15gifts.com is Top Rated Site

This month, 15gifts.com was rated one of the top websites of the month by online guide, 'whats good on the web'.

The glowing review of this brand new, intelligent gift recommendation and reminder tool hailed the slick usability of this 'life tool' and the quality of it's hand-picked gift selection.

'What's good on the web' decided that '15gifts.com is going to be a lifesaver for men', who 'don’t have a great deal of imagination' and 'more often than not get totally the wrong thing'

See for yourself at 15gifts.com

Read the full review here

Jersey teenager signs up for the Arctic

16 year old boy makes plans to head to the Arctic with the British Schools Exploring Society http://is.gd/gWyES

Blue ventures wins responsible tourism award 2010

Since 2004 the Responsible Tourism Awards, organised by responsibletravel.com, have called on travelers to nominate the very best organisations, the most dedicated individuals and the most committed destinations in the tourism industry to be recognised for the most prestigious Awards of their kind in the world.

At the 2010 Awards yesterday, Blue Ventures won the 2010 volunteer tourism category, for the sixth consecutive year, recognised for its commitment to using responsible volunteer tourism to support grassroots marine conservation and community development projects in some of the world's poorest countries.

"It's a huge honour for our work to have been celebrated in this prestigious award for six years running" said Kathleen Edie, Blue Ventures' volunteer coordinator. "This global recognition shows the extent to which Blue Ventures continues to lead the field of volunteer tourism”.

Managed from headquarters in London, this funding supports a team of over 50 full time conservationists working on grass-roots conservation programmes in Madagascar, Belize and Malaysia.

Commenting on Blue Ventures' record success in the awards, the judges announced “Blue Ventures is an example of how social initiatives can contribute to local livelihood diversification, and support community resilience in the face of upheaval. In 2009 their project in Madagascar was threatened by the political crisis and many organisations chose to pull out of the country. Testament to their principles, Blue Ventures stayed committed to the project, with head office staff in London taking a 25% pay cut to ensure the maintenance of the jobs in Madagascar.”

Read full press release here
This article was also published on Responsibletravelnews.com

Explore 2010

The annual expedition & fieldwork planning weekend is being hosted at the Royal Geographical Society, London from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th of November.

Three days of presentations, workshops, exhibitions and networking opportunities will be delivered by over 100 leading field scientists and explorers. The weekend kicks off on Friday with a 'pre-Explore lecture' from Pen Hadlow and the Catlin Arctic Survey. The weekend goes on to cover a huge range of talks and workshops for novices and experienced explorers, on areas as diverse as 'writing for newspapers and magazines', 'Polar & Arctic Environments', 'Education Projects', 'Bicycle Expeditions' and much much more.

Delegates include the Earthwatch Institute, BSES Expeditions, the Heart of Borneo Project and Connection Communities Worldwide, with lectures and workshops hosted by an impressive array of speakers, such as Jamie Buchanan-Dunlop (Digital Explorer), Ben Gorelick (Mountaineering Training School), James McNeill (ITV News' Ice Warrior Reporer) and Rita Gardner (Director of the RGS).

To find out more, visit the RGS Explore website, where you can also book tickets: RGS Explore

The Lost Land of the Tiger

If you’ve missed the BBC 1 series ‘The Lost Land of the Tiger’ this week, make sure you catch up on BBC iplayer…

In the mountains of Bhutan, battling dense tropical jungle, crippling altitude sickness, rotting food supplies and hailstones the size of golf balls, the BBC's team of explorers, scientists and camera-men, filmed tigers in the mighty Himalayas at 4,000m above sea level - an elevation previously thought to inhospitable for tigers to inhabit.

With the BBC claiming its film was the first evidence that the animals could live and breed in the highest mountain range on earth, hopes have been raised for a high-altitude sanctuary that could provide a refuge for the endangered animal. The discovery has initiated ambitious plans to study and conserve Bhutan’s wildlife by creating a series of ecological corridors.

"This is such a significant discovery for tiger survival," said wildlife cameraman, Gordon Buchanan. "The tigers' behaviour suggests they are breeding and I am convinced that there must now be cubs somewhere on this mountain."

Conservationists believe that Bhutan’s sparsely populated, extreme-altitude habitat is relatively unthreatened by human development and could provide a ‘tiger corridor’ that could link animals in other parts of Asia. With over 70% of the country covered in forest, strong Buddhist beliefs, limited tourism and very little exploitation , Bhutan is potentially one of the safest habitats on earth for one of world’s most threatened species. Knowing that the world’s largest cat can live and breed at such an altitude gives massive hope to tiger populations worldwide.

This breaking research has been key in filling in knowledge gaps about Bhutan;s tigers, but there is still much work to be done. Over the past century, species of tiger have vanished from Bali, Java and the Middle-East, with populations of the Sumatran and South China tigers now at critical levels. In neighbouring India, China and Nepal, habitat loss and hunting have dangerously depleted the tiger populations, and globally, there are thought to be just over 3,000 tigers left in the wild - a 5% drop from the start of the last century.

Image taken from guardian.co.uk
If you missed the series, watch on BBC iplayer

Related links:Read Justin Francis' blog 'India bans Tiger Tourism' at Responsible Travel's blog

Read Lucy Grewcock's article Fierce Roars over Tiger Tourism at responsibletravelnews

The new Nissan Leaf - Pricey!

The new Nissan ‘Leaf’ car is now in production and is due to arrive with its first British customers by March next year. The world’s first publically available zero-emission car produces absolutely no carbon, running entirely on battery power. To ensure drivers don’t get caught out, the in-car computer screen warns when battery power is getting low and directs drivers to the nearest charging station. There’s also huge savings to be made, in terms of running costs; maintenance costs are expected to be 15% lower than conventional cars, parking’s free in certain areas, drivers are exempt from congestion charges and travel costs should work out at around £1.70 per 60 miles.

‘Sounds fantastic! What’s the snag?’ That would be the massive price tag…

At £28,990, the Leaf will retail at a similar price to the new, super slick (and super -fast) BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics – a tough decision for some. Another drawback is that the Leaf will have a maximum range of around 100 miles before battery power runs out. This parameter was set following research showing that the majority of UK drivers travel less than 60 miles per day. Yes, the range could be extended, but with the lithium-ion battery already one of the most expensive elements of the car, a further price hike would be tough to swallow.

A UK government scheme currently offers assistance for the first 8,600 petrol-free cars sold – a massive reduction on the initial projections that the grant would be available for 43,000 vehicles. This means that buyers of the first Leafs, will pay £23,900 – a saving of £5000. There are concerns that, once this funding has run out, consumers will be put off by the hefty price. Watch this space…

Adventure Sports Guide to Canada

My Country Guide to Canada, published by Adventure Sports Holidays:

http://www.adventuresportsholidays.com/canada/