Giving back

We, and many of our caring travelers, have tried over the years to live up to our responsibilities to the places we love at home and abroad by giving back a little of the gifts they have given us. And very often we’ve been inspired by and grateful for organizations like the following, who are deeply engaged in giving back. We encourage you to give their web sites a look, and to contact them if their work hits a chord.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has been a world leader in protecting wildlife and wildlife habitats for more than 40 years. We have worked with WWF hither and yon for many years and are staunch supporters of their mindful, effective work. (www.worldwildlife.org)

Under the super-charged leadership of our friend and longtime trip leader Dr. Robert Thurman, Tibet House has been a spearheading partisan for the preservation and presentation of Tibetan culture since 1987. Founded at the request of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tibet House sponsors exhibits, seminars, retreats, talks, and a myriad of Tibet-related programs. (www.tibethouse.org)

An organization with deep, passionately nurtured roots in Tibet and Nepal, the American Himalayan Foundation is a leading light in bringing human-scale health care, educational, cultural, and environmental benefits to the region. (www.himalayan-foundation.org)

Globio is a unique international children’s educational nonprofit that supports and develops sustainable biodiversity educational programs that use innovative technologies and community partnerships, empowering children to increase their skills, knowledge, and desire to create a biologically diverse and healthy environment. (www.globio.org)

Give2Asia is a U.S. nonprofit that facilitates personalized charitable giving to Asia. Through Give2Asia’s donor-advised services, you can commit your support to a specific issue, a particular town or region, or even an individual organization encountered on your trip. (www.give2asia.org)

Since 1965 World Monuments Fund (WMF) has been hard at work on conservation projects in more than 70 countries. We are great fans of WMF, the only private, nonprofit organization devoted to the conservation of historic art and architecture worldwide. (www.wmf.org)

The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature is an independent, voluntary organization devoted to the conservation of natural resources in Jordan under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Noor. It is one of the few voluntary organizations in the Middle East that has been given such a public service. (www.rscn.org.jo)

Founded in 1999, the Center for Khmer Studies is an international, nongovernmental, not-for-profit membership-based consortium of universities, organizations, and individuals dedicated to study and teaching of Khmer civilization and the cultures of the Mekong region. (www.khmerstudies.org)

Founded in 1959, under the auspices of UNESCO and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the Charles Darwin Foundation is dedicated to the conservation of the Galápagos ecosystems. The Foundation’s Charles Darwin Research Station, with a team of over 200 scientists, educators, volunteers, research students, and support staff, conducts a variety of research and environmental education programs. (www.darwinfoundation.org)

Instituto Machu Picchu (IMAPI) is a Peruvian nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of natural and cultural resources in the Machu Picchu Sanctuary and Cusco region. IMAPI promotes and helps execute projects related to the sustainable development of tourism, agriculture, cottage industries, education, and scientific research projects. (www.imapi.org.pe)

The Gobi Revival Fund is a new NGO that seeks to help the nomads of Mongolia’s Bayankhonogor region, in the heart of the Gobi, to recover their losses after recent droughts and harsh weather. Livestock grants, educational help in this remote area, and health initiatives are at the top of the Fund’s list. (Creating a web site will just have to wait a little longer; admirers can reach the Gobi Revival Fund via its founders’ e-mail: Genghis-exp@magicent.mn)

Established by Bhutan’s Queen Asi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk, the Tarayana Foundation (“Service from the Heart. Toward Gross National Happiness”) focuses on bringing health care to the kingdom’s remote towns, providing assistance to elderly villagers in need, and supporting the Folk Heritage Museum in Thimphu, which has done much to keep artisan skills alive and well. For more info, visit their web site: tarayanafoundation.org.

The Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a highly effective nonprofit land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, community gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places. Since 1972, TPL has worked with willing landowners, community groups, and national, state, and local agencies to complete more than 2,700 land conservation projects in 46 states, protecting nearly 2 million acres. (www.tpl.org)