We take a step back from the yurt craze sweeping Europe’s campsites to travel through Mongolia with nomadic communities, where yurts originated.

Yurts are all the rage these days, with posh camping (glamping) sites springing up all over Europe. You are probably familiar by now with the yurt concept – rounded wooden structures, canvas covered, comfortable, spacious, more like a home than a tent. It’s no wonder they have converted many an ardent anti-camper. Easily dismantled and moved (in theory), Mongolian yurts evolved as the home of choice for the nomads of Central Asia. So this month we travel back to Mongolia, one of the regions yurts originally hail from  to meet an innovative foundation called Ger to Ger (or ‘Yurt to Yurt’) who is working with nomadic families in Mongolia to invite adventurous soles to discover their world.

Since setting up in 2005, Ger to Ger have worked with dozens of Mongolian nomadic herder groups and their communities to develop a travel network of nomadic trekking, horse riding and 4x4 routes through the Mongolian steppe, taking you literally from Ger to Ger, staying with host families and sharing their way of life. It’s possibly as close as the modern adventure traveller will get to understanding life as a nomad. North, South, East and West, new trails are continuously being coordinated with the local communities. Check their website for a full list. A classic is the Great Gobi Quest, a 12 day exploration of the Gobi desert by jeep, horseback, camels, carts and trekking.  

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This month’s adventure with purpose got us very jealous here at HQ. An epic kayaking expedition through one of the last truly wild and unexplored places on earth – the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia.

Unashamedly tagged ‘explore to conserve’, mention of The Kamchatka Project immediately made our ears prick up, as those of you now familiar with our mission may well imagine. This expedition makes Ed’s upcoming kayak adventure down the Loire from St Etienne to Tours look like a Sunday row in comparison (sorry Ed, but you know it’s true).

The Kamchatka Peninsula is the 1250 km appendage to Russia’s Far East (view map). With a human population which only just outnumbers the brown bears, 30 active volcanoes( including the highest in the northern hemisphere - Klyuchevskaya Sopka at 4750m), only one highway and no major industry, claims that this remains a largely untouched and unexplored wilderness are not to be scorned. Perhaps the most significant aspect of this rugged land, criss-crossed by free flowing rivers, is the fact that between a quarter and sixth of the world’s salmon spawn here. Indeed, aside from the epic whitewater, it is the plight of these scaly friends of ours that lured this team of experienced kayak expeditioners.

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Mambo school toilets - A report and guideline for building a school dry toilet 

by Herman Erdtsieck, Director, MamboViewPoint , Lushoto-Tanzania

Mambo is a small village in the Usambara mountains in Tanzania. The Mambo Primary school has about 2000 pupils who are visiting the school in 2 shifts because of a lack of teachers and class rooms. Like many schools around, sanitary was not well provided and something had to be done.

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A great video showing that research is a lot more fun for both whales and humans when combined with respect and tourism. Not for fine sushi purveyors and other delicacy enthusiasts or for those who would like us swallow that they 'need' to kill whales in order to "research" them.

Featuring dwarf minke whales at the Great Barrier Reef off Queensland and Alastair Birtles, a marine biologist in the Tourism Department, who has been studying them for the past 15 years, during their annual migration from/to the Antarctic, when they are in playful mode and hence friendly and curious towards people, doing a bit of human-watching.

A limited number of swim with whales operators based in Port Douglas and Cairns, have been licensed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority  on the understanding that sightings will be reported and form part of a monitoring program with the cooperation of James Cook University. The impact of such tourism on whale behaviour and migration should of course also be closely monitored to avoid love overdoses on both sides...

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Recently, we met with each one of the 129 students in our scholarship program for a yearly check-in “The scholarship helps me achieve my dreams, because with an education, I will have a way to make them come true” said scholarship recipient Chanthip Sunsab of Tung Dap (pictured). Andaman Discoveries scholarships provide financial support for underprivileged children in the region like Chanthip, allowing them to complete high school. The scholarship helps offset expenses like school uniforms, transportation to school, extra books, and extra tuition for classes like computer studies.

If you’re interested in sponsoring the education of a student in the North Andaman region, please contact Andaman Discoveries to learn how you can become a donor, and read the full article for more details about scholarships and the recent round of interviews.

