Home Eco-Travel Mindful Travel Great Trips Parker's Pick
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Sydney's Thumb favors expeditions, programs and tours that meet the following criteria:

    Ideal Features

  1. promote Green Travel Criteria
  2. include quality educational component
  3. include meaningful volunteer opportunity
  4. offer a good deal
  5. provide chance for individual exploration and reflection
  6. minimal habitat impact
  7. not highly energy-consumptive
  8. well organized and run
  9. respect local economy and indigenous culture
  10. offset greenhouse gasses

**recently reviewed as "Parker's Pick"

Asia & SE Asia

1. Thailand Reefs, Andaman Sea

You will snorkel or scuba at one of the world's great reef ecosystems, assessing the conditions of the reef, biodiversity and impacts of over-fishing and climate change. Visitions will stay at beach bungalows and enjoy exquisite Thai cuisine. www.earthwatch.org
South Pacific & Australia/NZ
1. Rare Endangered Mammals of Kangaroo Island Australia

You'll hike through near-pristine habitat observing and recording the activity of echidnas and goannas (relatives to the platypus). Your work will help in the development of conservation plans at the Pelican Lagoon Research Station. www.earthwatch.org
2. Turtle Habitat, Great Barrier Reef, Aus.

Volunteers will locate and observe nesting turtles, helping to piece together puzzles of turtle behavior and survival under increasing stress. You will camp near the beach in a comfortable setting and have ample time to snorkel and bird-watch at one of the world's richest marine habitats. www.earthwatch.org

3. Bat Habitat in Krau Reserve, Malaysia

You'll spend days and nights in the rainforest with Dr. Tigga Kingston and colleagues of the Malaysian Bat Conservation Research Unit, who are evaluating species diversity, population characteristics and identifying roosting sites. The work here helps to protect the shrinking ancient rainforest habitat of the only flying mammals and other endangered species in rare and diverse ecosystem. www.earthwatch.org

4. Australia Forest Marsupials

Help save endangered marsupials in temperate rainforest among ancient eucalyptus and moss-covered logs. You'll document habitat disruption and search for spectacular mtn. brushtail. Side trips to breathtaking waterfalls. www.earthwatch.org