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<title><![CDATA[ecotourism news from mongabay.com]]></title>
<link>http://www.mongabay.com</link>
<description><![CDATA[ecotourism news.]]></description>
<language>en-us</language>
<copyright>Copyright 2006 mongabay.com</copyright>
<pubDate>Sun, 15 Oct 2008 12:58:39 -0800</pubDate>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[New Costa Rica guide offers insight on responsible tourism]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Costa Rica is the world's most popular destination for rainforest tourism thanks to its spectacular biodiversity, relative ease-of-access and safety, and many natural attractions.  In 2007 nearly 2 million tourists visited the country, generating almost 2 billion in revenue -- more than the combined income from bananas and coffee.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0804-costa_rica_guide.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0804-costa_rica_guide.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Birds face higher risk of extinction than conventionally thought]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Birds may face higher risk of extinction than conventionally thought, says a bird ecology and conservation expert from Stanford University. Dr. Cagan H. Sekercioglu, a senior research scientist at Stanford and head of the world's largest tropical bird radio tracking project, estimates that 15 percent of world's 10,000 bird species will go extinct or be committed to extinction by 2100 if necessary conservation measures are not taken. While birds are one of the least threatened of any major group of organisms, Sekercioglu believes that worst-case climate change, habitat loss, and other factors could conspire to double this proportion by the end of the century. As dire as this sounds, Sekercioglu says that many threatened birds are rarer than we think and nearly 80 percent of land birds predicted to go extinct from climate change are not currently considered threatened with extinction, suggesting that species loss may be far worse than previously imagined. At particular risk are marine species and specialists in mountain habitats.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0714-cagan_interview.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2008 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0714-cagan_interview.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Rwanda launches reforestation project to protect chimps, drive ecotourism]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[conservationists in Rwanda have launched an ambitious reforestation project that aims to create a forest corridor to link an isolated group of chimpanzees to larger  areas of habitat in Nyungwe National Park.  The initiative, called the Rwandan National conservation Park, is backed by the Rwandan government, the Great Ape Trust of Iowa, and Earthpark, a group seeking to build an indoor rainforest in the U.S. Midwest.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0318-rwanda.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 17 Mar 2008 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0318-rwanda.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Advice for your first visit to the rainforest]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Harry S. Pariser has been writing travel guides and articles for many years now. His most recent guide is Explore Costa Rica which has extensive information about the nation and its rainforests.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0304-interview_pariser.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 03 Mar 2008 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0304-interview_pariser.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Nature tourism taking a toll in the Galapagos]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[A booming "ecotourism" industry is bringing new threats to the Galapagos, reports a feature in the Wall Street Journal.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0105-galapagos.html</link>
<pubDate>Sat, 05 Jan 2008 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0105-galapagos.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[7-year old nature guide becomes Belize environmental hero as adult]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Each year hundreds of thousands of nature-oriented tourists visit Belize to see the Central American country's spectacular coral reefs, biodiverse rainforests, and ancient Mayan ruins.  However few visitors realize that Belize's natural resources are at risk.  Timber and oil extraction, agricultural encroachment, coastal development, pollution and unrestrained tourism are all increasing threats to Belizean ecosystems.  Unless something is done to address these concerns, within a generation these pressures could present considerable problems for Belize.  Dr. Colin Young, head of the environmental science program at Galen University in Belize, says that while he is greatly concerned about these issues, there is still time to ensure healthy forests and reefs in Belize.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/1116-interview_young_belize.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 Nov 2007 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/1116-interview_young_belize.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Rainforest tribe establishes massive sustainable-use reserve]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[An indigenous group in Guyana has established one of the world's largest sustainable forest reserves, reports conservation International.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/1003-ci_guyana.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 04 Oct 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/1003-ci_guyana.html</guid>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Afghanistan's recovery effort drives poaching of rare wildlife]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Few people associate Afghanistan with wildlife and it would come as a surprise to many that the war-torn, but fledging democracy is home to snow leopards, Persian leopards, five species of bush dog, Marco Polo Sheep, Asiatic Black Bear, Brown Bears, Striped Hyenas, and numerous bird of prey species. While much of this biodiversity has survived despite years of civil strife, Afghanistan's wildlife faces new pressures from the very people who are charged with rebuilding the country: contractors and the development community are driving the trade in rare and endangered wildlife.  This development, coupled with lack of laws regulating resource management and growing instability, complicate efforts to protect the country's wildlife. Working to address these challenges is Dr. Alex Dehgan, Afghanistan Country Director for the Wildlife conservation Society (WCS).  WCS is working to implement the Afghanistan Biodiversity conservation Program, a three-year project funded by the US Agency for International Development to promote wildlife and resource conservation in the country.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0807-interview-dehgan.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 07 Aug 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0807-interview-dehgan.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Wildlife tourism can be detrimental to monkeys]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Tourism is causing changes in primate behvaior and may be increasing infant mortality and the transmission of disease, reports a study published in the October edition of the International Journal of Primatology.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0715-monkeys.html</link>
