First Light Travel's new sustainability manager

First Light Travel acknowledges our responsibility to undertake a journey toward reducing our environmental footprint. We are dedicated to making meaningful changes through various initiatives. In addition to our carbon offset program, we have appointed Danielle Mueth as our Sustainability Manager. Danielle brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in sustainability practices and will be crucial in driving our sustainability initiatives forward.

First Light Travel sustainability manager

One of the key steps we have taken is implementing a comprehensive carbon measurement and offset program. This program is designed to mitigate our impact by accurately measuring our carbon emissions and offsetting them through various environmental projects. By doing so, we aim to neutralize our carbon footprint and contribute positively to the environment.

In addition to our carbon offset program, we have appointed Danielle Mueth as our Sustainability Manager. Danielle brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in sustainability practices and will play a crucial role in driving our sustainability initiatives forward. Her appointment underscores our deep commitment to embedding sustainability into every aspect of our operations.

At First Light Travel, we are not just addressing the symptoms of climate change but are also committed to understanding and tackling the root causes. We are continuously exploring new ways to reduce our environmental impact and promote sustainable practices within our industry. Through our dedicated efforts, we strive to make a significant positive impact on the planet and lead by example in the travel sector.

“Growing up in Wisconsin, USA, my family spent a large amount of time outdoors, whether it be at the lake, wandering our state parks, or wildlife spotting. This is where my passion for the environment and nature began. After moving away, I continued to spend my free time exploring wild places and found I am at my happiest when out in nature. The further you travel, the more incredible locations you discover, but you also see the detrimental impacts that humanity has inflicted. Spotting plastic pollution in the most remote areas of national parks, witnessing the endless deforestation of natural habitats, and the destruction of our biodiversity is heart-breaking, especially knowing that we are taking away the opportunity for future generations to be able to engage with the world as we have. My time spent experiencing the world is what has inspired my desire to save it – not only so I can continue exploring the wonders of the world myself, but also to work towards a sustainable and regenerative environment that will allow future generations to enjoy the same level of biodiversity and beauty of the world’s wild places.”

Danielle

Planting more tree's with First Light Travel

Join us on the journey of reducing our environmental footprint.

First Light Travel and our sister company New Zealand Trails acknowledge that we need to reduce our environmental footprint. Our carbon measurement and offset program to date has allowed us to plant over 3000 native beach trees.

Beech trees (Nothofagus species) can sequester a significant amount of carbon over their lifetimes. A mature tree can store about 22 kg of CO2 per year on average. Over 300 years, a single tree could sequester approximately:

22 kg/year×300 years=6600 kg CO222 \text{ kg/year} \times 300 \text{ years} = 6600 \text{ kg} \text{ CO2}22 kg/year×300 years=6600 kg CO2

Given 3,000 trees, the total carbon offset would be:

6600 kg/tree×3000 trees=19,800,000 kg CO26600 \text{ kg/tree} \times 3000 \text{ trees} = 19,800,000 \text{ kg} \text{ CO2}6600 kg/tree×3000 trees=19,800,000 kg CO2

Converting this to metric tons (since 1 metric ton = 1,000 kg):

19,800,000 kg÷1000=19,800 metric tons19,800,000 \text{ kg} \div 1000 = 19,800 \text{ metric tons}19,800,000 kg÷1000=19,800 metric tons

So, 3,000 New Zealand beech trees, that grow to 30 meters tall and reach the ripe old age of 300 years, could offset approximately 19,800 metric tons of CO2.

You can opt-in and help for as little as $NZ5pp (US$3) - or not, it's ok, we are going to do it anyway. This year we donated $NZ10.000 (that's 3,333 trees) and volunteered a lot of labor - and we intend to do better next and every other year.