College Green Magazine – Eco-news From The Ground Up

Boats near Dow Lake in Stroud's Run State Park, which offers boat rentals and a beach only minutes from Athens. Photo by CG Editor-in-Chief Erich Hiner.

By CG Lifestyles & People Editor Sarah DeCarlo

Spring break for college students often results in gas-guzzling trips out of town or lounging around home wasting energy for a week and a half. Whatever your plans may be, College Green Magazine has five tips to increase the green in your Spring break.

1) Carpool

Making a trip out of town for the week? Coordinate with others to cut down on expenses and gasoline pollution. Let’s face it: friends are an essential part of a road trip, gas prices are at an all-time high and the environment can use all the help it can get when faced with hordes of Florida-bound college students.

2) Dust off your bike

What better way to enjoy the warmer weather than with a nice bike ride? Southeast Ohio offers many different scenic bike paths, including the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway, which runs through a portion of Wayne National Forest. Biking is also a great alternative to making short-distance drives, such as those to the grocery store or a local restaurant.

3) Plan a stay-cation

Although the lush forestry has yet to return, there are several places in Southeast Ohio that offer entertaining activities on the cheap. Spend a day kayaking with a trip through Touch the Earth Adventures in the Hocking Hills or plan a camping trip at Stroud’s Run, Lake Hope or another of Ohio’s state parks. In fact, some parks rent fully furnished cabins for as little as $80 a night! Stroud’s Run and Lake Hope also have sandy beaches perfect for tanning and swimming. With the alternative being an expensive, wasteful trip to a beer bottle-covered beach in Florida, it’s easy to see which of your Spring break choices leads to a healthier Earth and a more environmentally friendly you.

4) Spend some time outside

What’s worse than lazing around for a week and a half, funneling electricity through the television, lamps or a number of appliances? Not much! Make your way outdoors to soak up the sun that should be gracing Southeast Ohio with its presence through the rest of March – or, at the very least, open your curtains and shut off the lights.

5) Stock up locally

Before you head out to your destination, be sure to stop by the Athens Farmers Market, the Farmacy or another store offering locally grown goods. It’s not expected that you last a week and a half with only the food bought before your trip, but grabbing a few days’ worth of snacks at local shops will aid your local growers and, through cutting food production and transportation emissions, the environment.

By adopting just a couple (if not all) of the above tips, you can greatly decrease your Spring break carbon footprint while still having a great and less expensive time!