Did you know that FishTravel operates in a Carbon Negative manner? Whilst being a very small company, FishTravel has strived to do everything within its power to work in an ethical manner and enhance the environment since inception. FishTravel’s ‘greendentials‘ are unsurpassed within the industry. We are trying to make a difference locally but also at the destinations we work with and represent.
Read more about FishTravel’s Environmental Pledge HERE.
Read More about FishTravel’s ‘Buy one, get one Tree’ project HERE.
The electricity supply for the company is from 100% renewable energy sources. The paperwork you get sent is printed on carbon neutral paper. FishTravel also operates largely digitally, so there is very little impact when it comes to physical goods in general.
This also feeds down into some of the gifts we send your in your travel / document pack before you head away on your holiday, with items such as 100% natural ingredient shampoo bars and natural ingredient sunscreen sent to reduce your impact on the destination, especially given the remoteness and fragile nature of some destinations.
All of this comes at no extra cost to you, but, more importantly, no cost on the environment either. FishTravel is a big believer in leaving a place better (whenever possible) than the way you found it and such small steps can help achieve that.
Beyond these, there is a major measure that FishTravel has undertaken over the last two years and that is planting a tree for every booking it makes – this is for everyone person within a booking too, not just the overall booking. Not only that, but the trees that are planted are rare, heritage fruit trees – some of which have transpired to be DNA unique! More on that to follow.
The vision of the tree planting is to help alleviate some of the impact caused by travelling to fishing destinations across the world, some of which may involve several flights to reach and then have fuel generators running around the clock. What FishTravel is doing may seem miniscule on the surface and in the grand scheme of things, but there is a lot more to it.
This is very much a long-term vision, which must be the case with trees as they do not grow or bear fruit overnight. Over the last century countless orchards have been lost, especially as fashion changed and trees were cut down to make room for open pasture or just other uses. This means that some varieties have been completely lost, with perhaps just a handful of some still in existence.
Whilst some of these rare varieties need preservation in heritage terms, they are also extremely nutritious – far more nutritious than many of the offerings found in your local supermarket. As such, bringing them back into circulation and saving them from extinction is very much worthwhile.
To achieve this, the only really viable way was to graft them. Last winter / spring alone, FishTravel grafted 185 rootstocks (far exceeding the amount of bookings made, but overdoing it in the early years means that the trees will gain size and strength sooner, whilst also bearing fruit sooner). These were mainly apple (110), but some rare plum (25), cherry (25) and pear (25) varieties were also grafted. The scions (parent tree cuttings) ranged from Pendragon (google search this one – it’s fascinating and beautiful), Bloody Ploughman and St Edmunds Russet through to Welsh varieties such as Cariad Cherry, Bardsey Apple, Snowdon Queen Pear, Penrhyn Pear and more.
Beyond this and to protect rare varieties, further measures have been undertaken. FishTravel has been trying find old and / or abandoned fruit trees. This has included a beautiful cherry tree found on the banks of the River Usk near Brecon whilst fishing, along with exploring abandoned and derelict walled gardens, which are still home to a wealth of fruit trees (around forty were found in one walled garden alone!).
Aberystwyth University now has an amazing service, whereby you can send samples of apple and pear trees to have them DNA tested (More on that HERE). This can identify what gets discovered, but also highlight what may be unique or considered lost. Through this, thus far FishTravel has discovered two DNA unique apple trees, which is really exciting. We’re also expecting the results on a further nine samples soon – seven apple and two pear.
When such rare treasures are discovered, they will be given precedence in next year’s grafting, creating identical copies of the parent tree to help secure their survival for future generations. As it stands, FishTravel will build on the 185 grafted this year and will be working on 250 next spring (100 apple, 50 pear, 50 cherry, 50 plum). Only eating / dessert apples will be worked on, taking precedence over cooking apples.
What’s the future goal? Beyond the aforementioned benefits of conserving heritage and also reducing the carbon footprint of each and every booking FishTravel makes, there is another reason why fruit trees were chosen over e.g. oak, birch etc. FishTravel wants to create a community orchard from the trees that are planted, whereby the fruit produced from these trees are fed back into the local community. A green area will be created for all to enjoy, but then people will be welcome to collect some fruit for their family and then there will be a larger picking effort where the fruit will be supplied to local schools, nursing homes, foodbanks etc. so that they have access to fresh, organic and nutritious fruit. This will be aptly named ‘The Communitree’, with the website already secured www.TheCommunitree.co.uk – watch this space.
A big thank you must be given to Robert Jones of Roberts Garden Centre in Lampeter, who has helped massively with obtaining the rootstocks, but also the bedding material and general advice. Then to several sources of information and inspiration, including Ian Sturrock who has been helping promote and preserve rare fruit trees for decades, Nicky & Gareth from Tyn-Y-Berllan who have also been hunting some rare varieties and securing them for the future, through to Carwyn Graves’ must-read and inspirational book ‘Apples of Wales’ that has really highlighted the plight of fruit trees and orchards in Wales over recent decades and what we stand to lose without intervention.
Thanks also to Caron Evans and Danny Thorogood at Aberystwyth University for their work and the service they offer to help identify and catalogue rare varieties – without them, much of this work would be pure guesswork.
Finally, a special thanks to the landowners and estate owners for granting permission and access to their old orchards and walled gardens – it has been fascinating to say the least, especially imagining what such places would have been like in their heyday.