By Melissa Williams

I once told a friend that my goal in life was to never work a “nine to five.” I live that quote everyday, working till midnight at times and taking weeks away from my office in tropical settings to work remotely across multiple time zones. I look at my laptop clock and it’s 6:30 pm in my home city of Houston, Texas. But in my present moment of reality, it’s 8:30 am the next day as I sit at a little coffee shop staring across the street at the Whitsunday Islands of New South Whales, Australia.

A month ago I didn’t know there were eight states and territories on the continent of Australia. Today I know how to use the entire transit system to travel across the Down Under. Yes, the Australian transit system is as superb as you’ve heard. From Air trams, to rivercats, trains and friendly bus drivers, the dreaded part of most out-of-country experiences was quite brilliant in Oz Land.

Going Local

As the writer of a series about a surfing box shell turtle who travels across the world to catch the perfect wave, I too must travel the world. That’s why I spend weeks upon weeks in places like the Gold Coast, Hawaii and Southern California. It’s all for the turtle. I grasp the culture and become an anthropologist half the year – one major perk of being a writer … it’s in fact important to become your characters and see the world through their eyes, especially when writing hundreds of pages of realistic fiction for eight to twelve year old readers. Am I on holiday, as it is called in Oz Land? When you tour the Great Ocean Road and see sights like the breathtaking Twelve Apostles rock formation sitting in the middle of breaking waves, I’ll admit, it feels like a vacation.

The Twelve Apostles, Victoria, Australia

I will say that I’m the only person befriending the tour guide and carrying around a tiny notebook as I learn about the thousand-year-old Mountain Ash Trees of the Otway Rainforest and gaze up at the sleeping koalas in the Eucalyptus near the Kennett River. I had no idea that those cute little things slept twenty hours a day, an effect from eating eucalyptus. As I drive through the rolling countryside of Victoria’s dairy farms to the city of Melbourne, I notice patches of cows and sheep to my left and wallabies to my right. The creatures of Australia are absolutely delightful. I spend an entire day holding koalas at a sanctuary and discover that a wombat is not a bat, but rather looks like an overgrown hamster and then sit in the grass with a troop of grey kangaroos eating out of my hand while others bounce around with their joeys in their pouches. My head floods with potential character development ideas.

The animals are only the beginning of my creative inspiration. The real jewels of priceless knowledge and spirit come from chats with locals and surrounding myself with the culture. So many hosts have opened their homes and hearts to me during my years of research. I find that staying with locals is the best way to embrace the heart of a setting. There is so much to learn sitting on a patio drinking what they drink and eating what they eat.

Finding ‘Me’ Time

As much as I enjoy spending time with the locals, I must also seek out my own quiet, reflection time. Some of my favorite “me time” experiences have been early in the morning, when the world is quiet. There is something special about a sunrise at Sunrise Beach and watching the surfers surf the morning glass. A sense of calm so deep, you almost feel as if you are a part of the ocean. These are the moments I draw from when sitting in front of a computer, reaching deep into the mind and feelings of a character … a character who’s entire inner passion thrives on Mother Ocean’s mood. I’ve gotten to see the surf in some of the most well renowned beach communities on the Gold Coast: From the high-rise strip of Surfer’s Paradise, to the hippie town of Byron Bay and home to the Quick Silver Pro surf competition at Snapper’s Rock in Coolangatta. However, it’s not until I reached Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach that I started to feel the surf spirit explode. And it’s no wonder … Bondi Beach is where the heart of surfing started for Australia. In 1915, the great Duke of Hawaii came over and locals begged him to show them the sport of surfing. Not having a board with him, he carved and shaped one up and hit the swells. Since then, surfing has become legendary at Bondi, and on most days you’ll see patches of surfies sitting on their boards in the ocean waiting on the perfect wave.

Famous Bondi Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

As my days of research came to an end, I saved the best for last … a trip out to the Great Barrier Reef. Upon a liveaboard boat, I embarked on yet another adventure from a different point in the Pacific with a delightful group of people from all over the world.

That night under a clear black sky of glowing stars, I looked up at the Southern Cross constellation and reflected that we all might share the same sky, but our travels will always provide a different view of perception.

All photos courtesy Melissa Williams

About the Author

Melissa Williams is the author of the Iggy the Iguana chapter book series, the Turtle Town chapter book series and the Little Miss Molly picture book for kids, the owner of LongTale Publishing and founder of the Literacy Non-Profit Foundation–READ3Zero.

