Green is on the tip of everyone’s tongue. Eco-friendly, eco-conscious, we are all on board living and promoting ways to live an ultra fabulous life, while saving the Earth. The public has become increasingly aware of the effects of global warming. In the last year, people have become more prepared to consider their own roles and the need to alter their lifestyle and choices.

Discovering greener ways of traveling is just another way we can make a difference and help the environment. Travel that minimizes negative environmental impacts and, where possible, makes positive contributions to the conservation of life forms, wilderness, natural and human will have a profound impact on the environment.

Eric Heymann, senior economist at Deutsche Bank Research (“DBR”) in Frankfurt, Germany, published in April 2008 a research report entitled Climate Change and Tourism: Where Will the Journey Lead? Heymann believes the tourism industry will still be a growth engine in the world, experiencing average annual increases of around 3.5% to 4% in international tourist arrivals through 2020. If you would like to read the report, please visit: http://www.dbresearch.com/. (continue reading…)

As a child I grew up with a cousin who suffered from developmental disability. What little I remember about my cousin Eddie was that I always felt he was left out or maybe it was that he felt out of place. He had several brothers and sisters and although he was surrounded by family, he always seemed alone. As I grew older Eddie moved away to New York and we lost track of each other.

I wonder what life would have been like for Eddie if there were camps for him to interact with other children, where he did not feel out of place but felt connected, and a place where others helped and supported a more normal life for him, introducing him to a world that was not out of his grasp but within arms reach.

Today there are camps specifically designed for children with special needs. These camps employee professionals who understand and are trained to take into account the physical, emotional, and social skills of children with special needs. The best parts of these camps are that the children with special needs are surrounded by peers in similar situations and nobody feels like an outsider.

With summer upon us, this is the time to get involved. For your next vacation, take part in a summer camp and help a special needs child. What better way to help then by enhancing the life of a child.

For more information on summer camps for special needs children and volunteering opportunities, please visit the sites listed below.
• http://tuolumnetrails.org/

• https://www.fridayskids.org/

• http://www.campcourageous.org/

• http://www.charityguide.org/

Morocco, located in northwestern Africa with coasts on the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea; it is bordered by Algeria to the east and Mauritania to the south. It is a rich beautiful country, ethnically diverse, drenched in a world of customs and cultures.

Morocco which has been a crossroads between Africa, Europe and the Middle East for centuries, there you will find historical cities escorted by a cool sea breeze that will draw you to colorful markets, enticing your senses with intoxicating fragrant flavors of cinnamon, saffron, nutmeg and ginger, exquisite mosques, and intricate works of art. The architecture is a fusion of Arabic and Spanish. In the interior rising from the Rif into the Middle Atlas and on into the extraordinary contours of the High Atlas, you will find the snow capped Mountains. Beyond the mountains, lies the beauty of Morocco’s desert, unchanged simplicity.

Take a holiday and learn about this very unique part of Africa. Immerse yourself in the culture and its people, while giving back to the community. There are many volunteer opportunities in Morocco. Teach basic English, or computer skills. There are caregiving opportunities at orphanages and centers for physically challenged children. Empower both local community organizations and individuals with the tools they need to be self-sustainable, successful, and educated for their future.

If you are interested in Morocco, and exploring opportunities for volunteering and the specific needs of this country and its people, please visit the sites listed below.

• http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/

• http://www.projects-abroad.org/

• http://www.partnershipvolunteers.org/

• http://www.volunteermorocco.org/

• http://www.abroaderview.org/

• http://www.frontier.ac.uk/

The Global Peace Index, rates these 5 countries as the most peaceful countries in the world, as of 2008.

I have included travel information for all 5 countries.

Iceland: Icelanders are warm generous people who enjoy sharing their spectacular country with foreign travelers.  Known for their hospitality, this makes an ideal place for a family to travel. Enjoy the bohemian villages and take in the Icelandic culture.

Iceland is celebreation of spectacular colors, from radiant red to turquoise blue, burnt orange, and seafoam green.  Experience the miracle of Mother Nature; a roaring sea with foam-crested waves, icecap glaciers, spouting geysers and steaming hot springs, volcanoes, towering sea cliffs and  10,000 magnificent waterfalls. Iceland’s Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis is one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena. Enjoy the sounds of nature with more then 530 species of birds, Icelandic horses which come in more then 100 marvelous color combinations, frolicking whales just offshore and many other surprises. Iceland is also essentially pollution-free because it is almost totally powered with geothermal and hydroelectric energy. (continue reading…)