December 30, 2005
Appreciate nature, travel, do good
For people who love nature, paying bic money for eco-tourism is one possibility. Camping on your won is another. A third is doing some volunteer work. Here are a couple of American organizations that tend to Mother Nature. I'm sure those of you from outside the US can find similar organizations.
American Hiking Society (1422 Fenwick Lane, Silver Spring, Md. 20910; www.americanhiking.org) is a nonprofit that wages a never-ending battle against the degradation of our nation's hiking trails. To that end, it offers one and two-week volunteer vacations during which its participants pull weeds, remove fences, dig trenches and perform other useful tasks in some of America's loveliest national parks. Like the other organizations we've listed, this idealistic group partially relies on donations from both individuals and the corporate world.
Wilderness Volunteers (P.O. Box 22292, Flagstaff, Ariz. 86002, www.wildernessvolunteers.org) sends youthful, vigorous volunteers (mainly in their 20s to 40s) into the forest areas of America's national and state parks, to repair the damage done by heedless visitors. They restore hiking trails, clean up debris and fire sites, plant strategically located trees and even take inventory of plant and wildlife species. Although the volunteer pays a modest fee for the weeklong stint, grants and contributions cover most of the other costs of Wilderness Volunteers.
Posted by James Trotta at December 30, 2005 6:39 AM