and colleges; the creation, edition and distribution of a raptors didactic and fun card game providing images and information about all the raptors of the Iberian Peninsula; authorship of two books based on birds and birdwatching in Spain; the publication of leaflets, booklets etc for tourism, and free birding itineraries on our website; the organization of family days out to perform easily-defined tasks to benefit birds and their habitats; and the organization of a bird and nature photography exhibition by local bird club members.
To be held in March 2015. Raptor conservation research experts from Spain and other European countries, along with ecotourism tour operators and local and regional stakeholders are coming together at Montsonís, Catalonia, in March this year. There is a multi-fold purpose to this meeting and conference, much of it centred around the dissemination of the importance of the conservation and projection of local natural values and assets, in this case birds of prey.
We actively seek out and select family run rural guest houses and small hotels where our passing will be noticed and acknowledged.
We take great care to maintain a good working and personal relationship with the proprietors because we know we’ll be going back, we’ll be recommending others to go there, and we also share respect and appreciation for the task that these people are carrying out.
Furthermore, we believe that the rural setting of these establishments means that our patronage there will result in a higher profile for nature conservation among the local rural surroundings. News travels fast in small communities! Another thing to bear in mind is that these establishments are often significant consumers of fresh local produce, including local wines, olive oil, fruit, etc. and therefore are excellent advocates of a km 0 policy.
Most establishments we stay at already have some degree of environmental awareness, and wherever possible we often advise and attempt to exert some slight influence on their policies and practices.
In some cases we have been instrumental in creating a significant increase in the number of nature-aware and motivated clients using a particular local establishment, through promotion on our website and personal recommendation and use. This in turn has at times led to a shift in the management’s perceptions of nature and nature tourism, and the concessions and accommodation of the special needs of such tourists that they are prepared to make.