President Felipe Calderon, speaking at the conservation center’s opening, commented on the thousands of visitors who view the monarch butterfly every year and contribute positive economic benefits to the Mexican economy.

If you go to Angangueo, you might also want to hike into the El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary which is located 6 kilometers from the village. Renée Huang visited the Sanctuary, and wrote a wonderful travel article about it for Road & Travel Magazine.

cc National Zoo

When you click on an animal on the map, a new web page opens with information about the animal(s) in that section of the zoo. Most have a webcam available – Good Luck at seeing some animals! Even if the animal’s not within view, each page has a lot of information such as links to a more detailed map of the area and photos of the animals.

Much of the forest was destroyed for timber and for sugar cane plantations. Some baobabs survive, and NGO’s are trying to save them by developing a tourism supply chain in which local people make money from the tourists who come to see the trees and animals.

The video is a good representation of eco tourism and micro businesses with some great footage of Madagascar.

The UN News Centre reports that a joint campaign by conservation groups and tour operators in the 1990’s has helped set up protected areas in Svalbard, Norway.  Svalbard is the closest tourism outpost to the North Pole, which is 1,000 kilometres away.  The sustainable tourism initiative has enacted new laws protecting biodiversity and has led to the successful protection of polar bears and other native species in the area.

Currently in Norway, partners UNEP and GRID-Arendal are planning to replicate the success in Svalbard by studying how sustainable tourism can support the management and development of protected areas.

In June 2010, participants from 12 countries met in Arendal to discuss how tourism and biodiversity protection in marine protected areas can lead to conservation successes, reports UNEP.  The meeting decided that financial, educational and political support are all important.  Although differences between areas makes establishing criteria that can be used to replicate successful tourism/biodiversity connections difficult, the aim of UNEP’s Linking Tourism & Conservation (LT&C) initiative is to show, learn from and replicate positive examples where tourism supports the management and development of protected areas.

UNEP and GRID-Arendal are hosting a study expedition to Svalbard for conservationists, journalists and members of the public.  They also plan to create an interactive map of tourist destinations engaged in conservation work that will allow travelers to view a destination’s green credentials before booking their trip.  All hail green tourism!

Meeting in Brasilia since July 25th, the World Heritage Committee reviewed and selected nominations for the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger, reports CNN.

The Everglades is over 1.5 million acres, the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States.  This is the second time the Everglades has been included on the list – the first time, between 1993 and 1997, was due to damages caused by Hurricane Andrew.

The Everglades is suffering degradation due to reduced water inflows (up to 60%) and high pollution levels.  The Florida Museum of Natural History has a list of the threatened and endangered species in the Florida Everglades, which includes the American alligator and crocodile, sea turtles, manatee, Florida panther, and birds.

Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument  is one of only 26 mixed (natural and cultural) World Heritage Sites in the world.  Covering almost 140,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean, this area of coral reefs is home to over 7,000 marine species including the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and threatened green sea turtle.  It’s also a cultural area for the indigineous Oceanic peoples.

The plight of Madagascar’s rainforests is well known. This year, the rain forests of Atsinanana in Madagascar made the UNESCO list following illegal logging (and export) and hunting of endangered lemurs on the site, CNN advises.  Many rare rainforest species are threatened, especially lemurs which are found only in Madagascar.

According to Museum Publicity,  Chicago’s Field Museum’s new Climate Change exhibit showcases global climate change, likely the most urgent scientific and social issue of our century.  The exhibit explains the science of climate change while also examining the social issues that will arise with future generations if the problem is not solved.  The exhibit demonstrates that there is not just one solution – a necessary effort must be put in by individuals, communities, and governments.

The Field Museum’s exhibit on Climate Change was organized by the American Museum of Natural History  along with The Field Museum and several others, reports the Chicago Tribune.  The exhibit demonstrates how the warming climate has begun to melt polar ice, raise sea levels and alter weather patterns by warming the ocean and creating brutal storms while also changing ecosystems.  Through interactive stations, dioramas and videos, the exhibit provides evidence that over the last 300 years human activity has altered the natural world.

The Climate Change exhibit is sponsored by HSBC-North America, Exelon Corporation, Motorola Foundation, Whole Foods Market and Jones Lang LaSalle.  For every visitor to the Climate Change exhibition, Exelon Corporation will donate $1 to the exhibition up to a total of $200,000.

Also interesting, the Tree Museum recently opened in Switzerland, Inhabitat informs us.  The collection of 2,000 trees showcased at the museum has been accumulated over 17 years.  The trees have all been saved and now represent a museum of their own.  Both the Tree Museum and sustainability-built headquarters are situated on 2.5 acres of a 14th Century monastery grounds.   (Photo is of the Louvre).

The Tree Museum headquarters forms a backdrop that showcases the trees.  The building’s sustainable features include efficient insulation, a green roof, a geothermal heating and cooling system and sustainably-sourced local wood.  The trees are positioned against sandstone walls and contain 22 different varieties that range from English yew to Pinus sylvestris.

