Sustaining the Peak District for the Future
 

At Peak Walking Adventures, we care deeply about the beautiful natural environment in which we are fortunate enough to live, work, and share with you our customers.  We feel it is vital that the countryside remains a thriving community with a strong local economy.  We therefore seek to operate our business in a thoroughly sustainable way that will not only help to protect the wonderful landscapes, wildlife, and plantlife for future generations to enjoy, but will also support local communities, allowing it to remain a 'living, working countryside'.

We are proud to have been awarded a Green Tourism Silver Award in recognition of our green and sustainability policies and actions.   

We have implemented the following measures in order to achieve our objective of being a truly responsible and sustainable business:  

Protecting the Environment:

• Taking only small groups out into environmentally sensitive areas to minimise the impact on delicate ecosystems and avoid unnecessary erosion.
• Implementing a 'leave no trace' policy, leaving the countryside with no evidence that we have visited. 
• Helping our customers to learn about the fragile upland environment and how they can help protect it.
• Sharing our knowledge of local plants, animals, geology, and local history to promote a greater love of the countryside and desire to protect it amongst others.  
• Taking home only memories and photographs.  We never pick wild flowers or take rock samples etc.
• Following The Countryside Code on all of our walks.
• Encouraging customers to arrive by public transport or minimise the use of their car during their stay.
• Making all of our walks accessible to those using public transport.
• Using a vehicle ourselves that has low carbon emissions.
• Doing most of our marketing, admin and booking arrangements on-line to minimise use of paper
• Recycling the small amount of waste paper, print cartridges etc that we produce
• Following environmental guidance offered by the Peak District National Park Authority and organisations such as Envirowise, and The Carbon Trust.
• Supporting local wildlife and environmental charities such as the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and Friends of the Peak District. (An independent charity whose vision is of a living, working Peak District that changes with the time but remains beautiful forever.)
• Using innovative 'green' products such as wearing Hi-Tec's Altitude IV WPi NT Enviro walking boots.  Read our review of these boots. 

Supporting the Local Economy and Communities:

• Using local suppliers whenever possible for all aspects of our business
• Recommending locally owned hotels, guesthouses, and self-catering accommodation
• Encouraging our customers to sample locally sourced food
• Promoting to customers other attractions, craft products, activity providers etc within the area
• Helping our customers to learn about the Peak District way of life, culture and heritage.
• Encouraging our customers to donate £1 per day to the 'Peak Pound Partnership' initiative. 

When planning your guided walking holiday or day walk:

• Consider whether you could give your car a holiday and travel here by public transport.  There are good rail links from most parts of the country and all of our suggested accommodation in The Dark Peak and Derbyshire Dales is within a mile of a railway station.  The following websites may be useful for planning your journey by public transport.  www.transportdirect.info and www.traveline.org.uk.    

While you are here:

• If you have brought your car, minimise its use during your stay.  Ask us about public transport and bike hire on your non-walking days
• Buy local produce, buy organic, support local outdoor clothing and walking supplies shops
• Take home local food, art and crafts as souvenirs
• Use water and power sparingly, switch lights off, turn the heating down whenever possible.
• Recycle your rubbish or take it home
• Learn about how we live and respect our local communities
• Respect our countryside, take photos not plants, leave gates as you find them.
• Don’t climb dry-stone walls, they fall down easily and take a long time to repair
• Keep to rights of way on private ground, keep to paths on Access Land during the breeding season, keep dogs on a lead, and respect Access Land closures and restrictions. 
• Show you are a responsible traveller, ask about environmental policies, look for environmental awards.
• Support the 'Peak Pound Partnership' initiative by donating £1 for each day that you walk with us to the Friends of the Peak District registered charity. 
• Consider combining a few days of guided walking with a day or more undertaking voluntary conservation work. 

When you get back: