In 2024, the Provincial Government of Bohol ordered the temporary closure of Bohol’s Virgin Island. It was lifted after more than a year, with stricter rules. In 2025, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources announced the temporary closure of Mt. Pulag’s Campsites 1 & 2.
What caused the shutdowns? Not merely the annual rehabilitation and renovation, not the seasonality either. At Virgin Island, coral reefs were vandalized with tourists’ names; on Mt. Pulag, left-behind trash. Manmade, conscious mistakes. It was all tourists’ disrespect towards the environment they claimed to love, and to which they declared their respite.
Shouldn’t we, the travelers and lovers of the outdoors, lead the charge in environmental protection? Don’t we have enough reasons and sentiments to be? Don’t we hear firsthand what Mother Nature cries for? Don’t we want to keep exploring?
Today is World Environment Day (WED), “celebrated every June 5th, led by the UN Environment Programme. Since 1973, it has been a platform for raising awareness on environmental issues, inspiring change, and driving global action for a healthier, more sustainable planet. It has become one of the world’s largest platforms for environmental outreach—mobilizing millions of people, thousands of organizations, and governments across more than 150 countries each year.” (worldenvironmentday.global) This year’s theme is climate action.
Walk with us and three outdoor enthusiasts and environmental champions to plant a seed that will grow into a personified image of a conscious and impactful traveler.
Krishna Ariola
@krishnaariola @youthforclimatehope
Climate activist
Favorite outdoor activities: Yoga, freediving, hiking, birdwatching, and painting
“Sometimes I think it’s inevitable that I would find myself fighting for environment and climate justice,” said Krishna Ariola, co-founder of Youth for Climate Hope (Y4CH), a grassroots youth-powered movement leading intergenerational and multisectoral resistance against fossil fuels in the Philippines.
Raised in the coastal city of Bacolod, she could not pinpoint one moment in her life that led her to environmentalism, but she always remembered spending weekends either on the beach by the sinking sand or in the mountains where her mother worked in sustainable agriculture.
“My sister and I were always being strung along for community visits, seedbanking workshops, and consultations,” she shared. “I remember being seven years old and given gifts of pink, purple, black, and red rice to take home – harvests from our local farmers. The earth was generous, and so were the people who tended to it. Nature was not separate but something we grew alongside of.”
In 2017, she decided to join and co-organize a hike led by her sister. They camped for a night, told stories, passed around what they knew about their protected mountains, its endemic species, and the old-growth forests cut down by an energy company.
“It was little what we knew, but it was enough,” she said. “Everything shifted. We saw the gargantuan task ahead of us, but the duty to our forests overshadowed it. The rest was history.”
True enough, it changed the course of their lives. It has been almost a decade since they have campaigned for marine and wildlife conservation and won fights against dirty energy projects. They come back to that mountain at least once a year, almost like a pilgrimage.
“When one has the privilege to see the world, it becomes pretty clear how everything is interconnected, from plastic pollution, exorbitant taxes being stolen by corrupt politicians, to the climate crisis,” she said. “The next step is to realize that the solutions are also interlinked and can be done by anyone and everyone, especially in a world more connected than ever. Nothing will change if we’re all just waiting for each other to take action. At the end of the day, there are no coral reefs and waterfalls on a dead planet.”
Krishna believes the Leave No Trace principles are a great starting point to minimize the environmental impacts of outdoorsmen.
“The rest of the rules write themselves when you remember that nature is not just for resources or a place to visit, but a vessel of history and wisdom,” she continued. “Always be curious – ask questions not just to the locals, but also to yourself. What can I do better? How can we all do better as visitors and collective stewards of this planet?
Better yet – listen. There is so much nature offers up to us if we start listening. The forests are a quiet place, but they are not silent. If you find yourself in one soon, the sounds you hear are going to be erased from existence in ten years’ time because of the rate of extinction accelerated by climate change. While there are tourist spots to see, records to break, and photos to capture, remember to pause. Let the earth listen to your breaths, too. How wonderful it is that we feed each other this way; this exchange of exhales.”