By Anna Beech

You’re exhausted, you’ve been standing up for days, crushed into a tiny space, disoriented, hit repeatedly, stabbed in your side, ears and legs with a nail spike, sleep-deprived, with no water or food to nourish your pained and exhausted body… Hell? No. This is called “crushing“. This happens to elephants you see carrying tourists, appearing in live circus acts, pulling logs up impossibly steep hills or begging on the streets of pulsating, polluted cities.

This, unfortunately, is the reality for too many elephants in Thailand, Burma and Cambodia.

The Elephant Nature Park

However, there is a small sanctuary for such creatures to escape to,
as long as they’re lucky enough to be found and the money is available to buy them from their owners. An amazing woman called Lek
established the Elephant Nature Park (ENP) over 10 years ago with Adam Flinn. Despite extreme financial difficulties, she succeeded in founding ENP which rescues abused elephants and rehabilitates
them on its 50-hectare plot in Northern Thailand, near the city of
Chiang Mai.

Sangduen Chailert (Lek) was born into a remote mountain community in Northern Thailand in the 1960′s. Her maternal grandfather was a tribal man of the forest and Lek’s jungle forays with him led to an early and organic understanding of the wonders of nature. Against the backdrop of poverty she obtained a university education – a commendable accomplishment for anyone, but particularly notable considering her circumstances.

Lek gives her elephants a life – a peaceful end to a tortuous existence. Amazingly, many of the elephants are willing to be touched by visitors to the Sanctuary, who are welcomed every day to learn more about the residents. A weekly group of volunteers come to the Sanctuary to help feed, clean and wash the elephants. Staying for seven days, the volunteers get to see exactly what goes into running a Sanctuary for 37 elephants, ranging from 1-80 years old.

How You Can Help

Crushing is an unnecessary practice. Lek has shown, with young elephants she’s raised herself at the Sanctuary, who had been rescued after their mothers died, that crushing is not necessary in order to ride an elephant, a hook is not needed when controlling an elephant, and to crush an elephant for 4-5 days at a time to break its spirit is just torture, not a requirement in order to train them. Like with horses, we are not arguing that elephants should not be used for domestic service. What we are asking, at the very least, is for elephants to be respected. Stabbing, beating, starving and crushing is not respect. It is torture, and it must stop.

Not only that, in order to put an end to elephant abuse, everyone who reads this article can do at least three things:

1. Sign ENP’s petition to put an end to crushing in Thailand

2. Like ENP on Facebook, and learn about the opportunities to volunteer at ENP, or go and visit the Sanctuary for a day, it’s a tranquil and peaceful place.

3. Donate to ENP – Every little bit helps!

4. Write directly to the Thai Government to ask them to develop policy which will STOP crushing once and for all. Only a change of policy will achieve this.

The incredible biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands is a draw for nature enthusiasts of all ages. If you are looking for a family-friendly vacation to the Galapagos that adheres to your green ideals, check out Ecoventura, a cruise company that operates out of Ecuador and who offers itineraries, in a child-friendly environment, that will appeal to the child in all of us.

Throughout the year Ecoventura sprinkles departures exclusively for families into its schedule. This means that ages 7 to 17 and also college age 18-21 traveling with their parents and siblings can enjoy being with their peers on the cruise.

“Our family departures are exclusively for families, the majority traveling with children age 12-21. This means that adult passengers sans children will never be assigned to a family departure cruise, thus precluding the often incompatible mix of families and adult couples often found on larger vessels or with companies that operate just one ship,” explained Doris Welsh, spokesperson.

Family trips are faster paced with snorkeling, kayaking and evening activities. A 2013 activity enhancement includes an al fresco lunch while anchored in a calm bay so that guests can remain in their bathing suits and snorkel or kayak from the yacht after lunch. One evening includes Zodiac transportation for passengers who would like to visit the island town of Puerto Ayora to stroll around town at leisure, shop and absorb local culture.

“We assign guides best suited and popular with teens and their families to our family-designated trips,” she added, noting that the growing demand for family-only departures accounts for one-third of the company’s overall business. On school holidays, at least one yacht (and most often two) is designated for families. Her team looks at the break-down of ages and assigns the identical 20-passenger yachts accordingly. Each yacht has 10 twin or double cabins, of which two have an extra upper berth accommodating triples. These sell out first on family departures.

Ecoventura is also about responsible tourism, protecting the natural environment while also giving back to the local community. Recent company projects have focused on providing scholarships and career development for local high school students though the non-profit Ecology Project International (EPI).