<pubDate>Sun, 15 Jul 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0715-monkeys.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[An interview with author and eco-lodge pioneer Jack Ewing]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[In 1970 a young man went to Costa Rica, a place he initially confused with Puerto Rico, on an assignment to accompany 150 head of cattle.  37 years and several lifetimes' worth of adventures later, Jack Ewing runs a eco-lodge that serves as a model for a country  now considered the world leader in nature travel.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0613-interview_ewing.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Jun 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0613-interview_ewing.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Plan to bring lions, elephants to U.S. excludes Africans]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Writing in the June 2007 Scientific American one of the scientists who helped put forth a radical proposal to reintroduce historical megafauna -- including camels, cheetah, elephants, and lions -- revisits the scheme, reviewing its basic points and refuting some of the criticism the plan received from the general public and other conservation biologists.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0522-donlan.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 22 May 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0522-donlan.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Rare mountain gorillas in Uganda on the increase]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[High endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda are increasing, reports a new census by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Wildlife conservation Society, the Max Planck Institute of Anthropology and other groups.  The population of gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has increased from 320 in 2002 to 340 today.  A 1997 study found 300 gorillas, indicating that the park population has increased by 20 percent over the past decade.  Aggressive conservation measures have been the key say researchers.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0420-gorillas.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Apr 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0420-gorillas.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Responsible tourism: How to travel ethically]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Ecotourism is hot.  Travel companies everywhere are slapping eco-friendly labels on their tours and hotels to attract green-minded visitors. Alas some "ecotourism" is not really good for the environment or local people. That three-week round-the-world eco-tour via private jet for just $42,950 will generate a lot of greenhouse gases as you're flying between plush lodges that import food and staff from other places. Likewise those wood carvings purchased in tourist centers may come not from indigenous artisans but a factory turning endangered rainforest hardwoods into throwaway tourist items. Heavy anchors dropped on reefs are good neither for the coral reef ecosystem nor the sustainability of the local tourism industry. So what's a true "ecotourist" to do? Is it really possible to travel without trampling culture and tradition and further soiling the environment?]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1127-interview_greenwald.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 27 Nov 2006 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1127-interview_greenwald.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Eco vacationers engage in cutting-edge environmental research]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[There is a species of vacationer who, like me, cannot do what vacationers are meant to do: relax. I am incapable of lying on a beach and sipping an umbrella drink while listening drowsily to reggae hits. I need to be doing something. And given the deteriorating state of our planet, I would prefer it be something useful. This is not about moral strength. It's simply a case of obstinate curiosity, and a certain kind of incurable restlessness. For people like me, there exists the "volunteer vacation." Habitat for Humanity is among the best-known organizations to arrange such trips, but there are others whose missions focus on environmental rather than social causes. Global Vision and the Earthwatch Institute, for example, offer motivated travelers the opportunity to transport their curiosity and energy to exotic locales.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1024-onearth.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 24 Oct 2006 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1024-onearth.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[When elephants attack. Surviving an elephant charge in the Congo rainforest of Gabon]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The elephant charges. The ground trembles. Hearts racing, we are now sprinting through the forest dodging vegetation as the elephant plows right through it. The problem with being chased by an elephant, aside from their obvious size advantage, is they can run faster than you. While wild elephants can be dangerous animals under the right circumstances, other creatures are responsible for more deaths in Africa. Topping the list is the hippo, whose penchant for capsizing canoes that come too close results in the dumping of passengers who often can't swim. Buffalo, crocodiles, and lions are directly responsible for more deaths and injuries.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0627-gabon.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 26 Jun 2006 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0627-gabon.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Jungle trekking in Malaysia's Taman Negara]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Taman Negara is Malaysia's largest and best-known national park. Spanning 4343 square kilometers, the protected forest area is home to some of southeast Asia'apos;apos;s rarest creatures including tigers, the Malaysian tapir, forest elephants, and the Sumatran rhino. Scientists believe that these rainforests may be the oldest on Earth. Untouched by glaciers during recent ice ages, Taman Negara'apos;apos;s forests have remained largely the same for some 130 million years. This stability produces some of the highest levels of biodiversity on Earth: more than 350 species of birds, 14000 species of plants, and 210 species of mammals can be found in Taman Negara.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0321-malaysia.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 Mar 2006 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0321-malaysia.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Mozambique Gets World Bank conservation, Tourism Project]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[More of Mozambique&#39;s natural ecosystems will be conserved, and thus draw more tourism to the country, thanks to a World Bank-funded project that aims to promote economic growth through sustainable use of natural resources.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/1205-mozambique.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2005 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/1205-mozambique.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Exploring freshwater fish habitats in the rainforest of Peru]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This fall the editor of mongabay.com, a leading environmental science and tropical freshwater fish information site, traveled to the Peruvian Amazon and examined habitats for freshwater fish. As a result of this effort, two new biotope descriptions have been posted on the site. The descriptions include underwater photographs for those interested in replicating the natural conditions of these habitats.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/1127-biotope.html</link>
