Adventure Travel Conservation Fund

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Adventure Travel Conservation Fund

At the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund (ATCF), we believe in the power of travel to protect and conserve.

We believe that all travelers and the global travel community can become stewards for the planet. The time has come for adventure travel industry leaders to come together and step forward to advocate and support projects that allow sustainable adventure tourism to grow into the future.

10/06/2026

📅 Mark Your Calendars for the world’s largest and most respected adventure travel and gear auction benefiting conservation!

This is a big year for the ATCF. Not only is this our 7th annual Travel Conservation Auction, but we’re also kicking off our 10th anniversary this September.

To celebrate the occasion, we’re aiming for our biggest turnout yet. Last year, we made $153,000. Let’s top that in 2026!

Join us in supporting grassroots, community-led conservation projects by bidding on world-class gear, unique experiences, and once-in-a-lifetime trips that help protect our planet and make a lasting impact around the world.

🌍 Browse. Bid. Protect.

The auction opens on World Tourism Day, September 27 and runs through October 20.

🔗 Link in bio.

09/06/2026

Today is World Ocean Day. The ocean covers over 70% of our planet and is essential to the places we explore and the communities we travel through. 🌊🌊

At ATCF, we partner with ocean-focused conservation projects around the world. From coral reef protection in Indonesia to marine wildlife initiatives in the Galapagos, these efforts safeguard healthy ecosystems, resilient communities, and the ability to explore responsibly.

Our members understand this connection. They're investing in projects that protect coastlines, support marine life, and safeguard the ocean for future travelers.

Want to learn more about ocean conservation work you can support? Link in bio.

Here's to adventures that matter.

.restoration

05/06/2026

Q1 UPDATE: 1,800 SEA TURTLE HATCHLINGS RELEASED 🌊🐢

Fundación Agua y Tierra is protecting four endangered sea turtle species along Panama's Pacific coast through community-led conservation and regenerative tourism.

In Q1, the team conducted nighttime monitoring patrols at Mata Oscura Beach to protect nesting females and relocate vulnerable nests to the project's hatchery. The result: 1,800 hatchlings from threatened species were released into the ocean in March, a major milestone for sea turtle recovery in the region.

This is what happens when local teams are empowered to protect the places they depend on.

2026 Grantee | Nominated by &Co

Read the full project update at the link in bio.

29/05/2026

Does your company offer travel experiences or outdoor gear? Donate to the world's largest and most respected adventure travel and gear auction benefiting conservation.

The 7th Annual Travel Conservation Auction opens September 27 and runs through October 20. We're seeking donations of travel experiences, outdoor gear, and unique services from companies committed to protecting the places where adventure happens.

As our biggest fundraiser of the year, the auction is critical to enabling ATCF's work supporting grassroots conservation projects led by indigenous and local communities across the globe. Since 2016, we've funded 53 conservation projects in 29 countries, protecting biodiversity, building climate resilience, and strengthening ecosystems worldwide.

When you donate to the auction, you're keeping good company. Your organization stands alongside industry leaders who prioritize conservation, reaching conservation-minded travelers actively seeking responsible travel experiences and outdoor brands that align with their values. This isn't just visibility. It's the right kind of visibility.

Donation deadline: August 1, 2026. Link in bio to donate travel, gear, or services.

26/05/2026

Reefs to Rockies has been showing up for conservation since 2017.

For two decades, this Colorado-based nature travel company has been guiding small-group adventures and custom journeys across the world's unique ecosystems. From Costa Rica's rainforests to Minnesota's warblers to Colorado's prairie wildlife, they combine expert-led trips with responsible travel practices that support the places they explore.

But Reefs to Rockies doesn't stop at responsible operations. They actively engage with ATCF's grant cycle, nominating grassroots conservation projects and voting on funding priorities year after year. Several of the projects they've championed have received ATCF funding, including Whales of Guerrero in Mexico and SEE Turtles' plastic initiative across three countries.

This is what engaged membership looks like: showing up, nominating projects, voting on priorities, and mobilizing collective resources for conservation.

Does your business depend on wild places? Join 200+ companies investing in their protection. Become an ATCF member. Link in bio.

22/05/2026

Q1 UPDATE: CORAL RESTORATION IN MALAYSIA & INDONESIA

GaiaOne Life is training Ocean Gardeners.

