There is no place like Yosemite. I first visited there in 2011. I had just finished a photography class at UCLA and decided to drive up to the famous park and test out my newly acquired skills. I entered the Valley on Highway 120 and was immediately awestruck by the golden granite cliffs and sparkling…
In 2015, CONAF – the Chilean agency managing Torres del Paine National Park – asked ConservationVIP® about a new trail which ultimately led us to become involved in a major boardwalk project. The wanted us to convert a horse trail in the park into a hiking trail. A new trail would relieve severe overcrowding on…
I have traveled to San Jose, Costa Rica many times to support a children’s home, but I wanted to see more of the country. I found ConservationVIP’s Costa Rican volunteer trip a way to “Travel with Purpose,” expand my interest, and to be a great opportunity to experience and serve those in remote communities. The…
Vacation [def]: An extended period of leisure and recreation, especially when spent away from home or traveling. You can probably picture the perfect vacation lying on a warm sunny beach gazing at the turquoise blue water watching dolphins frolicking in the ocean waves. You’re relaxed and peaceful without a care in the world. For me…
Arriving in Scotland, looking forward to rewilding the Scottish Highlands, my first impression was the variegated greens of the trees…and the thought that this is what the forest looked like in Roman times. And just beyond the treetops, in the distance, I could see the barren hilltops. And that’s when it hit me. Here we…
A Human Waste Problem! Probably not the first thought that came to your mind, right? Seriously, we hikers love remote wilderness areas. But our love has an impact. At Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, more than 150,000 visitors make an impact each year. For more than ten years, ConservationVIP® volunteers have been repairing…