Ecoventura believes that education of local teenagers is the key to preserving the Galapagos for future generations. Working through EPI, Ecoventura helps sponsor the cost of 12 scholarships for one course/module for local students age 16-17 from the islands of Isabela, San Cristobal and Santa Cruz to study conservation and ecology-related issues. Students spend 50 hours in the field directly involved in conservation actions concerning invasive species and the health and release of turtles into the wild. Guests are encouraged to contribute. A $400 donation makes the course possible for one student.

About Ecoventura

Ecoventura is a family-owned company based in Guayaquil, Ecuador, with sales offices in Quito and Miami. In operation since 1990, the cruise company transports 4,000+ passengers annually aboard its fleet of three identical, 20-passenger first-class motor yachts, Eric, Flamingo and Letty, and the 16-passenger luxury dive live-aboard the MV Galapagos Sky.

By Ronit Epstein

The sprawling Amazon rainforest is alive with sights, sounds and movement that cannot be seen anywhere else on our beautiful planet. Bolivian Amazon covers 59.6 million hectares, and more than 11 percent of Bolivia is officially protected. Anyone visiting this beautiful region will experience some of the world’s most stunning, strange and wonderful wildlife, leaving memories that are difficult to beat. It is precisely this reason, that Bolivia has become a leading ecotourism destination, offering many great accommodation packages and guided tours that provide travelers with luxury, without destroying the environment.

Indigenous Communities Protect Bolivia’s Natural Landscapes

One of the most popular parks Bolivia has to offer is the Madidi National park and Natural Integrated Management Area – with some of the most beautiful mountains and all the splendour that the Amazon basin has to offer. It wasn’t so long ago that this amazing beauty was threatened by illegal logging and plans for a hydraulic dam and other intrusions into the area. The plans have changed thank to the foresight by the government and indigenous people of the area. The future now looks set to be in environmentally conscious tourism.

One of the most fruitful ventures created to protect this landscape has been the Majapo Indigenous Community Ecotourism Company, who have all the tools to protect the landscape and show the world that tourism doesn’t have to be damaging to the local environment. The main founding for this company, was a community voice that wanted to create jobs and have a way of providing for their children’s future. The community got together, taking it in turns to cook, drive, sew and build luxurious lodges on their land where tourists can stay and spend a holiday within the community. You will find the lodges to be as comfortable as any other form of accommodation, but you cannot beat the hospitality of the Tsimane Mosetene people, they will provide you with food they grow in the gardens, amazing stories about the local fauna and flora and above all else, they will show you why their land is so special.

Nature, Ecotourism and Luxury in the Rainforest

There is so much that the rainforest offers to its guests that it is easy to understand why it is being protected so well by the people that live here. Many of the locals are trained guides and will take you through the jungles, to experience some of the wonders with your own eyes; drinking water from the trees, swinging on some of the biggest vines you will see and even getting up close to a tarantula or two – the possibilities are seemingly endless. This can all be enjoyed all the while staying in lodges with comfortable rooms, and all the services you needto make your stay enjoyable and comfortable. It’s a unique combination of ecotourism and natural luxury that is bringing a wide variety of eco-friendly tourism to the region.

There are also many tour companies vying for people to guide through the landscape, many that are highlighted for their backing for the protection of the environment, there are many itineraries for week long jungle hikes that can be found on the Madidi website.

All photos courtesy of Ronit Epstein

By Rahul Sharma

The northern part of India is blessed with the beautiful ranges of the mighty Himalayas. Crowned with snow-dressed mountains, sheer valleys and mesmerizing green meadows, the Indian Himalayas preserve a plethora of natural beauty. Along with picture perfect sights, Himalayan ranges offer one of the finest treks for adventure tours. Read on to learn more about the thrills wrapped in the arms of these grand mountains.

Trekking in Garhwal

Located at Uttarakhand, Garhwal Himalaya ranges let you wander amidst the most splendid view of nature. The following are the must-visit treks of Garhwal:

Nanda Devi Trek: This 11-day trekking tour will lead you through various majestic mountain ranges in the Nanda Devi (a top tourist destination): Kamet, Kauri Pass, Changabang and Dunagiri. If you love wildlife, you can’t miss the chance to visit the well-maintained wildlife sanctuary in Nanda Devi. In addition, the trek takes you through different villages, offering tourists a chance to see the colorful culture that exists here. The best time for visiting the Nanda Devi trek is from May to mid October.

