ECOCLUB Blogs™

  The Fringe Travel community, lead by Sally Broom will host  a webinar about ‘Ecotourism in Europe’ on Thursday 23rd September, 1pm – 2pm UK time. People who will join webinar are: * Aivar Ruukel, founder of Soomaa.com, Lead speaker * Zoltan Kun, Executive Director of Pan Parks, Guest Speaker * Ben Colclough, co-founder Tourdust.com, Guest Speaker * Laura Greenman, MD of Magnetic North Travel, Guest Speaker The webinar celebrates several offline conferences taking place at the moment for ecotourism professionals, in particular the European Ecotourism Conference in Estonia, 26-30 September. The aim of the webinar is to increase our collective awareness of Ecotourism activity in Europe. We will do this through: Discussion and debate; sharing ideas and best practice; and, as ever, inspiration! We want to share great ideas for wonderful holidays/trips that embrace the best of Ecotourism in Europe. I warmly welcome all members of Ecoclub to join our webinar too!

‘Broghil’—the documentary by GEO tv during Jashan-e-Broghil 2010—will be telecast on Friday, September 17 at 11:05PM. You can watch the movie and enjoy the unique culture of the Wakhi community in the Eastern Pamir [Broghil].  It must be noted that a number of national and international TV crew visited Broghil to cover the event. You can also visit the following website link to read more: http://batutaschool.org/en/node/276#comment-66 Can be in contact with us to assure your participation in Broghil Festival 2011. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Cell: +93 302 5975059 Thanks!

  Flip Flotsam - 25min Documentary October 2003 Ever wondered what happens to your footwear after you're finished with it? ...award-winning and startlingly original documentary traces the fantastic journey of Africa's most popular shoes: the flip-flop. Easily bought, quickly discarded, the flip-flop stands as a symbol of the summer holiday for millions of westerners. But in its African homeland, it undergoes a series of versatile transformations. Filmed over a two year period, this startling and uplifting film takes an ingenious look at the lifecycle of the flip-flop.  YouTube Clip and information: http://www.14dd5266c70789bdc806364df4586335-gdprlock/watch?v=7cGlcjQkPbA

  A fantastic clip. Narrated by Academy Award-winner Jeremy Irons, this "mockumentary" video, hammers home the stark reality of California's plastic bag pollution situation.  YouTube clip link: http://www.14dd5266c70789bdc806364df4586335-gdprlock/watch?v=GLgh9h2ePYw Learn more at http://www.healthebay.org

Mambo school toilets - A report and guideline for building a school dry toilet by Herman Erdtsieck, Director, MamboViewPoint , Lushoto-Tanzania Mambo is a small village in the Usambara mountains in Tanzania. The Mambo Primary school has about 2000 pupils who are visiting the school in 2 shifts because of a lack of teachers and class rooms. Like many schools around, sanitary was not well provided and something had to be done. Thanks to the Dutch school “Herman Gorter” in Zaandam the budget came available to build 2 new toilets, one for boys and one for girls. In this guide you will find the design and the practical implementation of the toilets. The design and supervision are done for free by the crew of MamboViewPoint eco lodge. Background A full documented background of building toilets can be found in “The Guide to Sanitation and Hygiene for Those Working in Developing Countries” from the Finish organisation Global dry toilet association http://www.drytoilet.org/ The main details from the above document used in Mambo are the following: • The idea is to separate urine an faeces in order to be able to get fertilizer. • The possibility to get the fertilizer out once in a...

A great video showing that research is a lot more fun for both whales and humans when combined with respect and tourism. Not for fine sushi purveyors and other delicacy enthusiasts or for those who would like us swallow that they 'need' to kill whales in order to "research" them. Featuring dwarf minke whales at the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland and Alastair Birtles, a marine biologist in the Tourism Department, who has been studying them for the past 15 years, during their annual migration from/to the Antarctic, when they are in playful mode and hence friendly and curious towards people, doing a bit of human-watching. A limited number of swim with whales operators based in Port Douglas and Cairns, have been licensed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority  on the understanding that sightings will be reported and form part of a monitoring program with the cooperation of James Cook University. The impact of such tourism on whale behaviour and migration should of course also be closely monitored to avoid love overdoses on both sides... More details at http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/key_issues/tourism/recreation/around_whales_and_dolphins Meanwhile, on 6 September the verdict is expected on two Japanese anti-whaling activists, Junichi and Toru who in 2008 exposed...

  Dear friends, You can please visit the following website link to watch the movie of Booni flooding caused by glacier breaking. The glacier of Booni Zom is shown by skilled paraglider friends.   http://www.batutaschool.org/en/node/297   Thanks to Mr Jurgen Depicker for uploading the movies and thanks, also, for your time to visit the website of our school, which working for poor-friendly education in the Mountains of Chitral. Thanks! Shams Uddin, Chitral, Northern Pakistan

In history’s worst flooding that has badly damaged infrastructures all over Pakistan, killed hundreds of people and left hundreds thousands without basic life amenities such as shelter, food and medicine. The likelihood of spreading of water-born diseases e.g. typhoid, malaria, jaundice and other intestinal diseases is very high in absence of clean drinking water. It is, therefore, an appeal to international community is made to please support the flood-affected people of the Chitral district. Your small amount could save the life of many victims. Your money will be used in the following ways:1) Tent shelter for homeless2) Food for starving people3) Medicine for sick people4) Books for school children Just mention "Chitral flood" and deposit your contribution in the following banks:• Bank account in Belgium: 979-6511696-91 (Argenta)• Bank account In Pakistan: 4205-6 (Khyber Bank, Chitral Branch) You can please visi the following website links to know more about the condition of flood in Chitral: http://batutaschool.org/en/node/291, http://www.yourtravelchoice.org/2010/08/booni-pakistan-the-day-the-glacier-broke/Thanking you for your support in advance!

I just returned from a two week trip on the Alaska highway with my 80 year old mother. I was pleasantly surprised at how much adventure we were able to squeeze in; tour companies are doing a great job with mobility issues. We found bus and boat tours were very willing to accommodate a wheelchair and took extra care to make sure my mom saw the special sights.I've summarized a few of the experiences on this videohttp://www.14dd5266c70789bdc806364df4586335-gdprlock/watch?v=zOAH1I6tAF0I'd be curious to know what other people have experienced when traveling with people with limited mobility.Carol

ISLAMABAD: The main cause of ongoing floods is fast melting of glaciers in the upper parts of the country, which are dissipating at a faster speed as compared to the rest of the world. This was stated by Prof M. Iqbal Khan, the only Pakistani glaciologist, who visited Antarctica, while talking to APP on Sunday. He remarked that the pace of melting glaciers in Pakistan is faster than any other country and only rains could not be held responsible for the floods. “It is the glaciers which are adding fuel to the fire and due to the melting of glaciers the flood situation is aggravated,” he added. Giving details of the glaciers in the country, he said there are a total of 202 dominant glaciers which contain huge quantity of water. He described glaciers as “frozen water resources” which are melting at a fast pace, as the recent decade has experienced exceptional environmental changes throughout the world because of global warming. He added that there was never a melting process at 18,000 ft but now this level has reached 20,000 ft which is very alarming as it can deplete our frozen water reservoirs rapidly. Khan stated that over 50 per cent...