Biodiversity tips

The Conscious Travel Foundation partners with Pinwheel to launch a Climate Fund, enabling travel industry members to invest in top-tier climate and ecological projects globally.

The Olympic Games in Paris generated a lot of excitement around the cleanup project of the Seine River, where triathlon and swimming competitions took place. And there’s more to come: Mayor Anne Hidalgo plans to open three public swimming spots on the Seine by next summer, and similar projects are in the works in Boston, London and Amsterdam.

Wandering through the lush gardens of Hawaii’s Sensei Lāna'i Four Seasons feels otherworldly; giant banyan trees tangle and twist together, mānewanewa (Hawaiian mint) and nāʻū (gardenia) scent the air, birds-of-paradise plants reach staggering heights, and the air hums with the sounds of busy pollinators. This lushness is even more striking given the arid landscape of the surrounding Lāna'i, an island that contrasts sharply with the rest of Hawaii: Over decades, industries such as ranching and pineapple farming have left lasting marks on Lāna'i's terrain. The island was once home to a plantation that produced 75% of the world's pineapples. And ranching, which began around 1854 and lasted around 100 years, brought grazing animals that significantly altered the native landscape. The gardens at Sensei Lāna'i, however, are a testament to thoughtful reforestation, with plants chosen to preserve biodiversity and create a flourishing, peaceful haven.

Mike Leigh’s brilliant 1976 Dorset-based comedy Nuts in May begins with Keith and Candice-Marie taking the chain ferry from Sandbanks across the mouth of Poole harbour to the Isle of Purbeck, where they camp, visit Corfe Castle, walk along the mighty Jurassic coastline and end up in an altercation with a young Brummie couple called Finger and Honky. For me, watching Nuts in May is an annual tradition, as is visiting the peninsula where it was filmed. Most of us have places for which we feel a particularly strong pull; one of mine is Purbeck. And since this peninsula’s recent status as England’s first “super” nature reserve, I’m beginning to understand why.

In popular imagination, France’s Fontainebleau is inextricably linked to its grand Château. But when I visit, I typically skip it entirely. Yes, the 1,500-room Château de Fontainebleau that was inhabited by French kings and emperors for eight centuries may seem the most arresting attraction in this region 37 miles south of Paris. Instead, it’s the surrounding forest that entices me to return again and again.

The Galapagos Islands is doubling its entry fee for tourists.

The Maldives is renowned as a luxurious, fly-and-flop destination. Located 500 km from the southern tip of India and Sri Lanka, it's a serene string of 1,190 low-lying coral islands scattered across the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean. Here, you'll find white, sun-kissed beaches and warm, azure blue lagoons studded with colourful corals that are home to exotic marine life.

Massachusetts may measure in at just 27,363 square kilometers, but what this historic state lacks in size it certainly makes up for in biodiversity. From the craggy peaks of the Berkshires to the tip of Provincetown, classic New England fauna can all be found in abundance across the commonwealth—but when it comes to winter birdwatching in particular, it’s best to head east. Carved eons ago by moving glaciers, Cape Cod serves as a top summer vacation destination, while the dead of winter brings ample opportunity for birdwatchers hoping to lengthen their life list. With winter in its final throes, don’t miss out on the last few weeks of cold-weather birding across this stunning Bay State region.

A new deep-sea habitat project has been launched by ocean technology and exploration company DEEP, which has announced plans to create a permanent human presence under the oceans by 2027.

Over the last few centuries, not much has changed in the village of Shuwaymis, which lies 400 miles and a dusty seven-hour drive north of Jeddah. But in 2001, a Bedouin told local teacher Mahboub Habbas al-Rasheedi that he'd found an undiscovered cache of rock art while grazing his camels. Mahboub spent the next several days searching for the site and eventually found hundreds of petroglyphs emblazoned on a honey-hued escarpment, including depictions of oryx, ostriches, leopards, cheetahs, and lions.

Renowned for its balmy weather and rich cultural diversity, the Caribbean has developed over the centuries into one of the planet’s most sought-after destinations—but it’s not just humans that can be found exploring the region’s scenic shores. From tiny hummingbirds to colossal humpback whales, the wildlife of the Caribbean serves as a major draw for tourism, with no shortage of idyllic islands and verdant peninsulas harboring a truly impressive amount of biodiversity. If you’re looking for a warm-weather escape during the dead of winter, these properties offer plush accommodations paired with ample opportunity for encountering the fascinating flora and fauna found across the region.

From grizzly bears to mountain lions to the American bison, there’s no shortage of majestic megafauna that call the United States home—yet this sprawling nation is no slouch when it comes to avifauna either. The country’s diverse ecosystems have given rise to an incredible array of birds, and as an added bonus, there’s a wealth of fascinating festivals carefully curated to showcase the splendor of the nation’s avian life. Whether you’re a seasoned birder or just beginning to enter the craft, these events are perfect for an unforgettable foray into the wide world of birdwatching.

While the Caribbean is home to its fair share of wildlife-filled islands—Saint Lucia, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico, to name a few—one of the region’s most underrated ecotourism destinations measures in at just a mere thirteen square kilometers in area. Known as Saba, this dazzling Dutch overseas region holds a king-sized level of biodiversity in spite of its small size, packed full of fascinating fish, reptiles, and birds for visitors to marvel at—and when it comes to avian life in particular, the Saba Bird Fest is one of the island’s most unmissable events.