Valley of Flowers: Trekking to the valley of flowers takes nine days. As the name infers, this tour will treat your eyes to the most exotic blossoms of Himalayas: orchids, daisies, poppies and various other sweet floral species bud in the valley. You may also witness some rare fauna, as the brown bear, musk deer and Bharal also make this valley their home. The ideal season for exploring the valley of flowers is from July to September.

Trekking in Sikkim

The most impressive secrets of the Himalayas are unleashed in Sikkim. Trekking at Sikkim is nothing less than a visit to paradise.

Photo credit: Marcus Jones

Singalila Trek: The ten-day trek to Singalila revolves around the famous five summits and majestic monasteries. You will also enjoy the soothing sight of green woods and dazzling rivers as the Singalila trek is meant to showcase the exquisiteness of nature. There are two seasons for Singalila trekking, from March to May and October to November.

Kanchenjunga Base Camp: This 11-day trekking tour will have you walking on the Kanchenjunga range, the world’s third highest mountain at 8,586 meters. The trek is also surrounded by the beauty of four subsidiary mountains. Be aware though that the Kanchenjunga trek of Sikkim is known for its difficulty so make sure to get expert assistance for this expedition. The best time to visit Kanchenjunga Base Camp is October to March.

Trekking in Ladakh

Ladakh is known as the land of high passes. With a unique landscape, challenging rivers, and vivid culture, the Ladakh adventure tours are a must for every adventurist and are one of the most adored trekking destinations around the world.

Markha Valley Trek: The serene journey to the Markha Valley Trek will take around 11 days. This trek will take you through the famous monasteries, including the Hemis Monastery. On this circuit you will be covering two passes, the beautiful town of Leh, the dazzling Indus River and some fascinating wildlife. The best time to explore the vividness of Markha Valley is from June to October.

Trans Zanskar Trek: This 18-day trekking expedition is one of the famous Ladakh adventure tour activities. If you want to experience local culture, various villages located at the cliff are the perfect place to explore the traditional background of Ladakh. The greenery of the place and old, majestic monasteries stand as major tourist attractions. The best season for this trek is from July to October.

Photo credit: sibbim

Trekking in Himachal

With snow-capped mountains and stunning valleys, Himachal is known for its breathtaking beauty. A trekking expedition to Himachal simply means getting closer to the splendid aspects of Mother Nature.

Trekking in Jammu & Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir are regarded as the heaven on earth. The picturesque splendor of the peaks and valleys of this place will leave you mesmerized. There are various treks in Jammu and Kashmir that will make your expedition memorable.

Photo credit: maggy and will

Gulmarg Trek
This is an eight-day trekking expedition amidst the exciting beauty of Gulmarg, which basically means ‘meadow of flowers’. It serves as an ideal base for various short treks. The main attractions here are the valley of Khilanmarg, Alpather Lake, and a Muslim tomb- shrine. April to June and September to October are regarded as the ideal time for trekking in Gulmarg.

Kashmir Great Lakes Trek: The Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is a moderate trekking expedition of seven days. This trek will take you through various mountains, dazzling lakes and flowery meadows. Within a week you will be capturing paramount scenic beauty in your eyes and heart. The ideal season for trekking is from July to September.

About Rahul Sharma

Rahul Sharma is a popular blogger and professional writer. Passionate for tourism, he has traveled and explored all of India and written many informative blog posts about adventure trekking there.

Have you ever asked yourself how you can use travel to “pay it forward”? As a responsible traveler, you’ve probably thought about how you can make a difference for the beautiful natural places you visit, and for the people who live in these destinations. Luckily, there are organizations out there that specialize in making sure our trips, the money or supplies we donate, are practical and meaningful to the people we intend them for.

Diane Valenti, owner and founder of Llama Expeditions, says their trips “are a chance for culturally curious travelers to make a meaningful connection with the people and the land of Peru”. Llama Expeditions tours offer full cultural immersion giving guests the opportunity to see how Peruvians live – to talk with them about their dreams and accomplishments, and to learn about the challenges they face. Interactions with nonprofit and grassroots organizations are also woven into the itinerary when possible, giving participants the chance to experience the difference gifts of healthy food, school supplies, clothing, or sunglasses can make in the lives of some of the world’s poorest people.

