Sustainability tips

Even small investments can make a big difference to our planet.

Vanessa has turned part of her military quarter garden into a wild meadow. When she moved in, the garden was cut right back, so a little rewilding project began.

Wild meadow seeds were planted, and a veg patch was created. The difference in two years is incredible. By sowing meadow seeds and no mowing, lots of native grasses had moved in and established

The area is a haven for bees and some beautiful orchids have flourished too!

The Wildlife Trust have some great resources to help you to rewild your garden: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions

Sustainability tips

Earth Day 2023 is fast approaching, and this year's theme is '𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙩'

There are many ways we can Invest in our Planet that are free and can help make our planet a better place to live. We can do small, simple actions in our home and locality that together can make a big difference.

Throughout April, we will share how our FWC Community have invested in the planet:

Claire is a paddlesports coach. Her canoe club collect litter during training sessions and they teach about the importance of removing litter and invasive species. Claire invests time (and energy) removing invasive non-native species and debris from the waterways in her local area. This keeps them clear and the water flowing. Claire's club log sewage being dumped in the river and fuel leaks from boats, holding management organisations to account - this is all part of the #clearaccessclearwaters campaign with British Canoeing. In 2022 the club removed 50 bags of floating pennywort from one section of river and maintained it throughout the year, keeping the river open.

Without clean waterways, we lose biodiversity and our wonderful blue spaces, which we know are vital for our mental health. Claire educates people on courses on how paddlers can help look after our environment.

This is a big team effort, with people investing time, energy and knowledge into our planet. Well done Claire and her canoe club!

Sustainability tips

Reduce Reuse Repair Recycle

REDUCE: The most sustainable kit is the kit you already have. Consider what you own and whether it can be used for the challenge you are planning on undertaking. Running kit is good enough for walking as long as you have layers and waterproofs!

REUSE: Old is the new in fashion, so why not use the same principle for your outdoor kit? There are lots of second-hand Facebook sales groups specifically for outdoor kit, some for particular brands, some for ladies only and some sport specific. It's worth a search if you need something new or to sell something on you no longer need!

Hiring and the sharing economy is becoming more popular for outdoor adventurers. Big brands such as Rab and Lowe Alpine have a kit hire service, and there are some UK-based kit hire companies. You can borrow big kit items from KitUp - think canoes, paddleboards, and tents!

Wetsuit hire is a really good option for our swim challenge, they have a huge impact on the environment and there are companies that will rent you one for a few days or a whole season.

REPAIR: Repairing your kit and making it last makes it good value in the long term. You can DIY or use a repair service - Cotswold Outdoor, Alpkit and Finisterre all offer this service, and not just for their own products.

And finally, RECYCLE. If something really isn't good enough to pass on, then try and recycle. Alpkit's Continuum Project creates a circular economy for outdoor kit; they either repurpose items for people that need them (they are currently sending sleeping bags to Turkey and Syria) or find innovative ways to recycle. For example: wetsuits are sent to Dirtbags to be up-cycled.

Sustainability tips

Outdoor clothing and kit is needed for challenges and adventures, it keeps us comfortable, warm, cool and dry in all conditions. But did you know that the clothing industry has a massive carbon and wastewater impact, and is responsible for 15% of plastic use worldwide? So it's important we choose kit wisely!

Here are our top tips for choosing new outdoor kit:

What's it made of? Look out for natural materials. Merino wool in base layers and t-shirts is great for temperature regulation and lasts for years. Technical fabrics are needed in lots of outdoor kit but some are harmful to the environment; look out for PFC-free waterproofs. There is an increasing number of outdoor kit brands using recycled materials or having ethical supply chains for technical fabrics - check out Alpkit, Patagonia and RAB.

Will it last? Outdoor kit is worth the investment; if something is well made and looked after,it can be better in the long term.

Do you really need it? New kit and outdoor clothing can be very appealing once you make adventure part of your life. But hold back and think if you really need that merino base layer in every colour! Or can you borrow or rent it if it is something you will only use once?

So how can you spot the responsible from the not-so-responsible?

Look for the sustainability pages on websites and spend a little time researching the ethics of the brand you are considering buying.

Sustainability tips

There is a large gender gap in outdoor activities, with female participation far lower than male participation. Only 28% of the BMCs members and 20% of qualified mountain leaders are female, there is a lot of work to do!

FWC encourages women into the outdoors with women-only challenges - we want to make that gap smaller, which is why Gender Equality is one of our chosen Sustainable Development Goals. By giving women the confidence to enjoy outdoor activities, we can close the gap and promote female adventures. Since its inception FWC has been supported by a large number of male allies who have mentored and championed us from the very start - we are hugely grateful for their unwavering support!

The number of female MLs offering to help FWC is rising and we hope this will inspire our community that they too can become qualified to lead groups. As the saying goes - YOU HAVE TO SEE IT TO BE IT! We hope to use more female leaders where possible and will report back on how we get on.

How you can you support the Gender Equality goal?

Seek out female led tourism or activity businesses

Follow us and other female adventurers on Instagram

Read Emily's blog post about women in adventures

https://www.emily-bailey.co.uk/.../women-in-adventure-or-not

Sustainability tips

Building a sustainable community is at the heart of the Forces Wives Challenge. Whilst our community is spread across the country, one of our core values says FWC 'fosters friendships, boosts confidence and builds resilience'. Through our series of challenges, we aim to be inclusive for all abilities, from a day walk in the Malvern Hills and a swim around Burgh Island to our Ride to Freedom which will showcase the incredible power adventure can have on those living with a physical disability. There really is an option for everyone!

