Celebrating Earth Day… Digitally!
Today is the 50th Anniversary of the “Earth Day” Holiday. This year the theme is Earth Day Goes Digital.
We are sharing some of our favorite Zoom™ backgrounds so that you can be in some of the most beautiful places on our planet from the comfort of your home. These backgrounds are courtesy of our awesome clients, so we have also shared some of the inspiring ways that each of them take a stance for the environment in their organizations. How about creating your own backgrounds of your awesome adventure locations for your audiences?
We also challenge you personally and within your business to treat Earth Day just as you would treat January 1st. Think of it as a day of renewal and action; a day to make a resolution for change. Choose one or multiple environmental actions you can take throughout the year. Just like setting a goal, make sure that is a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-based) resolution. That way, you can easily stick to it! For example, donating a certain percent of your profits to a local environmental organization or committing to switch to compostable cutlery in your on-site restaurant.
Here’s How to Use the Backgrounds:
- Download a background by clicking the link and saving it to your computer
- In a Zoom™ meeting click the ^ arrow next to Start/Stop Video
- Click Choose a virtual background…
- Click the arrow in the upper right hand corner and select video or image
- Navigate to where you saved your Alpaca Expedition background and select it to upload
If prompted, click Downloadto download the package for virtual background without a green screen. You may also need to uncheck “Mirror my video” if the image appears backwards.
Alpaca Expeditions – Cusco, Peru
Add some ancient magic to your next zoom call from the sacred ruins of Machu Picchu with Alpaca Expeditions.
Alpaca Expeditions goes above and beyond to make sure there is “No Footprint Left Behind” on their treks. They have campaigns to make sure that the trails look better than when they arrived–no matter if it was their group or others on the trail. They also work with local villages in tree-planting traditions, planting more than 10,000 trees to date. They work with local farmers and vendors to supply the food on all of their tours.
Nomad Adventure – Gopeng, Malaysia
Bring Rainforest Adventures straight to your Zoom™ Room. Rappel down a waterfall or take your call from deep in a Malaysian cave.
Nomad Adventure uses the 8R-Concept at their Earth Camp to educate their guests: “Rethink your lifestyle. Change your attitude towards the throw-away culture and think before you use. Refuse using excessive amounts of resources. Buy or take only what you need. Reduce the number of resources used and the amount of waste produced. Reuse items to give them new life. Avoid wastage and throw-away culture. Repurpose items creatively for different purposes. Repair items that are broken to extend their life. Recycle what you can. If you can no longer put an item to use or reuse, recycle it so it can be turned into something new. Responsibly Dispose with the eco waste Asher or by composting.
Rancho Cacachilas – Baja California Sur, Mexico
Be whisked away to the Sierra Cacachilas with dazzling views of the Sea of Cortez or be the King/Queen of the hive from the Ranch Apiary.
Rancho Cacachilas is powered by solar and focused on land and watershed conservation best practices in all of their operations. They reuse all the grey water and rainwater collected on the ranch in their organic gardens and guests use bucket showers to conserve the water supply. They use Holistic Livestock Management practices to feed all of the livestock in a way that does not deplete the land. They also teach these practices to local ranchers in their community.
McCarthy River Tours & Outfitters – McCarthy, Alaska
Float down majestic Alaskan Rivers and marvel at the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of your living room.
McCarthy practices strict LNT (Leave No Trace) principles on all of their tours. They are dedicated to providing an Alaskan Wilderness Experience and a part of that is making sure that nature truly stays wild. They are also dedicated to supporting their local Alaskan communities by sourcing local food and volunteering.
Wilderness Voyageurs – Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania
Zoom™ chat with your friends and family while tackling the mighty Youghiogheny River or taking a hike to nearby Cucumber Falls.
Wilderness Voyageurs works with The Youghiogheny Riverkeeper by hosting the single largest fundraiser for the Yough Defense Fund each year. These funds cover expenses associated with water quality monitoring, investigation of citizen complaints, litigation, and patrolling the watershed.
Liquid Spark – Global
Enjoy some staff picks from our adventures outdoors and abroad! Catch a sunrise over the Great Smoky Mountains or take a pilgrimage to Tibet.
Liquid Spark is a 1% for the planet company. Last year we donated 1% of our profits to Adventure Scientists, The Organic Growers School, The Coral Restoration Foundation, and the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River. Liquid Spark also has a foundation, The Liquid Spark Foundation, that is a non-profit organization created to serve people in disadvantaged mountain communities worldwide. We are dedicated to helping our clients create strong sustainability programs within their organizations.
For more information on how you can take action this earth day and every day visit The Earth Day official website. And if you are inspired to make sustainability and giving a part of your organization visit our blog Making Giving A Part of Your Adventure Brand. Happy Earth Day!