So next time you are traveling, remember these tips from Diane Valenti to ensure your trip is meaningful:

1) Ask. Don’t assume that you know what people need or want. I heard a story when I was hiking with llamas in the Lares Valley. About a month before, a trekker had given his fleece jacket to one of the local kids. He thought the kid, dressed in his traditional clothing, looked cold. The community was offended and incensed. They saw the gift as a slight, as if the trekker was implying that their traditional clothing wasn’t good enough.

2) Patronize businesses that help. For example, we make it a habit to patronize Heart’s Cafe in Ollantaytambo. Living Heart is a non-profit organization that provides services to impoverished people living in the Andes. They have projects focused on helping with nutrition, education, health and sustainable agriculture. The profits from the Cafe go to helping fund the projects.

3) Support local businesses. This could mean choosing locally owned hotels over international chains and eating in locally owned restaurants. This helps improve the standard of living for the local people as your money stays within the community, doing good for the community. Even better, participate in community tourism by doing a home stay. This benefits local communities directly and it makes for an unforgettable vacation experience as you fully immerse yourself in a different culture.

4) Buy handicrafts instead of handing out money. This cultivates a culture of entrepreneurship instead of a culture of begging. Sometimes buying handicrafts from children can be touchy. In some countries, if you buy handicrafts from children, you are encouraging their parents to keep them out of school. In other countries, school is not an option. So, buying handicrafts from children can help put food on the family table. If you are not sure, ask a local.

5) Do your research. Make sure that the non-profit you want to support is in the business of empowering the communities with which they work instead of doing it for them. We work with the Center of Traditional Textiles of Cusco. They help communities in the Andes maintain and pass on their weaving traditions. The Center helps these communities to form cooperatives. They teach them about marketing and finance so in the end the community has a viable weaving business.

>> Read more on Diane’s tips on Llama Expeditions blog “10 Tips for Philanthropic Giving During Your Peru Vacation”

About Diane Valenti and Llama Expeditions

Entrepreneur and outdoorswoman, Diane Valenti hatched the idea for her company, Llama Expeditions, in 2008 over a home-cooked chicken dinner at close to 14,000 feet in the Peruvian Andes. She has been able to apply her over 20 years of experience as a business consultant to her enterprise that goes beyond just ordinary tourism

By Phyllis Kaplan

Laos was once called the “the land of a million elephants,” currently there are less than 900 alive: 450 domestic and 400 wild. There are 2 births for every 10 deaths. Crunch the numbers. If this is not addressed, Laotian Asian elephants will be eradicated very soon.

Elephants have historically been used as “work animals” particularly in Asia’s logging industry, worked to death hoisting logs. In this industry, one elephant’s work can feed many families. In fact, they are worked so hard they do not have the energy to mate, nor does the mahout want the females pregnant, as this disallows the elephant to work. It can also cost the mahout a $500 fee for the male to impregnate her, too costly in a place where the average yearly salary is $1200. With a 23 month gestation period and then an additional 2 years to wean her calf, it is also too time-consuming for mahouts and their families. A calf is born without an immune system therefore the need for colostrum is imperative. There is also the unlawful practice of poaching the wild animals for their tusks as well as kidnapping for international zoos.

The Elephant Conservation Center

ElefantAsia has partnered with Elephant Conservation Center in Sayaboury, Laos to address this sad issue. However, going to the ECC is anything but sad. For me it was transformative to be with these animals. Their personalities, intelligence, playfulness and extreme gentleness was always apparent. These elephants are treated well. I was elated to be in their presence as well as in the secluded beauty of the ECC in Sayboury.

The two young girls, Mae Boun Nam and Mae Kham Ohn, are in love with one another! They cavort endlessly and refuse to come out of the water

The Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) is a French NGO, where as a tourist you have several options to visit, learn and volunteer. The learning part is essential. The center has been for open just 2 years and houses a hospital with a veterinarian, nursery and hundreds of acres of jungle (an elephant eats 80% of the time therefore foraging in the jungle is what they require for sustenance). All medical care for all elephants is free, but the vets must often travel far to examine, diagnose and treat; requiring special permission from the government. The Center is also attempting to build an operating room, but the cost is nearly US$30,000.

There are 4 domesticated elephants that live at the ECC permanently, retired from the exploitative logging industry. The additional 4 elephants are two sets of mothers and their calves. The retirees are owned by the center, the mothers and calves are owned by their mahouts and will probably return to logging after the nursing period.

