As part of the fourth day of the trip in the Netherlands, our group explored the quaint village known as Zaanse Schans. While the village pretended to take place in the past, many of the lessons learned from the trip proved valuable to creating a sustainable future. Through the tours and visit to the local museum, the trip highlighted key changes in sustainability through the old sailboats at the museum and certain preservation methods.

The group embarked upon a local ferry to arrive along the shores of the village. Later, on a trip to a museum, the sailboats of the old used by the fishermen of the village were displayed. While the ferry our group used an electric motor, the fishermen could still travel vast distances back during their days using their sailboats. Installing a hybrid boat can allow for less fuel and electricity to be used during travel and transport. The tour guide for the village explained how controlling masts was crucial for proper navigation of the seas, but this same control can be used to optimize sails using technology. By implementing methods to find proper angles and positions of sails, sailors and transporters can optimize the use of sails for aquatic travel. According to Chemical & Engineering News, cargo companies use nearly “300 million tons” of fossil fuels throughout the year. Looking back at older technologies and adapting them to modern standards can help provide an environmentally sustainable future.

Another tidbit the group learned about the people of Zaanse Schans was the villagers’ food preservation methods, with their food storage process providing insight into alternative food storage methods. Refrigerators did not exist back in the day, so fishermen had to use alternative storage methods. While salting food was a common practice for food preservation, another method proved also beneficial in elongating the lifespan of food: smoke. By smoking the fish and other meats, the foods lasted much longer. These days, when food gets shoved into fridges until the meals get forgotten and rot away. However, by smoking these dishes, as the Zaanse Schans villagers did, the food can last longer. Food waste contributes to a large amount of landfills, so by taking measures to reduce trash items then food storage can become more sustainable. This old method helps kill any long-term bacteria and holds the key to ensuring food does not go to waste. Implementing this preservation method alongside modern preservatives can bring the past into the future and stop our foods from getting old.