Between January and March, GaiaOne launched coral restoration programming across Bira, Sulawesi and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Three to five local community members are now enrolled in training, working toward Open Water diving certification, Coral Restoration Certification, and Level 1 Freediving credentials.

The goal: create a generation of fully certified Ocean Gardeners capable of leading future restoration efforts.

The team has already planted 1,751 Acropora coral fragments across project sites, progressing toward their 3,000-coral target. One challenge this quarter has been the language barrier, as all course materials are in English while participants are primarily Malay and Indonesian speakers. Instructors have taken extra time to translate and carefully explain concepts, ensuring participants deeply absorb the technical material needed for long-term success.
Over the next three months, the focus shifts from training to active coral planting, where participants will apply their skills directly in the water. The team will also introduce and test new coral restoration techniques to strengthen and diversify methodology.

This is what community-driven conservation looks like: local people trained, certified, and empowered to protect the reefs they depend on.

2026 Grantee | Nominated by Sticky Rice Travel

Read the full project update at the link in bio.

19/05/2026

There's no better way to see the world than by bicycle.

For over 25 years, SpiceRoads has been proving this through meticulously curated cycling adventures across Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Africa. From temple hopping in Cambodia to traversing Madagascar's wild landscapes to exploring Japan's onsen routes, SpiceRoads designs tours that prioritize active immersion, cultural discovery, and seamless logistics.

But SpiceRoads knows that protecting the places where their tours happen isn't optional. It's essential. They joined ATCF to align with a global collective of adventure travel leaders dedicated to protecting the very environments and cultures that make cycling tours possible. They partner with Sustainable Travel International to offset emissions. They were the first operator to pledge Elephant Friendly travel with the World Animal Protection Fund. And they regularly run charity rides to support Thai communities in need.

SpiceRoads doesn't just talk about sustainability. They ride for it.

As both an ATCF member and 2025 auction donor, SpiceRoads is doubling their impact for grassroots conservation. Does your business depend on wild places? Join 200+ companies mobilizing for conservation. Become an ATCF member or donate to our 2026 auction. Link in bio.

15/05/2026

Conservation leadership starts with the right people in the room.

ATCF is proud to welcome four new board members who understand that protecting wild places isn't optional for the adventure travel industry. It's essential.

Monika Sundem, CEO of Adventure Life, has spent decades building responsible travel programs that prioritize community impact and environmental stewardship.

Jim Kane, Director of Sustainability and Outreach at Exito Travel, works at the intersection of adventure travel and conservation, connecting travelers to the places and communities they explore.

Charlie Clark, Director of Philanthropy at Cotopaxi, leads one of the outdoor industry's most innovative giving programs, mobilizing resources for communities worldwide.

Court Whelan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Natural Habitat Adventures, is a leading voice in sustainable tourism and has dedicated his career to protecting wildlife and wild places through travel.

As we enter our 10th year, these leaders will help guide ATCF's work funding grassroots, community-led conservation projects across the globe. They represent companies that don't just talk about sustainability. They invest in it.
Welcome to the board.

11/05/2026

When we say collective conservation action, this is what we mean. 🌍
Bike Odyssey isn't just protecting trails and biodiversity through their ATCF membership — they're investing in the next generation of riders in regional Australia through ReCycle, a grassroots program giving kids access to bikes and mechanical skills they'd never otherwise have.
This is the interconnected thinking that drives everything we do. Wild places and healthy communities are not separate causes. Thank you, Bike Odyssey, for showing our whole community what it looks like to walk the talk.

10/05/2026

In communities along Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, wildlife conservation has traditionally been the domain of men. The Community Rhino Conservation Initiative is changing that.

Three local women have been recruited and trained as wildlife protection scouts, joining the Cobras Community Wildlife Protection Unit to protect reintroduced white rhinos on communal lands. These women now patrol rhino sanctuaries, gather intelligence, and raise conservation awareness in their communities.

This work addresses two challenges at once. In areas where elephants destroy crops and predators kill livestock, communities often see wildlife as a threat. But when women earn income protecting rhinos and managing conservation tourism, wildlife becomes an asset. And in communities where women face limited economic opportunities, these conservation jobs create leadership pathways and demonstrate that women belong in frontline protection roles.

ATCF funding supports scout salaries, training, uniforms, and program coordination.

2026 Grantee | Nominated by Pandion Consulting via Kusini Collection

Support women-led conservation by becoming an ATCF member or donating today | Learn more at the link in bio

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