They love to bathe, this is the male Phu Thongkoon

Tourism, Another Option for Mahouts and their Elephants

The majesty of riding an elephant, feeling their gait, their slow and evenness, truly is a wonderful experience. The way in which they kneel to allow you to climb on them was something to behold. Precise and deliberate, they gently get their girth down and then up with so much grace.

But, even without riding them, just being near them is an amazing experience. Feeding them, walking with them in the forest, touching them, observing them, getting to know their individual personalities and intelligence and of course Listening to the panoply of extraordinary sounds. Elephant language is loud, fascinating and diverse. For me it felt very natural to be among them, observing their behavior. And they love the water. Their antics during their twice daily bathing ritual was filled with play and amusement.

The Center hopes that the male Phu Thongkoon will impregnate one of the younger two females; but he has not been interested. The other elephant is 60 year old Grandmere, Mae Dock, who at this point is too old to procreate. She was used in the logging industry and now is enjoying her retirement at the ECC. Mae Dok is a very tall, gentle giant who never gave birth.

This work is so important. During our stay (3 days, 2 nights – the center was completely reserved therefore we could not do the 6 days we originally had hoped for), we learned about the rhythm of their days, how to command them (in Lao) and most of all how to appreciate them. One may also sign on as a volunteer in any capacity you may be able to share; including office work. There is a weekly fee to volunteer but this includes your accommodations and meals. Long term volunteer opportunities are available as well. At present there are 25 full time staff, most of them Laotian. Please peruse the ECC’s website for details about the important work volunteers can do and more details about the organization and what you can do to help Laotian elephants.

All Photos Courtesy of Phyllis Kaplan

About the Author

Phyllis Kaplan writes a blog, TravelinWoman, having rebirthed her life as her daughter went off to college: traveling and volunteering around the world. Ubud, Bali is now her second home along with Sandgate, Vermont. She would also like to return next year to Sayaboury and commit to helping create organic gardens to feed the staff and volunteers. She thinks she can create a great compost pile from the abundance of seaweed/leaves, grasses, food scraps and elephant poop which she will use to build up the dusty dry soil.

By Anshul Srivastava

Try to envision a world without wildlife. Due to the number of animals becoming endangered because of killings, trading, loss of habitat, deforestation and disease, chances are this thought may turn into a reality. However, thanks to concrete steps undertaken by governmental bodies and various individual organizations, it has also become a possibility, like never before, to conserve wildlife and prevent mass extinction.

Wildlife Conservation Efforts in India

India is an enchanting country profuse with wildlife. With so many species of flora and fauna, it becomes imperative to protect endangered wildlife as this is the heritage of this incredible country. Not only does the diversity of wildlife enhance the natural splendor of nature, but if it becomes extinct, will be a great loss to India as they also play an important role in supporting its living systems.

The government and various NGO’s have devised various strategies and started many projects to shield endangered species:

• Project Tiger: The population of the tiger is certainly shrinking all over the world and with an objective to prevent the tigers from extinction; ‘Project Tiger’ was launched by the Indian government in the year 1973. The main idea behind launching such a project was to create the wildlife reserves in the various parts of the country where the tigers can be protected from the hunters and their numbers could be increased through breeding.

• Project Elephant: The numbers of the Asian elephant are decreasing alarmingly and taking this situation into the account, the Government of India and Ministry of Environment and Forests started ‘Project Elephant’ in the year 1992. The main objective of initiating this project is to offer the necessary technical and monetary help to the various states to protect and increase the population of the elephants.

• Wildlife Protection Act: The Wildlife Protection Act was formulated in the year 1972 and restricted hunting of the animals in the protected areas.

Creating National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries

Over the years, the government has created wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in India to conserve wildlife. The parks contain different species of flora and fauna that captivates the attention of the people. Some of the parks contain fencing that prevents poachers from entering and hunting the animals. Many tourists throng the sanctuaries to witness the wildlife playing and roaming freely without any fear. Some of the well-known parks and sanctuaries are as follows:

• Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan
• Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh
• Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh
• Kaziranga National Park, Assam
• Corbett National Park, Uttar Pradesh
• Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala

Therefore, best steps and plans must be employed to protect every species so that the next generation of Indians can cherish the natural heritage of their country in all its enchanting glory.

About the Author

Anshul is a wildlife enthusiast and blogger who likes to travel to different national parks and wildlife sanctuaries all over the globe.

