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.

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.

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.

By Annika S. 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.

By J. Nichols

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.

By Brad Nahill

When many people hear the words “shark” and “tourism” in the same sentence, the first thing they think of is how to avoid them. Unfortunately these people are missing the opportunity to witness and learn about one of nature’s truly astounding creatures. While shark attacks are real and many movies and media outlets capitalize on this fear there are common sense ways to avoid danger and have a great experience while contributing to shark conservation efforts.

With Africa’s rhino and elephant poaching worsening by the year, Charlie Mayhew, founder and chief executive of conservation charity Tusk, says nations must pass tougher legislation or risk losing their prized wildlife. In early December, four black rhinos were found dead at the Lewa Wildlife Sanctuary in Kenya. They had been shot. The news was shocking: this was Africa’s most secure facility. Protected by 150 armed officers, it had gone from 1995, when it was founded, to 2010 without losing a single rhino.

By Cindy Fan

Internet connectivity is recognized as a world development indicator and is closely related to a country’s economic development and infrastructure. This is why projects like the Tadlo Computer Education Center are so vital to Laos, a developing nation. If you’re visiting Tad Lo waterfall on the Bolaven Plateau in Salavan province, southern Laos, pay a visit to the TCEC, a development project and local initiative that offers free computer training and English lessons to local students of Ban Sane Vang village.

Sikkim is a Himalayan state in northern India known for its rugged mountains, deep valleys and dense forests. It is also the only state in India with a Nepali majority as well as a Lepcha and Bhutia population. As a result of its unique location and culture, Sikkim is an ideal place to benefit from ecotourism. Community-based ecotourism is a major draw to this area, and many such tourism experiences include homestays.

By Cynthia Ord

Village Earth, a non-profit organization that provides sustainable international development training programs, is offering a new online course “Tourism and Development” as a part of the Community-based Development Certificate Program in partnership with Colorado State University. This course runs 5-weeks from January 6 – February 10, 2012. All registration is done online and the deadline to register is December 30, 2011.