Going Green
Jersey Walk Adventures is part of Jersey Kayak Adventures. We are committed to reducing the environmental impacts caused by the business’s day-to-day activities.
We play an active role in encouraging our clients to discover our environment. With this comes a responsibility to ensure we minimise our impact.
Read our Environmental guidelines here.
We are a member of Eco-Active Jersey.
Responsible visitor charter
We can all help to ensure that our fantastic coastline and environment remain safe for future visits by helping to do just a few simple things.
In our desire to view wildlife, we may unintentionally disturb wildlife. Follow the advice of our trained staff, and read our wildlife-watching code in the Environmental Guidelines.
Avoid bringing disposable water bottles with you. Use a cycle water bottle instead.
Try to reduce the amount of throw-away and single-use items you bring on our trips. Less packaging can significantly reduce the amount of rubbish on beaches, and paper bags and reusable lunch boxes are great alternatives.
Consider picking up one piece of rubbish from any beach on our trips. Removing one item of plastic makes a difference if we all do this.
Collect the white hooks and elastics used by the Oyster farmers.
Driving and parking can be a nightmare at some of our departure points. If you plan to arrive by bicycle or bus to the walk, we will refund £1 per adult at the venue. Please tell us at the time of booking. We may ask for evidence at the start of the walk, e.g. bus tickets. Bus times can be viewed here.
Make an impact by booking activities and accommodation from members of Eco-active or the Green Business scheme (see below).
Support local businesses. Buy local, act globally. Local businesses put more back into the community. (To learn more about this, read “The small mart revolution” by Michael H Shuman.) Jersey has lots of Farm shops, and they are a culinary delight. Look out for the Genuine Jersey logo.
Corporate Social Responsibility
To reduce the environmental impact of our business, our targets are:
1. Comply with the requirements of environmental legislation and approved codes of practice.
2. Aim to improve environmental performance.
3. Reduce pollution, emissions and waste arising from our activities.
4. Reduce the use of all raw materials, energy and supplies.
5. Raise awareness, encourage participation and train employees in environmental matters.
6. Encourage similar environmental standards from all suppliers and contractors.
7. Assist customers and clients in using products and services in an environmentally sensitive way.
8. Liaise with the local community.
9. Participate in discussions about environmental issues.
10. Endeavour to buy local products from local suppliers where ever possible.
Here are a few of the things we do:
Use biodegradable detergents and sterilising solutions when cleaning wetsuits, boots and clothing
Use recycled paper.
Operate energy-efficient light bulbs at the office.
Installed electric water and electric heating at the office.
Offer work experience placements with Project Trident for young people.
Offer special rates for schools and youth groups.
Support local charities by offering raffle prizes and training/support for people undertaking kayaking events to raise money for charity.
Use video conferencing via Zoom and GoToMeeting to save time and energy.
Organise beach cleans on some of the remoter coves around Jersey.
Active in environmental issues. Membership of the Jersey Ramsar Management Group, Marine Biology section.
Buy local whenever possible.
We aim to operate out of just one venue daily to reduce fuel emissions.
Monitor air pollution via an islandwide monitoring system
We bought an Electric van
Measure our Carbon emissions since 2018. We buy Carbon offsets where it is impossible to reduce carbon emissions via Durell’s Rewild Carbon scheme.
Offer a discount to clients who travel to our venues using public transport, on foot or by cycle.
Wild Life Safe (WiSe)
Staff have undergone Wildlife Safe training and follow the observing wildlife code. WiSe is a Training and Accreditation scheme aimed at operators of passenger pleasure craft, wildlife cruise operators, dive boats and charter yachts who may come into contact with marine wildlife such as whales, dolphins, basking sharks or seals.
Training consists of instruction on how to best view these creatures whilst at the same time minimising disturbance.
Eco-active scheme
We were the first Jersey company to sign up for the Eco-active business scheme. This scheme encourages businesses to consider their environmental impact and adopt good practices.
Jersey Kayak & Walk Adventures played an active role in the Les Ecrehous management plan, the Marine Wild Life Watching Code for Jersey.
We are members of the Ramsar Management Authority and are part of a group trying to reduce the amount of visual pollution caused by signage around the Ramsar site.
Jersey Walk Adventures reduces its carbon footprint
As part of our commitment to the environment, we reduced our carbon footprint by almost 50% by buying an electric van, switching from gas to electric heating, and recycling more.
To encourage customers to use greener alternatives, we offer an eco-discount if they arrive by bus, bicycle, or foot.
The tricky bit is how to reduce our carbon footprint even further.
Carbon Offsets for a small business
Faced with reducing our carbon footprint, we looked at carbon offsets. For a small business, carbon offset schemes can seem quite complicated. It soon became apparent that carbon offsetting (when done well) is more than just planting trees.
Rewild Carbon
In 2021 we heard that the Jersey-based Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust had created Rewild Carbon, a carbon offset project with a novel approach. Knowing that a world-famous conservation organisation founded by Gerald Durrell ran Rewild Carbon gave us confidence that this was a scheme worth considering.
Durrell links the purchase of forests in Brazil with habitat management for endangered species.
To restore the incredible colour of our planet, Durrell aims to:
Recover threatened or missing wildlife;
Revive and rebuild ecosystems and natural processes;
Reconnect people to the natural world they share, and take
Responsibility for demonstrating the value of the natural world.
Rewild Carbon invests directly in reforestation and has an integrated management scheme to support endangered creatures and local communities.
We can see where our money goes, and more importantly, it actively involves local communities in wildlife conservation.
Read more about the Rewild Carbon project and how it is helping to regenerate forests, habitats, and endangered species like the Golden Lion Tamarin here.
Supporting our community
We try to buy from local suppliers whenever possible. They often invest more in the local community than off-island organisations.
We support local charities, clubs and organisations through donations and special rates for specific organisations.
Memberships:
The Wild Life Safe scheme.
Eco Active – a Jersey scheme.
Jersey Heritage
Marine Biology Section
Jersey Ramsar Management Authority group member
Jersey Tourist Guide Association
Societe Jersiaise– Promotes the study of Jersey archaeology, history, natural history, the ancient language, and the environment’s conservation.