Photo courtesy Travelers Against Plastic (TAP)

By Annika Hipple

Purchasing a plastic bottle of water or two while traveling may not seem like a huge deal on an individual level, but multiply that by the number of travelers crisscrossing the globe every day and the impact is massive. On a global scale, 2.7 million tons of plastic are used annually for water bottles. Of the billions of single-use water bottles consumed in the United States every year, 86 percent end up as litter or in landfills; in many countries this number is even higher. For local communities stuck dealing with the waste, plastic bottles can be a big problem.

Yet the environmental impact of plastic bottles goes beyond the question of garbage. PET plastic is made from crude oil, with toxic emissions 100 times those of glass production. In the US alone, more than 1.5 million barrels of oil are consumed annually to produce plastic water bottles – enough to fuel 100,000 American cars for a year. Add to that the fuel consumption and other transportation costs of hauling all those bottles around – often over long distances – and the energy use becomes truly astounding.

Most responsible travelers recognize that buying disposable plastic water bottles is bad for the environment – not to mention expensive – but that awareness doesn’t always translate into widespread behavioral change. In many cases, what’s holding travelers back is not a lack of will but a lack of awareness of how to eliminate their reliance on bottled water.

“I see responsible travelers who would never buy a plastic water bottle at home, but as soon as they travel abroad it’s a different story,” says Chris Mackay, co-founder of Travelers Against Plastic – appropriately shortened to TAP – a new campaign that aims to get rid of plastic water bottle waste by educating travelers and promoting simple solutions for safe drinking water on the go.

TAP organizers estimate that US travelers alone discard up to 3.5 billion plastic bottles worldwide on an annual basis. Many travelers buy bottled water simply because they don’t know what else to do, but Mackay points out that there are many viable alternatives. To make things as convenient as possible for travelers, TAP has partnered with Klean Kanteen and SteriPEN to offer a quick and easy way to treat water. Klean Kanteen makes durable metal water bottles that can be reused over and over again. SteriPEN is a simple gadget that purifies water using UB light technology, destroying more than 99.9 percent of bacteria, viruses, and protozoan cysts such as giardia and cryptosporidia. One SteriPEN will clean as many as 8,000 liters of water.

“The mission of TAP is just to get people to stop using plastic water bottles. I don’t care what system they use, but we’re just making it easy by suggesting something right off the bat. I’ve used just about every method out there to clean water, and I’ve found that SteriPEN is easy,” says Mackay. “It’s not something that requires people to think really hard and make a challenging choice. It truly is easy. And it’s cheaper than buying all that bottled water, too.”

Mackay is co-founder and executive director of Crooked Trails, a Seattle-based nonprofit tour organization and a leader in educating people and communities about responsible travel. “We have always required that people who travel with us come prepared to clean their own water so we don’t leave a trail of plastic water bottles behind us,” Mackay explains. The idea for TAP grew out of Mackay’s desire to see other travelers follow suit.

TAP co-founder Chris Mackay with her reusable water bottle. Photo Courtesy of TAP.

Mackay enlisted the support of fellow Seattleite Kurt Kutay, founding president of Wildland Adventures and director of the nonprofit Travelers Conservation Trust. A sustainable tourism pioneer, Kutay was immediately enthusiastic about TAP, signing on as co-founder of the campaign and bringing the energy and talents of Wildland’s marketing and communications team to the effort.

“It is our responsibility as tour operators to educate our clients that simple steps like bringing reusable water bottles and a SteriPen or filtering system will make a huge difference to the communities we visit and even sends a message to local residents that they can do the same thing,” Kutay says.

TAP officially launched on March 22, 2013, and the response has been enthusastic and global. “We’ve had tour operators from Russia, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Ecuador, Panama, Canada, and the USA all sign on already,” says Mackay. “We’ve also had well over 100 people already sign the pledge as individual travelers.”

SUPPORT TAP

To demonstrate your commitment to stamping out plastic, visit the TAP website and take the pledge to avoid buying bottled water. You can also purchase SteriPENs and Klean Kanteen bottles with the TAP logo. For all purchases made directly through the TAP website, Klean Kanteen and SteriPEN will donate five percent of their profits to the TAP campaign. TAP also welcomes donations and volunteers to help with the campaign’s educational efforts.

Tour operators are invited to join TAP by adding a TAP logo to their websites, spreading the word about the campaign, and supplying their travelers with pre-departure information about how to avoid bottled water.

Reusable TAP water bottle on a beach. Photo: Jonathan Burnham, Wildland Adventures.

By Dr. Wallace ‘J’ Nichols

If you’ve watched Animal Planet you know that odds are generally working against sea turtles.

