Welcome New Members
The ATCF is excited to welcome four new media members, journalist Mark Johanson, Tara Cannon, Zanny Steffgen and Nicole Melancon as our newest members! Learn more about their commitment to protecting tourism destinations below! Check out our growing network of ATCF members here!
Mark Johanson, Freelance Journalist, Author
Mark Johanson is a Freelance Journalist and Author of “Mars on Earth: Wanderings in the World’s Driest Desert” Mars on Earth delves into several conservation issues affecting the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, including lithium mining. People often view deserts as wastelands unworthy of protection. Yet in the book, I look at how there are actually surprising pockets of life scattered across the Atacama, including its high Andean wetlands, where you find many of the lithium-rich salares (salt flats) now threatened by unsustainable mining.
Lithium is in our phones, laptops and, most notably, electric cars. It’s on the cover of newspapers and the tops of money-makers’ minds. Everyone is buzzing about the Atacama’s “white gold,” which is the key to unlocking the great energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables. Yet, as I note in my book, mining for lithium is an incredibly water-intensive activity now taking place in the driest place on Earth where humans live. There are already fears that local communities – many Indigenous – will no longer have enough water to grow crops and maintain livestock. Soon, it may become even harder to eke out a living here.
Millions of years ago, salt flats like Pedernales and Maricunga were vast lakes. They’ve been slowly, naturally, drying up ever since. Scientists have come to view them and their brethren as key to understanding the effects of climate change since they’ve undergone a process that could very well happen elsewhere on Earth as temperatures rise. The great irony of the current gas-to-electric revolution is that, in our attempt to combat climate change, we may irrevocably alter the very places that could have helped us to understand it better.
Why did you join ATCF?
I've been following the work of the ATCF for years, occasionally featuring projects in my articles. Now, I'm ready to get off the sidelines and become an active member, learning how I can use my voice to support initiatives around the world.
Tara Cannon
Tara Cannon is the founder of TheBetterBeyond.com, a travel blog dedicated to inspiring mindful and meaningful adventures. Through my content, I love sharing off-the-beaten-path destinations, sustainable hotels, and unique cultural experiences.
Why did you join the ATCF?
I joined the ACTF because its mission aligns well with my goal of helping curious, thoughtful travelers discover amazing experiences that also make a positive impact.
I was deeply inspired by Dr. Graham’s presentation, especially the efforts around whale shark viewing regulations. About a decade ago, I swam with whale sharks off the coast of Cancun, and I was shocked by the number of boats crowding them. Since then, I've followed the changes in Mexico and, just last year, had a much more responsible viewing experience in La Paz. I didn’t realize who was driving these changes, but I was very relieved to see them taking effect. I look forward to being part of such an important community.
Zanny Steffgen
Zanny is a freelance travel journalist based in Colorado, USA who focuses on adventure travel (often with an accessibility angle), culture, food, lifestyle and more.
Why did you join the ATCF?
I'm proud to be a member and support the work the ATCF does, which aligns with my values as a disabled travel writer. At the core of disability justice is the idea of fighting for equal access, which includes equal access to natural spaces that many people with disabilities have been historically excluded from, due to both a lack of accommodations and a lack of proximity. Disability justice goes hand-in-hand with conservation--after all, conserving the natural world is about conserving it for everyone. If a portion of the population doesn’t feel that nature is theirs to explore, how can they feel that it is theirs to protect?
As someone who enjoys (and then writes about) adventures all over the world, I feel a responsibility to help conserve tourism destinations—both for future generations of travelers and for the people who call those destinations home. It’s this sense of responsibility that inspired me to become an ATCF member. I’m grateful to be a part of this community that aligns with my desire to make travel a force for good!
Zanny trekking
Nicole Melancon
Nicole Melancon is a freelance travel writer and content editor for GLP Films. Nicole is also a volunteer blog editor at Adventure Travel Conservation Fund.
Why did you join ATCF?
At the Adventure Travel World Summit in Panama, I listened to a presentation by Doc. Rachel Graham which truly inspired me to act. I have always felt a strong passion and obligation to give back and the ATCF is the perfect place for me to help out. I love the work that the ATCF does to help grassroots organizations around the world improve their lives and the planet.