By Teresa Berninger

Projects like the Al Auja Environmental Center give hope, by increasing people’s independence and resilience by promoting water management strategies and water saving techniques. One such example is our grey water recycling systems. Waste water is collected, treated, and reused. Since this type of waste water system was installed at the local mosque and people realized how beneficial it is, many private households have started using the system.

By Victoria Okoye

Mole National Park, Ghana’s largest protected ecosystem, is surrounded by nearly 30 indigenous rural communities that rely on the land for their livelihood. Addressing these fringe communities’ livelihood concerns is an important part of the work done in the area by one tour company, M&J Travel and Tours, committed to ecotourism in Ghana. It currently works with more than 350 women to support the local Shea-butter production efforts for commercial trade.

One of the world’s first ecotourism destinations will be forced to close its doors next year unless supporters can find a way to save it. Maho Bay Camps, a legendary U.S. Virgin Islands eco-resort whose owner helped pioneer the sustainable lodging industry in the 1970s, will find itself at the mercy of new landlords when its 36-year lease expires in July 2012. The 13.8-acre expanse of coastal forest on the island of St. John is a private inholding inside Virgin Islands National Park.

By Kelly Austria

Inspired by our treks and visits to mountain communities, in 2007 we formed a group based on a shared common love for nature and compassion for the kids living in these mountains. We decided to hike on a new trail, and called our group TREK, or Trails to Empower Kids. Our first outreach program was held in the mountainous province of Benguet, in the municipality of Itogon, Philippines.

By Irene Lane

One of the more memorable moments during our family tour of Northern Europe last year was during our stay in Gothenburg. While Gothenburg is the second largest city in Sweden, it certainly has not taken on a diminutive status to Stockholm. Instead, the city has a standing of its own including having largest seaport of all the Nordic countries, a diverse music community and beautiful open spaces of forests, meadows, lakes, parks and gardens peppered throughout the area.

By Kirsty Barnby

Community Support Network (CSN) is Fiji’s newest non-profit voluntourism organization offering a two-week volunteer and island discovery tour program on Fiji’s untouched Northern Islands. This off-the-beaten-track experience prides itself on being an authentic cultural immersion program and puts a wholesome 80% back into the island communities in the form of training, equipment, infrastructure and education.

By Melissa Lim

The Borneo Ecotourism Solution and Technologies (BEST) Society is a non-profit foundation formed by Borneo Eco Tours, a leading tour operator specializing in regional ecotourism adventures and accommodation. The BEST Society was established in 1995 in Sabah, East Malaysia, when Borneo Eco Tours joined hands with the Sukau Rainforest Lodge to organize a large environmental protection project in Kelananap oxbow lake.

By Adriana Braun and Julio Bin

Ecotourism for people in wheelchairs? You may wonder what that looks like, how it’s done. You’d be pleasantly surprised to learn that in many destinations there are efforts in place to improve tourism infrastructure to better serve people with disabilities. Brazil is one such example. Recently the Brazilian company Accessible – Adapted Tourism has developed a new project featuring an online tour guide for travelers with reduced mobility.

By Ali Zerriffi

Barra De Potosi is a small coastal village at the mouth of a lagoon which runs along the coast of the Municipio de Petatlan. The lagoon network regulates the lives of both human and animal lives and has a balanced ecosystem that has kept its people employed and its environment protected. The people of Barra de Potosi are now confronted by a development project that they believe will destroy the existing ecosystem, in spite of Mexican laws protecting the environment.

By Pål K. Medhus

Høve Støtt’s main target is to create new standards in the production of experiences, at the peak of Norwegian tourism. To achieve this, we work constantly on developing authentic Norwegian ecotourism experiences. We always strive to achieve more, and we’re always hungry for knowledge. By engaging the local forces, we wish to show the culture and history that has made Geilo what it is today.