From the moment an egg is deposited in a sandy nest on a tropical beach, to the first time a baby turtle touches the sea, to decades later when she returns as an adult to lay her own eggs on very same beach, life is an endless series of life-and-death challenges for a sea turtle.

Nature is stacked against survival, which is why a mother turtle lays thousands of eggs during her lifetime in order to simply replace herself. Predators include dozens of species of crabs, beetles, ants, birds, fish, and sharks. Jaguars, pigs, wild dogs, and raccoons are even on the list of turtle eaters.

For millions of years, sea turtles handled it all just fine.

Yet, when you add modern humans to the mix, the balance suddenly tipped towards oblivion. Over the past century all seven species of sea turtle and their eggs have been hunted, carved, and eaten to the point that many populations are considered vulnerable to extinction. Getting caught accidentally in fishing nets and on hooks just adds to their woes. Throw in plastic pollution, boat collisions, and runaway coastal development on their nesting beaches and you’ve got a situation requiring intervention on a global scale.

But this isn’t a bad news story. That’s because over the past several decades a massive global network of sea turtle scientists, advocates, conservationists, and even lawyers has evolved to work day and night to bring them back. These heroes have been literally working around the clock, saving one egg-—one baby turtle-—at a time. At other times they’ll invest months to rehabilitate a single adult animal before returning it to the ocean. Every turtle released into the ocean is a moment of joy for everyone involved. It never gets old.

Think about it—while you sleep tonight, thousands of scientists, technicians and volunteers are saving sea turtles on the beaches of the world.

These projects are run on “Turtle Time.” Slow, steady, and tenacious wins the race. It takes as long as twenty-five years for a turtle to reach maturity, and return on that turtle-y kind of investment can come slowly.

Turtle people are above all patient and hard working. Many projects have been steadily protecting turtles for more than thirty years. Their work is paying off. Some turtle populations are now on the rise after nose-diving to near extinction before that.

Photo Courtesy Abigail Alling / Biosphere Foundation

The Black Sea Turtle Project in Michoacan, Mexico celebrated its thirtieth anniversary this year and is experiencing its best season since its inception after watching the numbers of nesting female turtles bounce along the bottom of the graph for a decade.

Its sister project, Grupo Tortuguero, working to safeguard black turtles in feeding grounds a thousand miles away in Baja, is turning fifteen in January.

Turtle hunters and poachers in Mexico have had a change of heart and are now turtle protectors and guides. Everyone reports seeing more sea turtles in the ocean and on the beaches.

Now is not the time to let up, though. To get sea turtles back to their former abundance and to restore their ecological role in the ocean this is just half time.

We know exactly what to do. We just need to continue to execute the game plan.

Along with my friends Brad Nahill at SEEtheWILD and Fabien Cousteau at Plant a Fish, we came up with the idea of the Billion Baby Turtles, an initiative to help support groups working on the sea turtle front lines. To make a million more adult turtles we need a billion more baby turtles. It’s a one in a thousand situation out there, roughly speaking.

By creatively connecting individuals and small businesses with grassroots projects working to increase sea turtle production, we are helping overcome donor fatigue, burn out, and other second half challenges.

In the coming years we will collaborate widely to further expand the global sea turtle tribe, widen the base of donors through micro-philanthropy, and throw our support behind the men and women working for turtles on the front lines in their coastal communities around the world.

Forty years ago sea turtle pioneer, Dr. Archie Carr, described what it would take to save sea turtles.

“In the long run, marine turtles, like the seas themselves, will be saved only by wholehearted international cooperation at the government level. While waiting for it to materialize, the critical tactical needs seem to me to be three in number: more sanctuaries, more research, and a concerted effort by all impractical, visionary, starry-eyed, and anti-progressive organizations, all little old ladies in tennis shoes, and all persons able to see beyond the ends of their noses…”

That is almost legendary substance.

While high-level official negotiations continue, and the large agencies and organizations fight for pro-ocean and pro-turtle policies, why don’t we all do our small part for sea turtles?

A billion baby sea turtles?

Yes.

Why don’t YOU lead one to the water?

Join us on Facebook to Help Spread the Word About Billion Baby Turtles & Win Great Prizes.

About the Author

Dr. Wallace “J.” Nichols is a scientist, activist, community organizer, author and dad. He works to inspire a deeper connection with nature, sometimes simply by walking and talking, other times through writing or images. He is co-founder of SEE Turtles, SEEtheWILD, & LiVBLUE among other organizations.