23 articles tagged with conservation travel
When most travelers think of outdoor adventure destinations, Iowa rarely tops the list. But as someone who's explored coral reefs from Thailand to Belize, I've learned that ecological wonders hide in the most unexpected places. West Des Moines surprised me...
The juxtaposition couldn't be more striking—standing 1,300 feet below sea level while gazing up at mountains that have witnessed millennia of human civilization. Having presided over international cases for decades, I find a different kind of judgment called for here:...
Standing at the edge of Canaima National Park, watching the ethereal mist rise from Angel Falls as it plummets 979 meters from Auyán-tepui's tabletop mountain, I felt both the scientist and adventurer in me equally captivated. This UNESCO World Heritage...
The Kalahari stretches before me like a living, breathing entity – not the barren wasteland many imagine, but a complex ecosystem pulsing with life adapted to some of Earth's harshest conditions. As a conservation scientist, I've studied desert ecosystems theoretically,...
The transition from the acacia-dotted savannas of Tanzania to the azure waters of the Philippine archipelago represents more than just a geographic shift—it's a journey through contrasting ecosystems that share surprising ecological parallels. As a marine biologist with a penchant...
The morning mist hangs low over the emerald valleys of Kodiak Island as I crouch behind a fallen log, my camera poised and ready. My heart pounds against my chest—not from fear, but from pure, electric anticipation. Just 40 meters...
As someone who typically documents watershed restoration projects and biodiversity hotspots, I never expected to find such ecological richness in Erie, Pennsylvania. Yet here I was, watching my friend's children chase tiny waves along Presque Isle's sandy shores while a...
There's something profoundly humbling about standing where Charles Darwin once stood, camera in hand, watching marine iguanas dive into turquoise waters as blue-footed boobies perform their mating dance mere feet away. After decades of traveling to some of the world's...
As I stepped off the train at Dongdaegu Station, the crisp spring air carried the scent of cherry blossoms and street food—an intoxicating welcome to South Korea's fourth-largest city. While Seoul and Busan often steal the spotlight, Daegu offers an...
The ferry gently pushed away from Kinshasa's crowded port as I stood at the railing, watching the world's deepest river flow beneath us. My journey bridging the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo wasn't a typical honeymoon...
Standing on the wooden jetty at Lamu's harbor, the afternoon sun warming my face as dhows glided across the azure waters, I felt that familiar thrill of stepping into a place where time moves differently. After years in diplomatic service...
The first time I woke to the distant roar of lions while the Ugandan sun painted the savanna gold, I knew Queen Elizabeth National Park had forever claimed a piece of my heart. As a pediatrician accustomed to the controlled...
There's something primordial about the landscape surrounding Gillette, Wyoming—a rugged testament to geological forces that have shaped this corner of the American West for millennia. As someone who spent decades litigating over the protection of these very lands, I find...
The limestone karsts of Palawan rose like ancient sentinels from the turquoise water as my bangka boat approached Port Barton. After years documenting environmental litigation cases back in Texas, I was finally witnessing firsthand the marine ecosystems I'd only read...
The Land Rover slows to a halt as our tracker gestures silently toward a clearing ahead. There, bathed in the golden light of a South African sunset, a leopard lounges on a marula tree branch, her spotted coat glowing like...