ATCF in Québec: A Week of Connection, Conservation, and Momentum
The Adventure Travel World Summit in Québec was a big week for the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund; and an incredible opportunity to bring conservation front and center with the global adventure travel community.
Over several packed days, we connected with longtime ATCF members and supporters, welcomed new faces into our community, shared the conservation projects we're working to fund, and celebrated ten years of ATCF.
And we came home energized by just how many people wanted to be part of what comes next.
Starting with our community
Throughout the Summit, our team and Board spent time meeting with ATCF members, partners, and organizations interested in getting more involved in conservation.
Our table became a gathering place for conversations about everything from membership and our grant program to new opportunities for collaboration and funding.
Those conversations translated into action. We welcomed new members during the Summit and had many more organizations express interest in joining and supporting ATCF's work.
For an organization built around collective action, seeing that enthusiasm in person was one of the highlights of the week.
A packed house for the ATCF Breakfast
Wade Davis, ATCF Members Breakfast, Corliss
Wednesday morning started bright and early with our annual ATCF Members Breakfast. Although this year, "members breakfast" didn't quite capture all the new faces in the crowd. The room was packed with members, partners, travelers, and conservation-minded people from across the adventure travel community.
We shared an inside look at ATCF's grant program and some of the grassroots conservation projects we're working to support around the world.
Then we welcomed renowned anthropologist, author, and explorer Wade Davis to the stage.
Wade's presentation, The Art of Exploring: Travel, Culture, and the Wisdom of the World, brought the room together around the connection between travel, culture, place, and our responsibility to protect what makes those places extraordinary.
It was a memorable start to what became an incredibly full day for ATCF.
Celebrating 10 years on the main stage
Later that afternoon, ATCF Executive Director, Soraya Shattuck, joined Adventure Travel Trade Association CEO Shannon Stowell on the Summit main stage to mark an important milestone: ten years of ATCF.
Shannon reflected on ATCF's beginnings and recognized some of the people whose vision helped bring the organization to life, including longtime Board Chair Steve Barker.
We also had the chance to share what this community has accomplished over the past decade: 53 projects supported across 29 countries and more than $800,000 directed to grassroots conservation.
But rather than tell the audience about the work, we wanted them to see it.
We debuted a new short film highlighting three very different ATCF-supported projects and the people behind them - a powerful reminder of where the dollars raised by this community ultimately go.
A Decade of Collective Conservation - created by Birchbark Media
Conversations that continued long after the stage
One of the most exciting parts of Québec was what happened after the presentations were over.
People came to find us.
They stopped by the ATCF table to ask about becoming members. They wanted to learn more about the projects seeking funding. They brought us ideas for partnerships and ways their companies or communities could participate.
And throughout the week, our Board members were right there alongside us - connecting with attendees, sharing why they are involved with ATCF, and helping welcome new people into our community.
We closed Wednesday with a special dinner bringing together longtime members, supporters, donors, and friends of ATCF. It was a chance to celebrate not only ten years of ATCF, but the people who have made those ten years possible.
A huge thank you to Toad&Co for generously sponsoring the evening.
Coming home with momentum
By Thursday, the conversations were still going. More meetings. More people stopping by. More membership sign-ups and follow-ups to bring home with us.
That's what made Québec feel like such a success.
It wasn't simply that we had a packed breakfast or a few minutes on the main stage. It was the response from the community around us.
People wanted to participate.
Whether you're a travel business, an industry partner, a conservation organization, or simply someone who believes travel should leave the places we explore better than we found them, there is a place for you in this community.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Québec, stopped by our table, attended our breakfast, shared an idea, became a member, or simply asked, "How can I help?"
We came home tired, but incredibly energized.
And ready to put that momentum to work for conservation.
