Demonstrating Our Commitment Worldwide
International Expeditions is dedicated to preserving the natural habitats of the places we serve, and to improving the welfare of the people and communities in these areas. We are committed to environmentally responsible travel, and strive to thoroughly understand each place we go in order to minimize our impact on it. To do this we select and train exceptional local guides, who accompany our guests every step of the way. We share with them an appreciation for the natural and cultural history of their homelands. We impress our mission upon our service providers too, so that they can participate in conservation.

In 1990, International Expeditions helped to form The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) by providing the major source of funding, and our founder and former president, Richard Ryel, also served as a member of the original board. TIES works to bring communities, conservation and sustainable travel together to promote responsible travel to natural areas, while conserving the environment and improving the well-being of local people. For more information on The International Ecotourism Society, visit www.ecotourism.org

Amazon (Peru)
Amazon Center for Environmental Education & Research (ACEER) – IE donated $60,000 to establish the ACEER. Ongoing support is generated by your participation in our travel programs. www.aceer.org

ACEER Canopy Walkway – IE established – and continues to fund – the ACEER Canopy Walkway, making accessible to scientists, educators, students and other travelers the most dynamic dimension of the Amazon rainforest.

Adopt-a-School & Teacher Training – The ACEER's Adopt-a-School program has provided assistance and supplies to 50 rural Amazonian schools representing 2,000 rural school children and 150 teachers.

GIS Environmental Mapping – IE has funded satellite imaging and data collection to document unprotected tropical wilderness areas and aid in future Reserve status for these areas.

Primary Rainforest Protection – IE has worked with government and scientists in an effort to gain permanent protection of 250,000 acres of primary rainforest in the Upper Amazon Basin.

Scientific Publications – IE supports research and publication of important books, including Guide to Frogs of the Iquitos Region, Amazonian Peru by Lily Rodriguez & William Duellman and Amazonian Ethnobotanical Dictionary by James Duke & Rodolfo Vasquez Martinez.

Medical Clinic Support – Amazon Special Interest Travel participation supports the Amazon Medical Project and the medical clinic of Dr. Linnea Smith. www.amazonmedical.org

Belize
Crooked Tree Cashews "Cashews with a Cause" – IE donated $2,000 plus technical and promotional support in creating this sustainable natural resource project in a fragile wetlands sanctuary. Each year the project is celebrated at the annual Cashew Festival.

Ix Chel Tropical Research Foundation & Terra Nova Rainforest Reserve – You support these innovative conservation initiatives as a traveler on our Belize tours.

Slate Creek Preserve – IE supports environmental awareness and preservation of this unique biome through ecotourism programs, including programs for school groups.

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary — This habitat supports a dense population of Jaguars. IE travelers contribute significantly to the support of this sanctuary.

Belize Zoo – For nearly two decades, IE has led thousands of travelers on tours through this remarkable zoo, translating into political and financial support of the project's local and international education programs. www.belizezoo.org

Costa Rica
Project Green Macaw/The Neotropical Foundation – IE has supported efforts to preserve imperiled habitat linking vital protected areas along the Caribbean coast.

INBio Research Institute – IE has supported the efforts of INBio, which works to catalog and conserve Costa Rica's natural resources. www.inbio.ac.cr/

PROFELIS/Wild Cat Rescue – IE programs benefit Costa Rica's National Center for Wild Cat Rescue, which protects the lives and habitat of endangered cats through research, education, law enforcement, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. www.seibermarco.de/profelis/

Galapagos Islands
International Galapagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA) – IE is an active member of IGTOA, a successful organization which backs special legislation and promotes measures aimed at protecting the Galapagos Islands and marine reserve and promoting environmentally responsible nature travel. IE is working with IGTOA on its Bocario program for youth. www.igtoa.org

Galapagos Conservancy – IE is proud to match the contributions to Galapagos Conservancy made by our Galapagos travelers (up to $250) with a travel certificate good for future journeys. IE is proud to partner with Galapagos Conservancy, the premier Galapagos advocacy and fundraising group in the U.S. Galapagos Conservancy is one of the most important participants in helping keep the Galapagos Islands the unique place that it is, supporting the conservation work of the Charles Darwin Foundation, the Galapagos National Park Service and other key institutions in the Galapagos who work toward the cause of conservation. www.galapagos.org

Kenya
East African Wildlife Society – IE is a corporate sponsor for the East African Wildlife Society. Founded in 1956, the Society's mission is to promote the conservation and use of East Africa's wildlife and environment. By influencing policy reform through advocacy; helping support national park infrastructure, anti-poaching measures and wildlife sanctuaries; conservation education and research; translocating endangered species; and community conservation initiatives, the East African Wildlife Society has been able to conserve the region's black rhinos and elephants and contribute to current efforts to preserve East Africa's rapidly disappearing forests. www.eawildlife.org

India
Indian Tiger Protection – IE donates $100 per traveler to India to Tiger Trust India, a program to ensure the future well being of the seriously endangered tigers of India. www.tigertrustindia.com

IE has demonstrated a commitment to conserve natural habitats through a variety of efforts in these destinations:
Amazon; Belize; Costa Rica; Galapagos; Kenya; India