Eco-Tour 2004-2005

ECO-TOUR 2004-2005

You are a member of a new company specializing in tours that allow the traveler to experience the environment first-hand. The company provides trips to many areas of the world. Once a customer arrives at a destination point, they travel for 6-10 days by non-motorized transport through a relatively untouched, natural area. Ecologically speaking, these tours are kind to the environment and allow the tourist to have close contact with the biome of their choice. This type of education increases the person's awareness of the sensitivity of the biome and its importance to the overall health of the planet.

Recently, there has been an offer made by a large company to fund the development of tours that help educate the traveler to the perils faced by the many endangered species world-wide. $280 million dollars has been dedicated to supporting this new branch of the ecotourism industry. The large company has asked to develop a tour to a specific ecosystem, visiting three endangered species. You are to develop a travel brochure outlining the trip. You must create a travel brochure offering some of the most exciting, out-of-the-ordinary, educational trips you can imagine that allow access to endangered species. It is suggested that you follow the procedures outlined to maximize the opportunity to win the funding.

Homework, Day 1:
1) Each individual in your company will choose a destination for viewing the specific endangered organism of their expertise. They should choose a place where their species resides that sounds intriguing or exciting to them. It is suggested that the topic be discussed with friends and family to get some good ideas.

2) Create a suggested company name and logo which is representative of the ecotourism industry.

3) Write a brief description of the destination, the organism to be viewed, and at what month of the year the trip would best take place.

Business Day 1:
1) Hold a meeting with all your company members. Select one individual to chair the meeting. This individual is responsible for seeing that each member of the company is heard and given equal time. The chairperson should not be talking all the time. Discuss your company name and logo. You may choose one persons company name and anothers logo (changing the name of course!).

2) In a round-robin fashion, listen to the destination from each member of the company. Take notes (in your class notebooks!) of the destination point, the biome represented and the time of year the trip would take place.

3) Make a decision as to which order the destinations will be visited. Be sure to include three different biomes and be sure to cover three different seasons of the year if possible (remember, you wouldn't want to travel in a desert in the summer and the seasons of the year are different in different places in the world). Your company must have a different trip created by each member of the company for their species of expertise!

4) Once your destination sequence has been decided and you are comfortable that they are representative of the months of the year and the biomes of the Earth, you are ready to do some organizing and research. Follow the suggestions below. Keep your notes on research and organization in your class notebook.

Business Day 2 (and 3?):
1) Use the library and other resources (don't forget teachers who have traveled...they may have some good ideas or pictures they may be willing to share) to help you do the following:

A. Develop individual itineraries for 6-10 days. Identify the destination points clearly. The first and the last day may be spent arriving, getting acquainted with the group, departing, etc. Not every day of the trip must be spent in the wild. B. In the itinerary, note the means of transportation that will be used and the major biological communities that will be traversed. C. Describe any special sightseeing that will happen during the ten days and any special equipment or clothing needs that may be required.

Business Day 4 to completion:
1) Write a description that will entice people to visit the species and it's biome. Describe for them some of the major highlights of this particular biome. You may want to include something about the usual weather conditions to expect at the time of travel and any special biological communities that they may get to experience. Be sure to explain your credentials as an experienced tour guide for the area.

2) Provide pictures, illustrations, drawings, etc. for the brochure of both the biome visited and of the animal to be viewed. Use captions if you wish. Use your face in some of the pictures if you want (remember, you're the guide!)

3) Your company must now organize the brochure. When completed you will be chosen presented your trip brochure to the big company's boss (the teacher). Display your company's brochure as attractively as possible. Each tour for your company should follow the same basic format (visually).

The following are things to be discussed in your brochure:
Climate: monthly ave temp. and percipitation Equipment: any special equipment to assist your viewing the species (snake equip., etc) Maps: of the area in general and of locations traveled to Health concerns: Vaccinations needed, Disease concern such as malaria Needed paperwork: passports, visas, etc. Local language and currency Tourist stuff: Other cultural or biological sites of interest (opera, volcanos, sports, etc) Travel Itinerary: How to get the area, how to get to the specific area, time needed to travel, ecologically safe means of travel in the areas (fly into Niarobi, jeep to area, hike are to see animal, etc) Develop Estimated Costs (in US$): Travel costs (transpaortation, guides, lodging, food) General Description: Animal (basic characters, daytime/nighttime viewing, etc)/ Biome (ecosystem make-up: types of trees, climate. major rivers, mountains, etc.)

Your research is to include actual places to go to and to stay..... What actual airlines fly to these places, what hotels are available, what can you do in major cities, etc.. You will need to be active researchers to satisfy all of the above. Relying only on libraries will not get the job done! Get out into the community... talk to adults (friends and family), call airlines and/or travel agents, use the internet (I found many interesting sites and ideas! by searching "ecotour"). Be exceptionally creative in approaching this project. Artistic presentations will be much more effective. Pretending that you will actually be going there may help you develop travel plans!

Create a Brochure or poster for each local and a company "cover sheet" describing the tour in general.

2) Create a suggested company name and logo which is representative of the ecotourism industry.

3) Write a brief description of the destination, the organism to be viewed, and at what month of the year the trip would best take place.

2) In a round-robin fashion, listen to the destination from each member of the company. Take notes (in your class notebooks!) of the destination point, the biome represented and the time of year the trip would take place.

Business Day 2 (and 3?): 1) Use the library and other resources (don't forget teachers who have traveled...they may have some good ideas or pictures they may be willing to share) to help you do the following:

2) Provide pictures, illustrations, drawings, etc. for the brochure of both the biome visited and of the animal to be viewed. Use captions if you wish. Use your face in some of the pictures if you want (remember, you're the guide!)

3) Your company must now organize the brochure. When completed you will be chosen presented your trip brochure to the big company's boss (the teacher). Display your company's brochure as attractively as possible. Each tour for your company should follow the same basic format (visually).

Create a Brochure or poster for each local and a company "cover sheet" describing the tour in general.

Business Day 2 (and 3?):
1) Use the library and other resources (don't forget teachers who have traveled...they may have some good ideas or pictures they may be willing to share) to help you do the following: