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 Recent PIRT Newsletters
Past Newsletters of Partners in Responsible Tourism (PIRT)
Volume 5, Issue 2 Spring 2000 The Tourist and the Tiger By Laurie Lubeck PIRT Executive Director A couple of weeks ago while popping bread in the toaster, I caught a glimpse at a headline on page 3 of the Press Democrat that delighted me, "Clinton exults at sighting of tigers in India preserve." (I'm far-sighted, I can see from the toaster.) Paragraph 6 read: To top the first sighting, Clinton's guide, Fateh Singh Rathore, then steered the vehicle toward a female tiger stalking deer. "She missed getting the deer by a second," said Clinton, who then went on to describe egrets, peacocks and storks. I share his excitement. Fateh Singh is the tigerwala who showed me my first tiger in the wild over 20 years ago. In a reverie, I drifted back to what it was like at Ranthambhore in the late 1970s. At dawn, after gulping a fragrant cup of masala chai, I grab my camera and run to join the others in the jeep. We drive in silence, the chill biting our faces as we stare ahead in anticipation of what we might find. The field director stops and turns off the engine. He had noticed fresh pugmarks along the side of the dirt road. We get out for a closer look but my untrained eye cannot read what the paw print is telling him: which tiger passed in the night...its sex and height. Green parakeets screech past overhead and a langur monkey cackles from a distant tree top. We sit silently for a long time, we wait and listen for any barking alarm call of chital or sambar deer that would point the way. Then uncontrollably, he starts to sing a raga love ballad because he feels such romance in his forest. "There's nothing here, chelo, let's go." The petrol engine starts up and we continue deeper into the reserve, circling around Malik Talao lake and dipping down into Lakarda, the jeep tipping from side to side, its chassis straining and squeaking over jagged rocks and muddy ruts until suddenly, "Look! Over there by the large rocks." I see nothing, just tall golden grass. No movement. I strain to see what he has seen and when I do, I gasp. We sit as still as the slowly warming morning air. I feel a lump in my throat, and yet possess an ethereal desire to jump out and wrap my arms around one of these creatures, akin to what leads some women to wear a fur coat while caressing a house cat. Lens caps are removed, shutter speeds slowed for the low light, and I take a few shots, never taking an eye off the enormous tiger that never takes an eye off me. In whispers, "Look at his facial markings. That's Kublai, the dominant male of this area. His brother, Genghis, the most powerful of them all, has disappeared recently." My heart pounds in my ears. The dentures of the older lady next to me are clattering. We're in an open jeep. The jeep with the faulty starter. The noble Kublai raises his head and watches for our intentions, bares his canines for a moment, yawns and then settles back to his vigil over a more appealing breakfast than us.The President was indeed fortunate to see two tigers, considering the 24-vehicle caravan and seven or so helicopters hovering overhead. Frequent sightings of tigers coupled with blissful scenes that characterize these former hunting grounds of the maharaja--one of dripping vines on crumbling ruins reflecting on lakes, the outline of the 1,000 year old fort cresting the cliff--pleased many travel writers. A great upsurge in tourism caused hotels to spring up along the road leading to the sanctuary, and by the late 1980's many tour operators had added Ranthambhore to their itineraries. Local entrepreneurs appointed themselves as wildlife guides and dozens of jeeps raced through the dirt lanes and gentle meadows of the reserve in efforts to satisfy their customers. The Forest Department had the bothersome task of managing tourists, while revenues went into state treasuries rather than directly benefiting the reserves, rangers, or local communities. It was unreasonable to expect underpaid and ill-equipped foresters to both defend the jungle from poachers and offer nature interpretation for tourists. Pressure increased on the forest for its firewood and for grazing tens of thousands of livestock. Villagers, persecuted for stealing from the forest, gained no economic benefit from tourism or wildlife. The feeling of neglect and despair among villagers left little incentive to prevent what was going to happen. Over the next years, tigers and deer would be disappearing and forest guards' lives would be in danger, due to poaching for the insatiable consumer demand for traditional medicines in China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan. At present, perhaps 6,500-5,500 tigers remain in the wild, with around 2,000 in India. Sadly, about one tiger is killed every day.
I asked both Valmik Thapar who founded the Ranthambhore Foundation, and Fateh Singh Rathore, in what other ways travelers and tour companies could bring positive benefit to the villagers and the wildlife of Ranthambhore. They urge contacting the following organization: Tiger Action Fund for India Tel: 212-580-9477 / Fax: 212-724-7834 E-mail: indotiger@aol.com This organization supports the new Pracatik Society Hospital which provides free medical care to villagers living on the periphery of the jungle, and Tiger Watch, which trains, equips, rewards, and improves conditions for the forest guards of Ranthambhore.
30th Anniversary Marked by Month of Events SEATTLE, WA, USA - On March 23, Earth Day Network kicked off a 30-day countdown to the 30th anniversary of Earth Day. Five hundred million people around the world are expected to participate in Earth Day 2000 events during the month of April. In the US, most major cities and thousands of smaller communities will host Earth Day activities. "The 30th anniversary of Earth Day will be the biggest Earth Day yet, " said Denis Hayes, National Coordinator of the first Earth Day and Chair of Earth Day Network. "Millions of people will come together in the US and around the world to rally for a switch to clean energy and take action for a cleaner, healthier environment. " Building on the grassroots strength of Earth Day, the national kick-off features 30 communities around the country where individuals are marking the occasion by taking action around the theme of 30 in honor of the 30th anniversary of Earth Day. Highlights include:
Washington DC: Press conference unveiling celebrity participation for the flagship Mall event, featuring 30 national sponsors of the event and detailing how the entire event will be powered with renewable and clean energy sources off the grid - the first time it's ever been done for an event of this size.
