With summer upon us more Americans are traveling. Travelers are looking for greener ways to explore the world. This led Nerd Travel to look for cities that have initiatives to green the city as well as access to a plethora of nature and eco-friendly activities.

Nerd Travel picked Ann Arbor as one of the top green travel cities in large part due to the green initiatives by local institutions. They specifically highlighted:

• Leslie Science & Nature Center, a non-profit dedicated to providing environmental education and experiences.
• University of Michigan’s Museum of Natural History has four floors of exhibits on dinosaurs, Michigan wildlife, geology and anthropology for a full look at Michigan’s natural history.
• Thurston Nature Center is located in northeast Ann Arbor, and is dedicated to conserving the biodiversity of aquatic plant and animal life in Thurston Pond. Its efforts can be seen in the lush trees, flowers, birds and fish in the ecosystem today.
• Bluffs Nature Area, where travelers can explore amongst open fields, oak forests and wood ravines.
• Great Lakes Zoological Society is an indoor zoo that features reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and more. They rehabilitate animals in their rescue room, complete with terrariums for snakes, bearded dragons and turtles to conserve the indigenous species of Michigan.

In addition to local institutions, Ann Arbor was also selected based on the city’s 10 environmental goals which measure the progress of their green initiatives with variables such as sustainable energy, stable climate, responsible resource usage and clean air.
To read the full article visit http://www.nerdtravel.com/2013/cities-green-travel/