Wendy Worrall Redal

Wendy Worrall Redal is never so happy as when she's planning her next trip -- or one for someone else. An inveterate traveler who has visited 45 countries and all 50 states, Wendy is a travel writer, seasoned tour director and custom trip planner. Travel, in Wendy's view, is the best avenue for cultivating personal discovery and compassion for others and the Earth. Alongside the global awareness that travel brings is recognition of the need for conscious tourism -- treading lightly upon the land, respecting diverse cultures, and ensuring a sustainable enterprise for future generations of explorers. Wendy's interest in ecotourism is complemented by her role as adjunct professor of journalism and mass communication at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she teaches courses on environment, media and culture, and was formerly a staff member of the Center for Environmental Journalism. She holds a Ph.D. in communication with a specialty in media studies. Wendy is a regular contributor to Good Nature, the blog of Natural Habitat Adventures, an eco-travel company. She lives with her family in Boulder, Colorado.

As I hiked with my dog through prairie open space on a recent morning, we were both captivated by the wild creatures around us. In his case, it was the prairie dog colony; in mine, a long V of geese honking overhead. The swallows have left, and I haven’t heard a meadowlark since early September.

The last time I rented a car, I was able to help the environment by tacking on a mere $1.25 to my rental cost. Granted, I’m still driving and spewing CO2 — but that small amount allowed me to offset my contribution to the carbon emissions generated by the typical rental car: about 300 pounds.

I love harvest time. What more savory feast for the senses is there than a Saturday morning stroll through the local farmers market in September? Here in Boulder, Colo., I love gathering a basketful of Palisade peaches, pungent peppers, fresh-picked organic salad greens, and a big, sweet Rocky Ford cantaloupe (the melon equivalent of a vine-ripe heirloom tomato versus a pale January supermarket variety). And soon, I’ll add a jug of cloudy, fresh-pressed apple cider.

I knew I had a problem with my Facebook addiction when I kept thinking of last weekend’s camping trip as a series of status reports:

Wendy Worrall Redal

… swore she would not camp in a tent in the rain again, and here she is.

“Eco” as a prefix has gained some potent marketing cachet for all sorts of goods and services in recent years, not least for travel. Nearly every jungle accommodation in Costa Rica seems to bill itself as an “eco-lodge,” for instance, and ecotourism is promoted as an important, even essential, means of protecting species and habitats.

Disneynature’s acclaimed new film Earth presents the most spectacular 100 minutes of wildlife footage I have ever seen. The film reunites directors Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, who produced the award-winning BBC series “Planet Earth,” in a new venture that brings equally stunning images to the big screen.

With spring comes a near-universal urge to get outside, get fit, and revel in the greening landscape. A great bike ride accomplishes all those desires — and it’s a refreshingly green mode of travel, too.

Since it’ll be several more weeks before I can count on greening grass, blooming trees and mild air, a long weekend getaway can lift my attitude and help sustain my patience. My fantasies tend toward a beach retreat in the Maldives or a week at a fancy spa in the desert somewhere. But when times are tight, even the most avid travelers may need to scale down. I recommend these three affordable eco-friendly getaways that can nurture both you and the earth at the same time. Book a weekend retreat, refresh your memory on eco-friendly travel tips, and your spring break can sustain both your sanity and the environment.

“There, at the top of that tallest tree,” our guide says, pointing through a maze of vegetation. I catch a flash of red, then a rainbow of feathers, backlit by the sun, as the scarlet macaw takes flight. Its bright plumage is the only contrast against the verdant backdrop of the Amazon rainforest.

As you plan your travels for 2009, make a New Year’s resolution to green up your accommodations. It’s easy, and you’ll be inspired by the wide range of ways the hospitality industry is seeking to lessen its impact on the planet while making your stay more comfortable than ever.