Ecotourism
- Ecotourism in Zambia Photo
- Ecotourism invests in the quality of life for people living in ecologically and culturally unique places like Zambia’s Luangwa Valley where WCS supports “It’s Wild” bush camps.
- Julie Larsen Maher © WCS
A lush rainforest may generate more income than its logged wood and nutrient poor soil. Wild animals can be worth more alive in their habitats than dead at the market. Natural resources and wildlife are often sold as commodities in local, global, and illegal trades. But local communities can benefit from alternative—more sustainable—revenue streams that encourage and promote their area’s ecological integrity. Carefully managed ecotourism does just that.
In African jungles and Asian forests, WCS scientists are assessing the
potential for ecotourism. They are helping to create the infrastructure
for ecotourism activities and integrate local communities into the
business of showing world travelers that their natural heritage is
special and worth protecting. WCS helps incorporate community members
into hospitality services and trains guides so they can identify local
species and environmentally unique features of the landscape.
WCS Projects
One of Cambodia’s poorest regions is rich in rare birdlife—in particular, the giant ibis and its cousin the white-shouldered ibis. Decades of violent conflict and a remote location kept naturalists and birdwatchers away. But now, birders travel from around the world in the hopes of seeing the ibises and other majestic species.
From the Newsroom
Afghanistan has announced some rare good news: the establishment of its first national park. The park, known as Band-e-Amir, will protect one of the country’s best-known natural areas.