Because of the positive impact of this program, we hope to offer to up to ten more scholarships focused on conservation and sustainability this year. But we need your help in sponsoring more youth. “There is further need for new donors to support youth in our communities. Each year children start school with need for uniforms, transport and supplies to ensure their education is a success,” said Thamrong Chomphusri, Andaman Discoveries Director.

The price of making a tremendous difference in a youth’s life is about 6,000 baht (about $170) per student for a one-year scholarship (grade K -9). A one-year scholarship for one student in grades 10-12 is 15,000 baht (about $425). Donors of scholarships receive regular updates, including grade reports and details from the interview.
Students who receive scholarships come from a wide range of communities within the North Andaman region, including the twelve tsunami-affected villages Andaman Discoveries originally worked with. “The sponsorship helps me go to a further away school where the teachers have more time for the students. This helps my grades,” said Noparyj Sae-leab, a scholarship recipient.

A requirement of the scholarship program is that students must come for follow-up interviews and progress reports. Interviews are held annually with scholarship recipients to monitor their progress and discuss their goals for the upcoming year. Students also make a card with a message to their donor. Interviews include questions about their favorite subject, their goals for the next five years, and how they plan to achieve those goals.

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The Youth Group from Ban Talae Nok continue to be models of sustainability. Pink, the group’s all-star leader, and her team are continuing the recycling program, and have begun making accessories such as pencil cases and wallet form reusable materials.

Recently, villagers have been concerned that outside investors might try to illegally reclaim the mangrove restoration area near the village. Pink organized an overnight camp to visit and survey the restored habitat. The survey found that new species are now establishing themselves without being planted, and that the replanted Nipa palm is already useful for villagers making thatched roofing from its leaves. The youth also interviewed village elders about the history of the area.

Pink’s report from the field:

• Village beautification had limited participation last year, this year Pink will work with willing households to plant mango trees. Pink will also be convening a forum for discussing how to reduce litter in the village.
• Kitchen garden is highly successful, and supplies food for youth and adult meetings. Recently, a number of men in the village helped out by building fences and making fertilizer.
• The number of kids in the youth groups is increasing - even though some of the older youths leave for marriage or school
• Youths recently dredged and removed garbage from fresh-water ponds near village

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The 90 students from the Burmese Learning Center in Kuraburi need at least one healthy meal per day. While a few get packed lunch, many eat sweets for breakfast and dry instant noodles for lunch.                                                   

The dedicated teachers at the center have requested our help in providing lunch for the children. Without a food budget, and barely able to cover teacher salary, the center needs our help to make sure the kids have a more healthy diet.

Please help - you can make a difference in the quality of life and general health of the children. Visit http://www.andamandiscoveries.com/pdf/child-nutrition-project.pdf for details -- it’s only $50 per day to feed 90 children.

The Kuraburi area, and southern Thailand in general, is home to a large population of Burmese migrant workers. These hardworking people often come illegally in the hope of finding income and a better life. Their children mostly lack access to education and adequate nutrition. Unlike so many other areas, Burmese children living near the Kuraburi pier are able to take classes at a learning center (where I was recently volunteering!).

The lunch program will:

• guarantee that children have one healthy nutritious meal a day
• create community by bringing together teachers and volunteers to cook and then share a meal with the children
• give the children an opportunity to learn roles and responsibilities during cooking, eating, and cleanup
• alleviate the financial burden on already struggling parents

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In July, Andrew and Janice joined our summer study program ,for a month of experiential education and hands-on volunteering. The conservation-themed program included organic gardening in Ban Talae Nok, planting mangrove trees, helping control riverbank erosion, and helping with seagrass and turtle conservation at Ban Lion. Andrew and Janice have now returned to the University of California at Los Angeles, where they are sharing the knowledge and experience gained during their time with Andaman Discoveries. Thanks to them both for their enthusiasm and excellent community service.

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Have you visited Ban Talae Nok village as part of an Andaman Discoveries tour? Andaman Discoveries and the villagers alike proudly announce that Ban Talae Nok is now on TripAdvisor, where three people have already given the picturesque village top ! We encourage you to visit the TripAdvisor site, read the reviews, and provide your own feedback.TripAdvisor.com is a free travelguide and research website that assists customers in gathering travel information, posting opinions of travel related issues and engaging in interactive travel forums. TripAdvisor is an example of consumer generated media. The website services are free to users, who provide most of the content, and the website is supported by an advertising business model.

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