Helping to protect sea turtles while helping residents to value sea turtles is the mission of the Ocean Conservancy group, SEE Turtles. With a mandate of positive impact (as opposed to low impact), SEE Turtles provide turtle watching guidelines to international communities offering conservation tourism and help travelers to use their vacation dollars to make a difference for sea turtles and for the livelihood of community residents who protect them. The SEE Turtles program provides a positive venue for tourists to learn about sea turtles in their natural habitat while slowly turning communities from hotbeds of turtle poaching to environments supported by sea turtle conservation tourism. Ocean Conservancy is striving to protect the turtles with the money made by viewing them as well as generate income for the local economies.

Currently programs are offered in Baja California Sur, Mexico, Costa Rico, and Trinidad.
More info available at SEE Turtles

Cross-Cultural Solutions is an international not-for-profit organization with no political or religious affiliations. It offers international volunteer programs in 12 countries, start dates year-round and programs from 1-12 weeks long. CCS operates in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Morocco, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Thailand. CCS volunteers work in the areas of Social Services, Education and Health such as: Caring for infants & children, Teaching children, Teaching English, Assisting teachers, Observing and assisting local health professionals, Working with people affected by HIV/AIDS, Caring for the elderly, Caring for people with disabilities and Assisting teachers of Special Education. See the world while helping people, helps our planet, too.
Get all the info at Cross-Cultural Solutions

Build peace while you travel!! Servas is a network established in 1948 and operates around the world. Member hosts and travelers work together to foster peace, goodwill and mutual respect. As a Servas traveler, you may seek homestay exchanges with overnight host families—typically for three days and two nights—using the host list as your guide, or meet with “day hosts,” who do not offer overnight accommodation but who are interested in meeting Servas travelers.

One may join either as a (day) host, a traveler, or both. Specific membership policies vary from country to country, but most countries including the US require new applicants to have a personal interview and orientation with a trained volunteer interviewer, who may also consider character references supplied by the applicant.

Servas was originally established with the goal of eradicating war and the social conflicts leading to war. Although Servas has pacifist roots, it has always welcomed anyone with a commitment to peace, recognizing that there are many avenues to achieving this objective. Recognizing that military personnel also sacrifice in the cause of peace, past and current members of the military are welcome.

As a traveller, there is no cost for lodging. The membership fee for a year will give you access to the international ($85.00) or domestic($50.00) network of more than 15,000 families and individuals spread over 125 countries on six continents.

More info at http://www.usservas.org

Fun ride treking from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh—on the country’s most popular canal towpath and the Northeast’s premier rail-trail. The 335-mile tour occurs June 23–30, 2007, and will lead 500 cyclists on the ride of their lives on the longest multi-purpose trail in the country. Twenty-two meals are included. Accommodations are either in your supplied tent or a vendor supplied tent (they do all the putting up and taking down) Campsites may be open fields, town parks or standard campgrounds.
Get all the details online at Rails to Trails

Travel out ot one of the most beautiful places in the USA, to Big Sur, California. Spend a week working with the US Forest Service improving eroded trails. This area is prone to fires and brush clearing may be added to the agenda.
Price: $395 includes all meals and camping at Divide Camp, an area located among mature pine and oak trees near the junction with the Pine Ridge and Carmel River Trails. April 28-May 5, 2007 More info at SierraClub.org

Work in Skaftafell National Park in southeast Iceland constructing and maintaining footpaths in the National Park. These paths help to protect the area’s fragile ecology from the impact from tourism. The work is strenuous, so this trip is great for the physically fit types. Accommodations - you will be sleeping in your own tent but hot showers and a base camp provide space for meals and conversation.

GB £480 ex flights - more details at Responsible Travel

Sustainable Energy in Motion Bicycle Tour - tours are set up for traveling one, two, or three weeks. Riders will visit organic farms, a land trust, a visionary community school, and also have an opportunity to join in on several educational hands-on activities with Oregon’s best nature building communities. The tours are designed to challenge and inspire, empower with knowledge of what is possible, and facilitate incredible social change. A third to half of the time is spent biking with the rest spent in discussion, doing service projects or resting from all the riding! By exploring Oregon on a bicycle, you can use your time pedal-powering to change the world.
Online at Democracy Bike

Bespoke Experience have opened their first lodge and expect to open their second in December 2007. The first, Guludo Beach Lodge is located in Northern Mozambique in an area of extreme poverty with the expectation that it will maximize the possible benefits to the surrounding areas. Bespoke Experience considers themselves a fair trade tourism company in which they maximize tourisms’ direct benefits by training and employing local workers, buying local products, and making sure that the largest percentage possible of the holiday cost and the original investment stays in the host region and country.

Galudo Beach Lodge is located on the Indian Ocean on one of the most beautiful beaches in Mozambique.

5% of accommodation fee goes to SERF, Social & Environmental Regeneration Fund.

More information at Galudo Beach Lodge.

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Treeflights.com is a new website that just launched with the great slogan “you fly - we plant”. For £10.00 (that’s $18.44 for you Yanks), Treeflights.com will plant a tree for you in one of three designated planting sites in Mid-Wales; Pantglas (Llanddewi Brefi), Ffos-y-ffin (Llanfair Clydogau) & Pant-y-pond wood (Llanybydder). They plant a variety of types of trees using standard organic principles. Often the saplings are tended with a mulch mat of recycled polythene. Plenty more info on their website at:

http://www.treeflights.com/

This is a great place to have a yoga holiday on your own or with a friend. Weekend and week long residential courses are offered on all forms of yoga from beginners through instructor level. Located on the beautiful west coast of Ireland.

The Centre offers warm and comfortable accomodations, with under-floor heating in all rooms. Sleeping rooms are available for 1, 4, and 6. You can enjoy the details of the craftsmanship when viewing the website.

Delicious vegetarian meals are prepared and served daily with fresh and often organic ingredients.

For the latest on courses and special offers, visit website below, or phone the Centre at:  00-353-(0)91-637680

Visit: www.burrenyoga.com