It all began as the best ideas begin, with a simple yet effective What if… ? One day Ana asked us and herself, What if we were more active towards sustainability when travelling? How can I bring together my passion for science with my desire to conserve our ecosystems? With that small seed, this huge project began.
Many times, when we sicents attend a conference outside of our country, or even inside of it, we just the simplest and most common solution: going to he airport and taking an airplane. Direct, easy, comfortable.. yet having a huge impact on our carbon footprint. With that in mind, Ana decided to go and change that for this trip. First, she had to reach Norwich for the LongTREC Bioinformatics Summer School, and then she would join the rest of her lab in Liverpool for the ISCB/ECCB 2025. Instead of flying there, she dared to dream
Three trains and 200 km biking later, she reached Norwich, accompanied by Fabio and Nadja, PhD candidates within the LongTREC project. Yes, as you read, only taking trains and even cycling the last part of the trip. And they do not regret a single minute of it. It took them longer than a plane would have, of course, but that was part of the fun. The journey comes before the destination, some say. And that is completely true in this case. How you travel has an impact not only on yourself, but on the world around you. Ana, Fabio and Nadja are extremely happy that they did this trip the long, sustainable way.
Using the trains to work on the final touches of the Summer School and even some leisure reading was incredible, getting to see at the same time the beautiful European countryside. Nonetheless, the best part came when in London they got the bikes they had rented and began their self propelled journey to Norwich. With a night stop in Cambridge, the cycle along England was sunny and pleasant. Nothing could dampen their cheerful mood, not even a flat tire, which was solved with expertise and attitude!
Upon reaching Norwich, despite their legs being a bit sore, Ana, Fabio and Nadja were full of energy and excited to continue the adventure that had just begun and proud. Proud of themselves for having achieved this milestone of doing a green trip to a conference. Because the small things we do in life can have a huge impact on what surrounds us.
During this kind of trips, we take time to appreciate the beauty of the small things around us. The greenery you see in summer, a sudden flower blooming in a field, birds chirping happily. We should do that more on our daily lives. To raise our head and pay attention to what surrounds us. Never forgetting about our peers, colleagues, friends and family, and taking time to nourish those relationships. Sometimes, small breaks make big differences
This experience is a call to action to every scientist, to all of us, to rethink the impact our decisions have on the world that surrounds us, and on ourselves. Next time you are thirsty, What if you bought a reusable bottle rather than the plastic one? What if you took the metro today and read a book on the commute rather than the car as always? What if you took that conference trip and made it a friends trip? Don’t be afraid of trying it out, just dare to take the next step in taking care of our planet. Small or big, the most important step you can take is the next one.
