Conservation Travel

From the rushing waters of Iguazu Falls in Argentina and Brazil, to the breathtaking limestone islands of Halong Bay in Vietnam, to the snow-crested peaks of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, to the rose red rock formations of Uluru National Park in Australia, the world is alive and sparkling with awe-inspiring natural wonders. Sublime sights like these are the impetus for many a traveler’s wanderlust; the desire to see nature’s most beautiful creations is surely the reason travel agents’ phones begin to ring.

As the world becomes more environmentally conscious, a new form of travel is gaining popularity. Conservation travel is a fantastic way to both see and enjoy some of the world’s most breathtaking natural wonders, and to help do one’s part in making sure those wonders stay wonderful. Many travelers in the RealTravel community have lent themselves to nature, helping plant trees in El Salvador, clean up beaches in Hawaii, bathe and feed elephants in Chiang Mai, and much more. RealTravelers Rotaract Club, a group of volunteers from Canada, went to El Salvador last year where they “contributed to local service projects, met amazing people, learned about Salvadoran culture and had a great time.” During their trip, they traveled to Coatepeque to help plant trees. Here’s an inspiring excerpt from their journal, Day 13: Second Day with New Acropolis:

“As we worked alongside the local volunteers, we learned the importance of the projects we were doing. The trees we were planting help prevent erosion during the rainy season, which is coming up from May to September. We built rock walls (seven in total!) to catch mud and debris as it slides down the barren landscape when it rains. This keeps it out of the lake and protects surrounding communities…”

Later, the Rotaract Club were able to see the fruits of the previous volunteer group’s labors, and witness the ways in which their efforts in El Salvador would benefit the local community:

“We working in the same area that last year’s travelers from our district went to, so we got a chance to look at the walls they built and the trees they planted. The trees had grown a lot in one year—Sandy stood beside one (he participated in this project last year) and it had grown taller than him! The rock walls they had built had worked at stopping mud from flowing down the hill! After only one rainy season, they were almost entirely covered with sand. Volunteers in the Coatepeque region have set a goal to plant 2000 trees this year—we were glad we could help them achieve it.” (more…)

Tips for Conservation Travelers

If you’re itching to see some of the world’s most gorgeous natural wonders and pitch in at the same time, many special tour and travel companies are out there to assist you in planning. The Nature Conservancy is a great place to start. They’ve been working for years to “save the last great places on earth,” with travel tours to destinations like Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, the Walrus Islands in Alaska, and Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest.

Another great organization is Ecovolunteer, a group that organizes trips to places not usually accessible tourists. On their tours, you get the opportunity not only to see unique natural wonders, but to help local communities, work on nature conservation projects, and even work with wildlife like rhinos in Swaziland, wild horses in Mongolia, or dolphins in Italy. Whatever your interests, travel groups focused on volunteer work and conservation are abundant, and easy to find via a quick internet search. Costs, duration of trips, and types of work vary, but what each conservation travel experience has in common is the chance to see beauty and to create beauty by volunteering.

More Useful Links
Volunteer Travel
Iguazu Falls Travel Guide
Halong Bay Travel Guide
Colorado Travel Guide
Hotels in Colorado
El Salvador Travel Guide

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