<pubDate>Sat, 26 Nov 2005 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/1127-biotope.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[What to pack for your visit to the rainforest]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Visiting a tropical rainforest promises to be a memorable experience. Rainforests house around half the world's plant and animal species and are home to indigenous people who live in ways quite unlike those in the western world.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0926-rainforest_ecotourism.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 26 Sep 2005 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0926-rainforest_ecotourism.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Builder of rainforest canopy walkways believes conservation can be profitable]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[This month's issue of The Ecological Finance Review details Greenheart conservation Company, a for-profit company that designs, builds and operates conservation based canopy walkways (canopy trails) and other nature-based attractions around the world. Operating on the premise that conservation can be economically viable, Greenheart believes that is has already become a "model of how to shift gears from an industrial to a green economy." Greenheart has developed or is developing canopy walkways in Peru, Nigeria, Madagascar, Ghana, Brazil, Guyana, the United Kingdon, and Canada.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0920-ecostructure.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2005 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0920-ecostructure.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Ecotourism in the rainforest, a guide to your first visit]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The rainforest is an incredible place. Having having realistic expectations about your experience, being prepared, and knowing what to bring will make your trip run more smoothly. Hopefully your initial visit to the rainforest will be the first of many.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0914-rainforest_ecotourism.html</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 14 Sep 2005 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0914-rainforest_ecotourism.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Guidelines to promote a sustainable tourism]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[With massive growth in tourism predicted in the coming years, two United Nations agencies have teamed up to produce a set of guidelines to help governments around the world to promote a sustainable tourism that spreads prosperity while avoiding harm to the environment and local communities.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0908-un.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 08 Sep 2005 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0908-un.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Plan to move African wildlife to America would undermine ecotourism and African economies]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[A proposal to create a refuge for African wildlife in North America has come under harsh criticism from African conservationists according to a report from Sapa-AFP.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0823-african_wildlife.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Aug 2005 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0823-african_wildlife.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Madagascar hopes movie will boost tourism and economy]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The Indian Ocean island nation of Madagascar is hoping that a recently released Dreamworks' movie will spur tourism in the country despite its lukewarm success in the American box office.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0707-wildmadagascar.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jul 2005 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0707-wildmadagascar.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Dancing lemur attracts tourists to island of Madagascar]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[In the dry deciduous forests of south western Madagascar there lives a lemur that loudly cusses but "dances" like a ballet performer. Verreaux's sifaka is among the most popular of lemur species, a group of primates endemic to islands off the southeastern coast of Africa. While threatened, Verreaux's sifaka is easily spotted is several of Madagascar's more accessible parks.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0530-wildmadagascar.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 May 2005 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0530-wildmadagascar.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Tourism in Madagascar; Visting the World's Most Unusual Island]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Madagascar is a place like no other. Separated from mainland Africa for some 160 millions years, 80% of its native flora and fauna are unique to the island.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0526-wildmadagascar.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2005 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0526-wildmadagascar.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Reefs worth more for tourism than fishing in Australia]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The planet's largest living organism is worth more to Australia as an intact ecosystem for tourism than an extracative reserve for fishing.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0508-rhett_butler.html</link>
<pubDate>Sun, 08 May 2005 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0508-rhett_butler.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Madagascar Larger Than Life, New Life for Madagascar's Tourist Industry?]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[One of the most anticipated films of the spring is Dreamworks's Madagascar. Scheduled for release over the often profitable Memorial Day weekend, this new feature is generating lots of buzz for the studio as well as the actors voicing the animated creatures featured in the movie. Madagascar, the country, hopes the film will stimulate its tourist industry in a way similar to Kenya's after the 1985 film Out of Africa was released.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0426-tina_butler.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Apr 2005 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0426-tina_butler.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[The Next Costa Rica? Environmental activism takes root in Honduras]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[With its biodiversity, rich history, beautiful beaches, and stunning reefs, some believe Honduras could be the ecotourism hotspot in Central America. However, between growing gang violence linked to the drug trade in the United States and conflicts between developers and local communities, the country still faces many challenges in becoming the next Costa Rica. Special correspondent Tina Butler takes a look at changing attitudes about the environment in one of Central America's poorest countries.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0329-tina_butler.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 18 Apr 2005 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2005/0329-tina_butler.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Rainforest Ecotourism]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Ecotourism is rapidly becoming a leading way for developing countries to bring in foreign revenue by preserving their rainforests. Eco-tourists pay to see a country&apos;s natural beauty, not the destruction caused by short-run exploitation. Money spent directly in the local economy helps give economic value to forest preservation. The locals, along with the government, can see the importance of keeping the forest intact. Most tourists are willing to pay directly for preservation in the forms of park entrance fees and donations..]]></description>
<link>http://rainforests.mongabay.com/1004.htm</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 01 Mar 2005 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://rainforests.mongabay.com/1004.htm</guid>
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