Congratulations to the 2025 Conservation Project Grant Winners

The Adventure Travel Conservation Fund (ATCF) is proud to announce the 2025 Conservation Grant winners — six inspiring, community-driven projects from around the globe that are leading the way in protecting our planet’s most vulnerable ecosystems and cultural heritage. Selected through a highly competitive process by our members, these projects represent the heart of our mission: empowering local communities to drive lasting conservation impact. From safeguarding biodiversity and restoring habitats to strengthening climate resilience and cultural preservation, this year’s grantees showcase the power of collaboration between the global travel community and grassroots changemakers.  

Celebrate the incredible achievements of these grant winners and discover how their passion and dedication are shaping the future of environmental stewardship.

COMMUNITY CORAL KEEPERS
Location: Malaysia, Indonesia
Org: GaiaOne Life

The Borneo Marine Research Institute and GaiaOne Life are collaborating to restore endangered coral reefs in Sabah, Malaysia, by deploying modular reef structures and engaging local communities through conservation diving and reef stewardship. This project blends scientific innovation, tourism, and education to create long-term, community-driven marine restoration.

Over four months, participants will plant at least 3,000 corals and graduate as certified Ocean Gardeners, ready to pursue conservation-based careers and lead future reef restoration efforts.

“We are incredibly excited and hopeful to have received the ATCF grant, as it enables us to address one of the biggest challenges of working in remote areas: finding passionate and skilled community members to join our efforts.” — Louisa, Gaia One

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MIGRATORY ROUTE OF WHALE SHARKS
Location: Galapagos, Ecuador
Org: Galapagos Whale Shark Project

The Galapagos Whale Shark Project aims to identify and protect newly discovered aggregation sites of endangered whale sharks in the southern and western Galapagos through satellite tagging, research, and community-led citizen science. The project strengthens marine conservation and community resilience by involving locals in ocean stewardship while informing regional marine policy and protected area planning.

"Receiving the grant from the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund is a vital step in continuing our whale shark research in the Galapagos Islands, enabling us to expand into newly identified study sites in the south and west of the archipelago”. — Sofía Green Iturralde, Principal Scientist, Chief Operating Officer, Research and Outreach Specialist; Galapagos Whale Shark Project

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INTEGRATING WOMEN INTO THE COBRAS UNIT
Location: Tsholotsho District, Zimbabwe
Org: The Water4Wildlife Trust

The Water4Wildlife Trust’s Community Rhino Conservation Initiative (CRCI) is reintroducing white rhino to communal lands near Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, turning local communities into conservation stewards. This project uses rhino sanctuaries as a model to protect biodiversity, reduce human-wildlife conflict, and provide economic opportunities—especially for women—through conservation-related jobs and tourism.

"The ATCF has been an extremely generous and helpful partner to the Community Rhino Conservation Initiative over the last few years. This most recent grant specifically supports the recruitment and training of women scouts, highlighting the ATCF's eagerness to advance the Initiative's innovative approaches, long-term goals and its expansion (in terms of both ecological scope and community impact).” — Hannah Tranter, Project Manager, Community Rhino Conservation Initiative

KAPAWI ECOLODGE
Location: Pastaza, Ecuador
Org: Asociacion de Servicios Turisticos Kapawi Ecolodge

The organization will use the funding to install a solar energy system at Kapawi Ecolodge, train local community members, and expand clean energy access across 10 Indigenous communities in the Amazon, helping reduce fossil fuel use and protect over 50,000 hectares of critical biodiversity.

“When it opened in 1996, Kapawi Ecolodge pioneered the use of solar energy in the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador. Almost 30 years later, this initial effort has prevented the use of over 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel, or 2,000 Tons of CO2e. This grant is very special for 2 reasons. First, it will allow our entire complex and grounds to finally become 100% electric. And second, because it adds to a larger growing effort to eliminate the use of fossil fuels along the Capahuari river, where emblematic species such as pink river dolphins are a key conservation indicator and a key part of the travelers’ experience."— Juan Carlos,  Kapawi Ecolodge & Trek Ecuador DMC

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SEA TURTLE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
Location: Veraguas, Panama
Org: Fundación Agua y Tierr

The “Guardians of the Pacific” project by Fundación Agua y Tierra aims to protect four endangered sea turtle species along Panama’s Pacific coast through community-led conservation and regenerative tourism. The initiative empowers local women and youth by connecting biodiversity protection with sustainable livelihoods via the Eco-Ruta Tortuga.

“Receiving this grant from the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund is an invaluable recognition of our community’s and Eco Ruta Tortuga’s efforts to protect sea turtles. These funds will allow us to strengthen the work of our collaborators, who dedicate their time and energy every day to conservation and environmental education. For us, it is a motivation to keep showing that community-based tourism can be a living force for regeneration and hope.”
— Jacinto Rodriguez Murillo, Coordinator/Programa de Protección

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Thank you so much for your incredible support! We look forward to sharing more stories about our 2025 Grant Winners. Stay tuned!

Congratulations to the 2024 Conservation Project Grant Winners

The Adventure Travel Conservation Fund is excited to celebrate the five remarkable grant recipients who have shown extraordinary commitment to protecting our planet’s natural and cultural treasures. These community-driven organizations from Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Colombia, the Philippines, and Ghana were nominated by ATCF members during the fiercely competitive 2024 Conservation Grant Program. We had over 45 business members vote, one of our highest turnouts yet. Each of these trailblazing projects is deserving of recognition for their groundbreaking efforts to safeguard some of Earth’s most vital ecosystems.

Celebrate the incredible achievements of these grant winners and discover how their passion and dedication are shaping the future of environmental stewardship.

2024 Adventure Travel Conservation Fund Winners

In addition to the five projects above that were voted on and funded by our members, the Whale Conservation Project was adopted via our Adopt a Project Program by Toad and Co.

Adopt a Project

Each year the ATCF gives away ALL of its available grant funding to the top voted-on projects. However, there are still several incredible projects on the ballot that the ATCF did not have enough funding to support. Launched in 2017, The Adopt a Project program allows any ATCF members, or others in the travel and outdoor community, to contribute funding towards the remaining projects, with the aim to get other incredible projects fully funded. Check out the project available for adoption below!

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Thank you so much for your incredible support! We look forward to sharing more stories about our 2024 Grant Winners. Stay tuned!