Tourism Cares for Conservation Volunteers International Program

Santa Barbara, CA- May 23, 2011- Conservation Volunteers International Program of Santa Barbara, CA, has been awarded a prestigious Tourism Cares Worldwide Grant to fund construction of the Grey Glacier Quebrada Suspension Bridge on the Circuit, a major hiking trail in Torres del Paine National Park, in the Patagonia region of Chile. This 140 foot pedestrian bridge across a deep gorge will improve public safety and will provide excellent views of the spectacular Grey Glacier. It is expected that the $7,500 grant from Tourism Cares, together with other individual donations received by Conservation VIP for this project, will enable completion of construction before December 2011.

Conservation Volunteers International Program is dedicated to conservation and preservation of some of the world’s greatest landscapes and cultural sites. Staffed entirely by volunteers, the organization provides opportunities for ordinary citizens to do extraordinary volunteer service by participating in“voluntourism” expeditions. Conservation VIP is recruiting volunteers for its December 2011 volunteer trip to Patagonia to help with trail construction and restoration on sections of the Circuit in the area of the new suspension bridge. Volunteers are also needed for projects in Machu Picchu (Peru) and Yosemite National Park (California).
 

Torres del Paine National Park is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, which has exceptional ecological significance and receives 120,000 visitors annually. “The Tourism Cares Worldwide Grant will allow us to protect resources and provide safe access to a beautiful area in Torres del Paine National Park in the Patagonia Region of Chile. It will enable us to help park rangers begin to bridge some of the dangerous ravines that cross major trails,” said Richard Tobin, of the Conservation Volunteers International Program. He added, “We are excited about this grant and very grateful to Tourism Cares for helping us make this project possible.”
 

Tourism Cares is the tourism industry’s premier charitable organization for preservation,
conservation, restoration and education in tourism. “Tourism Cares has long been an advocate of the conservation, preservation, and restoration of places that are meaningful to people wanting to experience authenticity when they travel,” said Bruce Beckham, Executive Director of Tourism Cares. “The worthy recipients of the Tourism Cares Worldwide Grants have demonstrated goals that are in line with Tourism Cares and we are excited that our mission continues to expand its reach both here in the United States and overseas.”

Conservation Volunteers International Program
P.O. Box 61912, Santa Barbara, California 93160 USA
www.conservationvip.org
Tel: 805.698.6915 Fax: 805.964.8612
A Non-Profit 501c3 Tax Exempt Organization CST 2089890-40

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