“I can enumerate a list of things we can do, of course – from gathering a handful of friends and doing a cleanup, organizing photo walks, listening to the news, spreading awareness, joining protests, starting direct actions and mobilizations,” she added. “But at the end of the day, environmental stewardship isn’t just a prescribed set of activities. It’s coming home and remembering our place in this world, knowing this isn’t ours to destroy but ours to nurture, and that in our growth and remembering it nurtures us back, too. I think a lot of us are prone to romanticizing everything we see in the outdoors, and then turning our backs quickly when the work that is required to help conserve and protect the earth becomes unromantic and full of drudgery.”
For World Environment Day, from the point of view of an outdoor-loving climate activist, she would like to push the messages of acknowledging our special relationship with the planet and fighting the capitalist system that harms it.
“We are part of the earth itself,” she said. “The solutions are here; they exist, and they are in the people we see every day.
It is clearer now more than ever that the capitalist system that is destroying our environment for unimaginable profit is what has driven us to the brink of irreversible change. But the good news is that as the promises of capitalism shatter, more of us begin to ask questions that break these existing systems apart, and it is where I see much hope. Entire landscapes have been reshaped by a single question. For many of our communities, the question is ‘what if we flatten this mountain and turn it into a nickel mine or a power plant?’ Now imagine the power of asking a question back. Changing the world always starts with one.”
This year, Y4CH celebrates 7 years of Coal-Free Negros. Thousands of Negrosanons from all walks of life came together to win the fight for a clean, livable, and healthy future. Negros Occidental was declared a coal-free province in March 2019 after decades of struggle against fossil fuels. Fossil fuels — coal, oil, and gas — are by far the largest contributor to global climate change.
Jib Niñal
@palawan_backpacker
Environmental Science graduate
Favorite outdoor activities: Hiking and spearfishing
Jib studied Environmental Science and has been working with environmental groups for the past eight years. His work mainly focuses on environmental restoration, conservation, and community development projects, particularly in coastal and upland ecosystems.
Jib grew up watching NatGeo, ocean documentaries, and Discovery Channel shows, and seeing the heroes in those programs—the scientists, conservationists, and explorers—inspired him to be what he is today.
“I was always fascinated by wildlife, remote places, and the people behind those documentaries,” he added.
Another hero was his brother-in-law, who was also an Environmental Science student at the time.
“He encouraged me to pursue the same path and introduced me to the idea that protecting nature could also become meaningful work,” he shared. “From there, I realized Environmental Science was the right direction for me.”
Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary study of the environment, ecosystems, and the impact of human activities. Fieldwork is a key component of the field to study habitats, land formations, and societal interactions firsthand.
Hiking Mt. Mantalingahan in Palawan was another direction in Jib’s devotion to nature. He summited the island’s highest peak numerous times as one of their restoration project sites, but his first time opened his eyes to how rich and beautiful our ecosystems are, from the unique flora and fauna to the landscapes and culture.
“The Rooftop of Palawan” forms the center of the Mt. Mantalingahan Protected Landscape (MMPL), a key biodiversity area. It is one of only ten sites of the Alliance for Zero Extinction in the Philippines and one of the 11 important bird areas in Palawan. Most of the threatened and restricted-range birds of the Palawan Endemic Bird Area occur in the Mantalingahan range and the adjacent lowlands. MMPL is also the ancestral home of more than 12,000 indigenous Palawans.
“Mt. Mantalingahan is one of those places that reminds you how important it is to protect our remaining natural environments,” he shared. “The experience opened my mind not only as an environmental worker but also as an outdoor enthusiast. It taught me the importance of being a responsible hiker and respecting the mountains we visit…by following trail rules, [observing] hiking etiquette, and practising [the] Leave No Trace [principles].
For water activities, it means avoiding damage to marine ecosystems — not stepping on corals...and practicing responsible fishing and diving. Wild animals should be appreciated from a distance, [as well].” Well-known reminders, but he is a believer that small actions, when adopted collectively, can create a huge positive impact.
Jib also believes a deeper connection with nature begins when people spend more time outdoors.
“Hiking mountains, diving in the ocean, camping, or simply exploring [nature] allows people to personally witness both the beauty of the environment and the challenges it faces,” he said. “Outdoor experiences can inspire [people] to become more conscious of their actions, support conservation efforts, become advocates for environmental protection in their own simple ways, [and ultimately] educate others. People protect what they value and understand.”
