ECOTOUR IN THE TROPICS

step #10

“When we heal the earth, we heal ourselves.”

DAVID W. ORR
AWARD-WINNING ENVIRONMENTALIST,
AUTHOR AND PROFESSOR

Up the ante on this one. Take “spend time in nature” a step further and go on a tropical ecotour! Imagine being in the heart of the jungle, listening to the many sounds of birds and animals, soaking up the vibrant energy of so much abundant life. Available in all price ranges, a genuine ecotour helps support sustainable tourism in tropical countries by bringing needed income to those who might otherwise turn to more destructive activities.

THE SCOOP

One of the best things you can do to save the world’s rainforests is to experience one firsthand, in person. As humans, we tend to save what has personal meaning to us.

In addition to experiencing the rainforest, if you use tour operators, hotels and outfitters with socially and environmentally responsible missions, your trip to the rainforest will have the added bonus of supporting conservation efforts and benefiting the local communities you visit.

The term “ecotourism” gets tossed around a lot and is often misused in marketing hype by the tourist trade.

Ecotourism (also known as ecological tourism) is travel to fragile, pristine and usually protected areas that strives to be low impact and (often) small scale. It helps educate the traveler; provides funds for conservation; directly benefits the economic development and political empowerment of local communities; and fosters respect for different cultures and for human rights.

By taking an ecotour, you are lessening your travel’s carbon footprint, supporting the preservation of the rainforest you choose to experience and the well-being of the rainforest community. It’s a win-win situation all the way around. But perhaps most important of all, you will be learning about the rainforest in an experiential way. By taking a trip to help the rainforest and its people, you will actually help yourself with a truly enriching experience.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Go on a rainforest ecotour!

Of course, the jungle is not for everyone. The humid weather, insects, snakes and untamedness of it all can turn some away. However, with a good insect repellent, an experienced guide and the right accommodations, a trip to the rainforest is not only manageable but fun, inspirational and even life changing. Depending on where you go, the list of things to do is endless. You could swim with freshwater dolphins, observe hundreds of species of birds, identify medicinal plants, canoe, see monkeys, fish for piranha, arrange to camp overnight, look for frogs, observe ants, look for fruit, swim and bathe under waterfalls, experience the forest canopy on constructed walks, river raft, look for butterflies or search for giant anacondas!

The Rainforest Alliance has a sustainable travel website, featuring sustainable destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean. It’s the perfect place to start: www.sustainabletrip.org. All featured hotels, tour operators, and other businesses are either verified by the Rainforest Alliance, certified by third-party programs or recommended by reputable organizations

Other excellent resources include the International Ecotourism Society (TIES) website (www.ecotourism.org) and Conservation International’s website (www.conservation.org). Both have multiple rainforest ecotour offerings.

Be discerning when selecting your ecotour destination. You’ll want to be certain that your choice is an outfit that actually works toward rainforest conservation and gives back to the local community. Here are helpful questions provided by the Rainforest Alliance to ask:

• What is your environmental policy?
• What percentage of your employees are local citizens?
• Do you support any projects to benefit the local community?
• Do you support conservation? How?
• Is your business certified?
• Have you won any eco-awards?
• Are you recommended by any reputable NGOs or conservation groups?
• What sorts of policies have you implemented to reduce water consumption, conserve energy or recycle wastes?
• How do you educate visitors about local natural areas, wildlife, energy conservation and local culture?
• How do you monitor these practices?

Members of the Green Patriot Working Group have stayed at Finca Luna Nueva Lodge (www.fincalunanuevalodge.com) in Costa Rica and think it represents well what an ecolodge should be. Finca means “farm” in Spanish—and this farm is situated on 230 acres of land, half of which is pristine rainforest, while the other half is used for farming organic turmeric and ginger as well as 80 percent of the food needed for meals at the lodge. The farm donates regularly to the local community and works closely with the Monteverde Conservation League—a nonprofit group that manages the 54,000-acre Children’s Eternal Rainforest, the largest private rainforest reserve in Central America, which just happens to border the farm.

Volunteer Ecotourism

For those who have time but perhaps not the resources, check out volunteer ecotourism opportunities at Ecoteer. Or if you simply want an ecotour experience where you really get involved with conservation firsthand, check out Eco Volunteer.

Whatever you need to do, get thee to a rainforest!

RESOURCES

Rainforest Alliance
www.rainforest-alliance.org

SustainableTrip.org
www.sustainabletrip.org

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)
www.ecotourism.org

Conservation International
www.conservation.org

Finca Luna Nueva Lodge
www fincalunanuevalodge.com

Ecoteer
www.ecoteer.com

Eco Volunteer
www.eco-volunteer.com