Together these museums demonstrate what museums can do to help inform people and solve major environmental and social issues.  Whether working alone or as part of a community, we all have a role to play in solving climate change and related issues.  Educational, informative and interactive, these museums have made a positive step forward.

A note to anyone heading for London’s Grant Museum of Zoology – According to Culture24, the museum will be closing for 6 months as of Wednesday June 30, 2010 and will reopen in January 2011.

The Award seems to have expanded since then and now include landscapes, flora, communities at risk, and Puget Sound at Risk.  They kindly post some of the winner’s photos online, and you can visit them at their website.

If you’re going to be anywhere near the Seattle area this summer, you have until September 6th to visit the display of Award winner’s photographs.  The exhibit is at the Burke Museum, who is also kind enough to put a sampling of the photographs online.  Burke’s selection is the same quality that I saw in Alberta, and it is exciting to see them in real life (versus online only).  I mean, have you ever seen a photograph of a beluga whale or seal or giraffes look like that before?!

That’s not to say that looking at cool wildlife photographs online is anything less than fun.  There’s a display of 99 of the best wildlife photographs as showcased by the National Geographic at Cool Pictures/Cool Stuff.  National Geographic is a world leader in photography, and their best of the best shows it.

Altogether, each and all the photographs show us what an incredible world we live in.

Enjoy!

The Sungei Buloh was made a nature reserve in 2002 and is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna.  According to a Straits Times article, a reference guide is available that features 70 species of birds and provides information about their migration patterns.  In November 2008, a local birdwatcher even spotted a Nordmann’s Greenshank, a bird with only 600 to 1,000 individuals existing in the wild and generally not found in Singapore.

The $50 million will aid in improving conservation practices and controlling access to the 138-hectare reserve.  To help manage the impact visitors have on the park’s wildlife, visitors will have to apply in advance to visit the reserve.

According to the Sunday Times,  the masterplan for the completed reserve is to divide it into four zones.  Access to two of the zones will be minimal, meaning that visitors will require the assistance of a certified nature guide or that it will be limited only to researchers.  The other two zones will include floating boardwalks, outdoor classrooms, childrens play areas, and a new look out tower for birdwatchers.  Construction is expected to start this year and finish in 2013.  It is hoped the improvements will increase the number of visitors to 200, 000 per year.

Overtime, the Kranji Nature Trail and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve has received increasing support.  In 1997, HSBC became the corporate sponsor for the reserve and created the Sungei Buloh Education Fund.  By 2003, Sungei Buloh had become Singapore’s first ASEAN Heritage Park.

The development of the Kranji Nature Trail and renaming of the reserve to Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve marks the move toward a more educational site that will allow visitors to be more in tune with nature.  The Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve illustrates that conservation alone is only half the story – it is also important to educate the public.

I remember several years ago looking at the animals roaming the savannah at the San Diego Wild Animal Park  and thinking I was in Africa.  Even a wildlife researcher who was on the tour said it was realistic.   This 1,800 acre wildlife preserve is home to over 3,500 animals from 260 species, and is also a botanical garden.  If you’d like to learn and view the animals at night, the Park offers a Roar and Snore Sleepover.

I was only about seven years old when my family visited The Living Desert in Palm Desert, California, but it made such an impression on me that I still remember seeing some of the animals.   Dedicated to life in the deserts of Africa and North America, The Living Desert is committed to wildlife conservation and increasing the number of slender-horned gazelles, sand cats, addaxes, and Arabian oryx, as well as other species, in our world.  Desert species often have comparatively small populations due to the severe environment, and thus are more vulnerable to human activity than forest species.

Wildlife tours through national parks usually include enough sightings to keep passengers happy.  While Denali National Park in Alaska has a wonderful assortment of moose, bears, caribous, foxes, dall sheep, and other animals, national parks such as Yellowstone are also home to a variety of animals.  Both are best on trips of at least several days.

The Florida Everglades and the Louisiana swamps both offer tours.  Manatees have recently been in the news, pictured huddling in warm springs to try to fend off the cold.  If you’re going, look for tour operators who support The International Ecotourism Society’s policy of responsible travel that respects the local environment.  That includes keeping a safe distance from manatees.

As well, if you go whale watching off the coast of California, Washington or British Columbia (Canada), look for responsible operators who respect the whales and avoid disrupting them.  California Grey Whale watching season tends to be in December and April, and I’ve seen Humpback Whales off the California coast in September.  Farther North, the Orca Whale watching season in British Columbia tends to be in the summer, perhaps because that’s when the weather is most favorable.  Doing more research will uncover more whale watching opportunities for you.

If you’re looking for a whole world experience, then Disney’s Animal Kingdom may be the place to visit.  You can see over 1,700 animals from 250 species on 500 acres.  That’s one of the four Florida Disney parks, and the other three are fun for non-animal reasons.

There are other notable wildlife parks and tours, but I can’t include them all!  If you have a favorite that didn’t make it onto this list, feel free to add a comment about it.

By the way, someone recently asked if I benefit from any organizations I mention on this blog.  No, I don’t receive any compensation or products from any organization.  This is a volunteer effort, with the only benefit to me being the satisfaction of helping you and our world.  I hope you’re enjoying it!