ZECO TRAVEL TALK

Sir David Attenborough and Zegrahm’s own Peter Harrison, among others, joined forces to pledge their support for the Henderson Island Restoration Project at a reception held in London earlier this month. In addition to raising significant funds for the project—learn more—at the reception, two lucky people won cabins on our upcoming Quest for Paradise expedition.

To learn more about this special evening, visit the UK’s government Website.

Zegrahm Expeditions is excited to be part of a large restoration project, led by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), to help save the endemic bird species and restore precious wildlife habitat of Henderson Island, part of the Pitcairn Island group in the South Pacific. Zegrahm has visited Henderson Island a number of times over the last 20 years and we are visiting it again on our upcoming Quest for Paradise Voyage. Here is video footage of this beautiful island from our 2009 expedition:

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Henderson Island is one of the most remote islands on the planet and the most pristine raised coral atoll of significant size in the world. It is home to four unique land-birds found nowhere else on Earth: the Henderson fruit-dove, Henderson lorikeet, Henderson crake, and Henderson reed-warbler. The island is also the only known nesting site of the Henderson petrel, and represents the global headquarters of the highly threatened gadfly petrel group. Despite its remote and uninhabited status, Henderson’s biodiversity is currently under threat due to the presence of introduced Pacific rats. The restoration project, scheduled to begin in September 2011 (should enough funds get raised), will eradicate the entire rat population by late 2013 to save the Henderson petrel from extinction and increase seabird numbers exponentially.

Zegrahm cofounder and seabird expert, Peter Harrison, is working closely with the RSPB to help raise awareness and funds for this important project. Peter, along with his wife Shirley Metz, will join our Quest for Paradise expedition to assist with research. This award-winning voyage begins in Tahiti before visiting the Tuamotus, Marqueasas, Pitcairns, and ending in enigmatic Easter Island.

To learn more about the Henderson Island restoration project, visit our Web site.

Since we saw her play three years ago, many of you have asked me for an update on the incredible story of Dasha Bukhartseva. Dasha (then 12 and 13 years old) played piano solos at concerts in Odessa, Ukraine, given during Zegrahm’s stop there on its Circumnavigation of the Black Sea. In 2006, at one of those concerts, passengers Dan and Lynne Levinson were so taken with Dasha that they arranged for her to attend the Aspen Music Festival and School during the summers of 2007 and 2008. Likewise, Mieke and Hendrick Smit, who were passengers on a different departure of that trip, were so impressed with Dasha that they helped to arrange for Anne Schein (a highly regarded pianist) to be her teacher in Aspen. Dasha, accompanied by her mom, lived with the Levinsons in Aspen for both summers. Read more

On November 24, 2009, the Clipper Odyssey anchored off the coast of Niuatoputapu, a remote island in the Kingdom of Tonga. Back in late-September of this year, this regular stop on our Hidden Gems of the South Pacific itinerary was rocked by an 8.3 magnitude earthquake that shook the ocean floor between the island archipelagos of Samoa and Tonga, causing a large tsunami. No one on Tonga had experienced a tsunami before, despite frequently occurring earthquakes. The wall of water not only devastated many of the coastal villages, but also resulted in nine deaths.

Upon hearing the news that the tsunami hit the little-known island of Niuatoputapu, the Zegrahm office immediately started questioning whether to go someplace else, or continue on with this port call as planned. Not only did Zegrahm decide to visit the island, but also provide the villagers who were trying to rebuild their lives with much needed essentials. Read more

At Zegrahm we believe that through travel comes awareness, and that awareness is what ultimately leads to viable solutions, which is why we are thrilled to partner with Harvard Museum of Natural History (HMNH) and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on our upcoming Rain Forests & Reefs expedition. Both organizations are recognized for their work in preserving and conserving natural resources and cultural heritage for future generations to enjoy. Read more

Within the Burma portion of our recent Eco-Expedition to Burma and Laos, our expedition leader Gary Wintz organized a surprise visit to the Myittawardi Parahita Monastery and Orphanage, arguably one of the most famous Buddhist monasteries and orphanages in Burma. The visit and food donations were arranged in advance by Gary but were a pleasant and unexpected surprise to our travelers. The picture shows the abbot, along with our group standing behind the mound of donated food supplies. After the presentation, everyone who wished to participate distributed fruit and crackers to the 300 orphans adding a very moving and unexpected memory to the expedition.

Mongolian wild horses—or Przewalski horses—came dangerously close to extinction due to hunting and competition with domestic stock. Had it not been for a number of individuals that were taken to zoos in various parts of the world, they would have been lost forever. Thanks to the dedicated conservation efforts of the Hustai National Park Trust, Przewalski horses were reintroduced to the park in 1992 and recent figures put the population at nearly 200 horses.

Together with Mark Brazil (an expedition leader on past Mongolia trips), Zegrahm & Eco Expeditions is proud to have played a role in the conservation efforts by sponsoring a Przewalski foal for the last few years. In 2006 we adopted Zegrahm; Eco-1 followed in 2007, and Eco-2 in 2008. We recently received this information and photo from a wildlife biologist working in Hustai National Park.

“Female foal ECO-2 was born on the 23rd of May, 2008. Her father’s name is Bernard and he is one of the strongest stallions in Hustai. The mother’s name is Anu, named after the legendary western Mongolian Queen of the 16th century.”

When the Przewalski population reaches beyond 500 horses, conservationists will have deemed the reintroduction a success. Zegrahm & Eco Expeditions plans to continue supporting the efforts of the Hustai National Park Trust, share information about their work, and encourage travelers to go and see for themselves these magnificent creatures roaming free and wild in Mongolia.

For more information on Hustai National Park, visit: http://www.hustai.mn/
For information on Zegrahm & Eco’s upcoming Mongolia expedition, visit: http://www.zeco.com/destinations/mongolia_d.asp?dateid=530
For more information on Mark Brazil visit:
http://www.zeco.com/about/guides_a.asp#2

Among the many passions of Jack Grove—marine biologist, naturalist, author, photographer, Zegrahm cofounder, and expedition-leader-at-large—conservation and sustainability top the list. With seven continents and nearly every sea on the map checked off, Jack has had many opportunities to witness nature at its most prolific, and at its most endangered.

On May 5, 2009, Jack will address the National Association of Environmental Professionals as one of four keynote speakers. The theme of the conference is: Making Sustainability Happen: Goals, Practices, and Challenges. The topic of Jack’s speech will be Biodiversity In The Sea And Why It Matters.

In its mission statement NAEP’s purpose is to maintain “a multidisciplinary, professional association dedicated to the promotion of ethical practices, technical competency, and professional standards in the environmental fields.” http://www.naep.org

The NAEP Conference will be held May 2 – 6, at the Radisson Ft. McDowell, Scottsdale, Arizona.