Andaman Discoveries

Andaman Discoveries (AD) is a successful, community-based development project of North Andaman Tsunami Relief (NATR), a non-profit organization that has been continually providing assistance to tsunami-affected villages in the North Andaman region. AD has assumed the work of NATR, fostering long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability and generating viable economic opportunities via training and marketing.

History

Though the concept had been developing for some time, AD was established on August 1, 2006 by Bodhi Garrett in Kuraburi, a small town located in Phang Nga Province in the south of Thailand. Born in Kathmandu, Nepal, Bodhi moved to the Monterey Peninsula in California as a young child. He went on to study at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received a B.S. in Environmental Science. Moving to southern Thailand in 2003, Bodhi quickly found himself working as a marketing and conservation director at a resort that promoted ecotourism. After the tsunami hit in 2004, Bodhi, who had been on vacation, immediately returned to Thailand. It was at this time that NATR, the parent organization of AD, was formed. Just 18 months later, AD came into existence.

Mission

AD supports community-led development by acting as a bridge to respectful visitors and volunteers through sponsorship of education, conservation, and cultural empowerment. [http://andamandiscoveries.com/index.html]

Projects

With the help of dedicated volunteers and visitors, AD has been able to organize and sustain several in-village projects using existing funds and contributions to the Community Fund. These projects include:

ustainable Livelihoods

* Teaching English to kids, adults, guides, and host families
* Creative workshops with local children
* Hand-crafted soap and Batik cooperatives

Conservation

* Beach clearance and waste management
* Mangrove reforestation
* Wildlife and environmental conservation projects
* Orchid conservation
* Beautification of community or school gardens
* Interpretive nature trail data collection with local guides
* GPS land-use mapping

Community Development

* Construction of a community center
* Long-term scholarships
* Teacher placement in local and village schools
* Teaching community aerobics or yoga [http://www.truetravellers.org/volunteer-community-development/andaman-discoveres---thailand.html]

Partners

AD looks to build meaningful, lasting relationships with other like-minded organizations all around the world. These partnerships generally include groups determined to reduce the negative effects of tourism by promoting the empowerment of local communities.The spectrum of partners includes research firms, educational institutions, governmental branches, and NGOs alike. We are proud to name the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Rotary International, University of California – Los Angeles, University of Birmingham, and The Mangrove Action Project as partners.

Awards

Virgin Holiday’s 2007 Responsible Tourism Award: Best for Conservation of Cultural Heritage- WINNER

Wild Asia’s 2007 Responsible Tourism Award: Community- or Family-run Homestays- FINALIST

References

http://andamandiscoveries.com/index.html

http://www.truetravellers.org/volunteer-community-development/andaman-discoveres---thailand.html

ee also

*Voluntourism
*Sustainable tourism
*Ecotourism
*Adventure tourism

External links

* [http://www.andamandiscoveries.com/ Andaman Discoveries website]
* [http://www.northandamantsunamirelief.com/ NATR website]
* [http://www.tsunamicrafts.com/ Craft Cooperatives website]