Niagara Falls Is Perfect for Ecotourists

The hottest trend in holidays right now is that of ecotourism, or participating in eco-friendly activities while on vacation to lessen one’s environmental impact. Tourist spots the world over have begun implementing ecotourism attractions and activities to catch the eye of environmentally friendly travelers. Niagara Falls has always been especially dependent on the health of the surrounding ecosystem — without the falls and forests, Niagara Falls wouldn’t even exist.

Vacationers shouldn’t be surprised at the wealth of ecotourism activities already available in the Niagara region. If you’re interested in giving back to the Earth on your next trip, check out what Niagara can do for you — or rather, what you can do for Niagara.

Go on an Ecotour

If you are new to ecotourism and want to find out some basics before you get into anything too intense, Niagara offers a few guided ecotour packages to introduce you to the activity. Local guides will walk you through various types of terrain, depending on which package you choose, and teach you about the natural landscape and how humans are affecting it. Perfect for beginners, these packages come in many different flavors depending on the participants’ interests. You might book a tour that focuses on:

• Native bird populations, including specialized tours about predatory birds or water fowl
• Eco-friendly photography
• Eco-friendly fitness
• Local sustainable vineyards
• Indigenous vegetables, fruits and herbs

Hike Around Niagara’s Nature

Once you feel you’ve mastered the introductory materials, you can create your own ecotour by wandering around Niagara Falls’ myriad parks and forest trails. Utilizing the tenants of ecotourism (pack it in, pack it out; leave no trace) you can discover for yourself the natural beauty of Niagara and the surrounding areas. These city, state and national park areas exist to protect the natural features, flora and fauna from human intrusion. Perhaps you might be interested in walking a bit of Canada’s most famous hiking trail, the Bruce Trail, which goes from the southern tip to the northern tip of the Niagara Escarpment.

Participate in Clean-Up Activities

Because of the extensive tourism in the area, Niagara Falls usually has quite a bit to do to keep the city and parks clean and healthy. Plenty of the city’s attractions aren’t 100 percent sustainable — the disposable ponchos distributed on popular attractions like the Maid of the Mist or the Journey Behind the Falls, while useful, don’t always make it into waste or recycle bins and instead can be seen floating around the city and parks.

While city workers do their best to keep the waste maintained, you can help Niagara’s environment by participating in ecotourism and working to clean up the city and parks. The Niagara Heritage Partnership is a group of Niagara’s citizens who work to save the natural beauty of the region, and volunteering for any of their activities would benefit the local area significantly.

Whether you’ve been green all your life or you’re just looking for something new to do on vacation, ecotourism is a fantastic opportunity to unwind while helping a worthy cause.

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