Washington DC: Press conference unveiling celebrity participation for the flagship Mall event, featuring 30 national sponsors of the event and detailing how the entire event will be powered with renewable and clean energy sources off the grid - the first time it's ever been done for an event of this size.
Seattle Kids Care in Belize A caring group of kids from Brighton School in Lynnwood, Washington, assembled 16 boxes of student supplies and teaching materials to deliver on their Spring break vacation, April 8-16, to the Crooked Tree Government School in a rural community of Belize, Central America. Seven local families, including 11 students, have been accompanied by the Brighton School principal, Mr. Cliff Nelson, and 3rd grade teacher, Ms. Cindy Flegenheimer. "Last year we traveled to Panama and donated a globe and someplayground equipment to a village school near our hotel," Mr. Nelson recalls. "But this year, one of our parents, Ms. Tammy Tennyson, established a Kids Care Club on campus and organized this donation as a club project." The tour is operated by Seattle-based Wildland Adventures, a local ecotourism company with a conscience that specializes in family and private school group tours. "Wildland Adventures provided a list of supplies requested by the Belize school so our Kids Care Club could gather needed items in a school-wide drive among students and teachers," explains Ms. Tennyson. Brighton students filled individual gallon bags for each of the 160 students in the Crooked Tree School including desk supplies, a book, a writing journal, and a pair of socks. Tapes, CDs and a CD player, as well as a school first aid kit and public health posters were also donated by parents through the PTO. The group stayed in the guest house of their guide, Mr. Sam Tillett, in the Crooked Tree Village and Wildlife Reserve when they first arrived. After their village stay, they journeyed through Belize and Guatemala, rambling among Maya ruins, descending into an ancient Maya cave and floating down an underground river, exploring the tropical rainforests, and snorkeling over the largest barrier reef of the Western Hemisphere. The kids' progress has been sent daily by e-mail dispatches from the field and posted on the Wildland Adventures website at: www.wildland.com For further information, contact Wildland Adventures at 206-365-0686. Action Alert: Vacation Starvation Live to work…or work to live? The economy may be booming, but most Americans are ready to bust. As ESCAPE Magazine reports in its April issue, the U.S. has now passed Japan as the world's most overworked land. We're a nation in need of a vacation, and ESCAPE Magazine is proposing a new federal law to see that we get it. To promote the campaign, ESCAPE has launched a national Internet petition drive and sweepstakes, and hopes to be joined by all travel, outdoor and adventure-related companies. ESCAPE's proposal calls for an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act that would guarantee three weeks vacation to anyone who has worked at a job for at least a year. To learn more, link your website to ESCAPE's new Work to Live page and sign the petition at: www.escapemag.com Welcome New PIRT Partner: Isula Rain (Larkspur, CA) T ell us about Isula Rain.The mission of Isula Rain is the expansion, protection, and study of the Isula, which is a portion of the rainforest in northeastern Peru. In order to do this, we will be offering into the market place, medicinal herbs which will be harvested by sustainable methods. We have set up a biological preserve and research station and will be inviting scientists from around the world to study there, including species that are as yet unnamed.
PIRT Partner Field Notes: Earthwatch Here is a project update from Earthwatch Institute Center for Field Research.. This is a tax-deductible way to see the world! Please e-mail or call if you have any questions. Claire Nelson, San Francisco Bay Area Earthwatch Institute Field Rep. Ph.: 925/254-5113; e-mail: peregrina2@aol.com; website: www.earthwatch.org NEW PROJECT IN THE WORKS: WHALES! Joining on-going studies of the blue, fin, humpback, and minke whales to help environmental and governmental agencies develop protective regulations and recovery plans. Mingan Island Region, Quebec - Located along the North Shore of Quebec. Researchers aim to show that the perceived separation between the breeding and feeding seasons is not nearly as distinct as has been suggested. Earthwatch volunteers will join in data collection and whale identification. Have you paid up yourPIRT Partnership for 2000? If you haven't already sent in your renewal as a PIRT Partner for 2000, now is the time! Whether you are a traveler or professional in the travel industry, we invite you to join Partners in Responsible Tourism. We meet at events, special dinner meetings and on the web. PARTNERS newsletter is published quarterly.
PIRT's Mission Statement Partners in Responsible Tourism is a network of individuals and representatives of tourism companies who are concerned about the impact of tourism and tourism development on local environments and cultures. We believe that responsible tourism promotes positive cultural and environmental ethics and practices." Information about PIRT: Director:Laurie Lubeck: info@pirt.org; (415) 675-0420Partnership dues & information: Bonnie Berg MacLaird Newsletter articles & to add calendar listings: Brenda Hepler Events information: Sal Compagno PIRT website designed by Ron Mader and Scott Walker and maintained by Patrick Tierney E-mail Partners in Responsible Tourism: bapirt@aol.com
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