The other side of community is the one we visit when on challenges. We need to ensure they benefit from our visiting - small actions such as purchasing a coffee from a local cafe and parking in the right place can make a real difference to how a community feels about visitors.

HELP US BUILD A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY

🫱‍🫲 First one is simple! Come on a challenge and meet the community

Encourage other forces wives to take part - share the challenges when they are launched even if they aren't for you

Support your local cafe, pub, and farm shop - these are often the heart of the community and a better experience

To join FWC go to our website

https://www.forceswiveschallenge.org/get-involved

Sustainability tips

Being a responsible consumer is increasingly important as what we buy, where from and why can have a big impact on our planet and people. On challenges, we consume simple things like water and food, and we also need outdoor kit and often will need something new.

For 2023 we are looking at ways to reduce consumption on challenges and bring income to the communities we visit. We will look carefully at where we stay and where we source food and choose the local, lower impact, less waste option where possible. New kit is often needed, so we will be dedicating a whole month of social posts to this. In the meantime, check out the FWC shop that is stocked using sustainable clothing

https://www.forceswiveschallenge.org/fwcshop

HOW TO SUPPORT OUR RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION GOAL

Carry a reusable water bottle and coffee cup everywhere. We now have a branded FWC bottle https://www.forceswiveschallenge.org/.../fwc-water-bottle...

The most straightforward way is to buy less and make the most of what you have!

Use the reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle mantra before you get rid of anything

Buy from small businesses as more of your money stays in the community

Think about package and shipping - many companies ship in paper bags with recyclable inserts. Is it being shipped from the UK?

Are you a responsible consumer? What is your top tip for becoming one?

Sustainability tips

FWC offer a series of challenges across the UK and beyond, some are bucket list adventures, and some are on lesser know tracks and trails. All will impact the land; we recognise this and want to ensure the conservation of our precious environment and biodiversity for us to enjoy in the future. When we organise a challenge, we consider the location, time of year and the impact of group size on our environment.

We've created a 'Green Box' so that when you sign up for a challenge, you will receive tips on reducing your impact on the land.

SUPPORTING OUR LIFE ON LAND GOAL

Most of these you can incorporate into your adventures, whether a day out in your local area or on a big adventure in the UK or overseas.Make picnics plastic-free; decanting snacks into reusable containers reduces the risk of accidental littering

Take a small bag just for rubbish and pick up a few pieces you may spot along the way

Know where the next loo stop is or be prepared for wild wees, don't use paper - bring a reusable cloth to wash later

Stick to the paths and try not to go over the edges where they are well marked; this reduces erosion and loss of biodiversity

Get involved in a litter pick or volunteer with your local conservation group

☞ Check out our upcoming events - we have a great range of challenges across the UK

https://www.forceswiveschallenge.org/upcoming-events-3

Sustainability tips

At Forces Wives Challenge, we are passionate about creating a positive impact on our community and our environment. We unite women through adventure and challenges; by our very nature, we offer low-impact activities. Yet, we recognise that everything has an impact and flipping that into a positive impact is crucial for our planet and the people living on it.

This month, we will be introducing our Sustainability Plan to you. We have used the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to guide us, and selected ones are relevant to our challenges and community. These are:

Climate Action

Life on Land

Responsible Consumption

Sustainable Communities for Economic Growth

Gender Equality.

CLIMATE ACTION

Help us reduce carbon emissions on our challenges by 5% in 2023! Travelling to challenges in the UK or overseas creates carbon emissions, and reducing emissions is one of the best things we can do for the planet. In 2022, we decided to measure the carbon impact of our challenges and will reduce this for 2023 challenges. When you sign up for a Challenge, we encourage you to lift share, take the train, or public transport. Pack light as excess weight uses more fuel and eat locally to reduce food miles. By monitoring carbon emissions, we can reduce them year-on-year, so please remember to tell us how you arrived at a challenge.

What can you do? Our top tips for reducing your carbon emissions

Choose low-impact travel transport - human powered is best. Jump on your bike rather than in the car for short journeys.

Turn your heating down by 2 degrees. You will barely notice the difference and save money!

Buy in-season local produce, find your local farm shop and reduce food miles.

Reduce the number of clothes you buy. Fashion has a huge environmental impact

Use an online carbon calculator such as the one from the WWF (World Wildlife Fund).

Read more about the FWC Sustainability Plan here: https://www.forceswiveschallenge.org/sustainability-plan

Sustainability tips

In the final instalment of 'How to travel more sustainably' we look at activities!

The activities you do on your holiday can make a real difference to the environment and to the host community. Getting off the beaten track and being a responsible traveller ensures tourism does good things.

Top tips for sustainable activities whilst on holiday:

Adventure travel: Adventure operators consider the type of transport, accommodation, and activities and lead the way to sustainability. There are many adventure tour operators that organise trips worldwide, from operators that specialise in everything from family adventures to the world's hardest expeditions.

Choose low-carbon activities: Human-powered adventures are a great way to see a destination. Swap a bus tour for walking or cycling, go kayaking rather than take a boat trip, and ride a camel, not a quad bike!

Local experiences: Search out activities such as cookery courses and street photography tours, hire a local walking guide and find the resturantants locals love. Authentic experiences will make a holiday truly memorable.

Choose an FWC Challenge: At FWC, we have many challenges for all abilities throughout 2023 for you to take part in. Our challenges will get you outdoors with our community and give you a taste of adventure.