Birding John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tanicum

May 12, 2012

On the way back to Philadelphia International Airport after a week near Cape May, New Jersey, we stopped for a final burst of birding at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tanicum. The refuge is only one mile from the airport, yet it’s home to more than 300 species of birds throughout the year. Eighty […]

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Celebrating Earth Day in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

May 1, 2012

This morning, we had the opportunity to go on a whale watching tour with Monterey Bay Whale Watch. We wanted to see, first-hand, why this area is famous for wildlife sightings. Our checklist of encountered species included California sea lions, sea otters, cormorants, rhinoceros auklets, black-footed albatrosses, Pacific white-sided dolphins and Risso’s dolphins. However, the […]

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Community Service with City Impact and San Francisco Food Bank

May 1, 2012

Today, we spent the first half of our day volunteering in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco. The Tenderloin only spans one square mile, but it’s home to 37,000 residents (almost 10% are children), 586 apartment buildings, and the metro area’s highest poverty, drug, and crime rates. City Impact helps Tenderloin residents with their school, […]

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Habitat Restoration at Lagunitas and Redwood Creeks with Mackintosh Academy

May 1, 2012

Our volunteer work continued in Marin County, California this week. We spent two mornings working to restore vital habitat for coho salmon in two different watersheds. Just 30 minutes from San Francisco, Lagunitas Creek Watershed is one of the most important waterways left for wild coho salmon along the Central California Coast. We worked with […]

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San Lorenzo River Clean Up with Save Our Shores and Mackintosh Academy – April 21, 2012

April 22, 2012

For three decades, Save Our Shores (SOS) has cared for marine environments in California through ocean awareness, advocacy and citizen action. Key accomplishments by SOS include helping to establish the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and preventing offshore drilling in California Central Coast waters. Now, SOS works to educate youth on the importance of watersheds […]

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San Francisco Food Bank with Mackintosh Academy – April 20,2012

April 21, 2012

Today marks the beginning of our third service learning trip with Mackintosh Academy’s 8th grade class. Our first volunteer shift was at San Francisco Food Bank (SFFB). SFFB serves the San Francisco Metro area including Marin County. In 2011, 450 million pounds of food were delivered to the community. SFFB depends heavily on volunteers to […]

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Q&A with Martha "Pati" Ruiz Corzo of Sierra Gorda Ecological Group

April 2, 2012

In October 2011, I traveled to Chiapas, Mexico for the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s Annual World Summit. While there, I had the fortunate opportunity to meet Martha Isabel Ruiz Corzo (“Pati”) between seminars. Martha “Pati” Ruiz Corzo is the founder of Sierra Gorda Ecological Group and former federal Director of Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve in […]

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Peru Discovery with Denver Botanic Gardens – Machu Picchu

March 26, 2012

Guest Blogger: Nick Snakenberg of Denver Botanic Gardens I have wanted to visit Machu Picchu since I first glimpsed a photo of it in my 4th grade geography text book. Today, along with the rest of our tireless group, I would get that opportunity. Construction of Machu Picchu is believed to have started around 1440 although […]

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Travel Safety in Mexico

March 18, 2012

Early last month, the US State Department updated its travel advisory for Mexico. This version is broader and more detailed than those in the past and it lists specific areas that should be avoided by travelers. Less than a week later, Mexico’s Tourism Board reported a record number of foreign visitors in 2011. More than […]

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