For him, the outdoors is not only a place for adventure but a reminder of why environmental work matters.
Jib is also a rising online creator, sharing his day in the life as an environmental science graduate and practitioner, and the beauty (and humor) in life outdoors.
Sheen Orihuela
@sassyysheen
Environmental worker
Favorite outdoor activity: hiking
It all started in noticing. Growing up in a city as dense as Manila made her long for a simple rural life, at the same time sparking her advocacy for the environment.
“You start noticing the small things…,” climate advocate and environmental worker Sheen Orihuela said, “like how beautiful sunsets are in Manila Bay and the pocket of trees, then the trash in public areas, trees cut down, and the land reclamation.”
Sheen, just like everyone else, learned about climate change in school, but it wasn’t until her experiential attention to community struggles that she dug the essence of the ecological crisis in harrowing depths but also unearthed more layers to her aspiration to take action.
“When I started working for an environmental [non-profit], I had the chance to work with communities [fighting for their livelihood and the environment]. [From] the coal-fired power plant proposal in Negros…to the black sand mining in Cagayan…, I witnessed how their people actively fought to protect their homes and livelihood,” she shared. “That was also when I became more aware of the risks faced by our environmental defenders and activists, especially in one of my fieldworks in Cagayan in 2022.”
“I also got to visit Sibuyan in Romblon…where threats of mining are [persisting],” she added. “On my last day [on the island], I remember feeling [emotionally overwhelmed], realizing how much I would want to protect places [like Sibuyan] in [whichever] way I could.”
The island of Sibuyan, dubbed “the Galapagos of Asia”, is home to an abundance of endemic flora and fauna, over 700 vascular plant species and an estimated 140 bird species. Its highest peak is every hiker’s dream, Sheen included: Mt. Guiting-Guiting.
“As [travelers and outdoor enthusiasts], you will [eventually become aware] of how fragile nature is. Climate change affects everyone, [though] not equally,” she said. “The coastal communities, the farmers, and the indigenous peoples are some of the most vulnerable sectors. Wildlife and marine life that depend on a stable climate suffer as well. Everything is connected, and when you realize that everything you love is at stake, it pushes you to act [on it].”
“Be intentional and go beyond the usual mindset of ticking bucket lists by getting to know the communities [first]. [Learn] their stories, culture, and environmental struggles…,” she said.
In 2018, Sheen joined an organized climb to Mt. Ulap. She felt uncomfortable with the superfluous number of vehicles on the trip, realizing the carbon footprint.
Carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases generated by human activities. According to Sustainable Tourism International, tourism contributes roughly 8% of global carbon emissions, driven by lodging, land transport, and, particularly intensely, aviation, and forecasted to increase by 25% by 2030.
“I have become more intentional in choosing tours since [that trip],” she said. “As much as possible, support sustainable and community-based tourism livelihoods and activities that are not extractive. We must always reflect on the impacts we are leaving behind when we travel, not just on the environment and biodiversity, but the people, the culture, and [the norms], as well.
It’s important to ask ourselves how we can show up more to the communities in preserving and protecting the places we love…, not just for today but for the future generations.”
Sheen’s favorite climb happened in 2018 during a medical mission for the Kankanaey people at Mt. Tacadang. Last September, she conquered the Bauko Double Circuit Climb.
Traveling entails both privilege and responsibility. For us to keep doing what we love outdoors, respect and care for the environment should be intuitive and advocating, from the activities we pick for our itinerary to the actions we should observe in the mountains and under the sea.
"In an ideal world, [environmental stewardship and passion for the outdoors] should be synonymous; don’t you think? We should take care of the earth as it takes care of us. Every time we take a step outdoors, the soil holds the entirety of our being—from every bit of skin, to the soles of our feet, to every eyelash. Call me dramatic, but isn’t that love? To be held like that?" —Krishna Ariola
There’s no hiking on quarried mountains. There’s no swimming in polluted waters. There’s no strolling on treeless streets. There’s no diving among bleached and crushed corals. There’s no camping in deforested woods. There’s no sardine run in warmer waters. There’s no surfing in rising sea levels. Future generations deserve the same fun and wonder we get outdoors today.
On World Environment Day and beyond, explore like an environmental advocate.
❜
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