Our Impact
Each trip is designed to impact both the communities and wildlife that we encounter as well as you and your family. Our hand-selected partnerships provide access to inspiring initiatives that are changing the world for the better. Below are the four key areas of impact that our trips are centered around.
Our impact
Every Discover Corps itinerary is designed around a unique purpose that connects travelers to local communities in a meaningful way, and gives a deeper understanding of a unique and extraordinary part of the world. And it is the local organizations, projects and inspiring local leaders that bring these experiences to life. Throughout the world, Discover Corps seeks partners that are involved in a range of causes and missions that working to improve their communities, local wildlife and the world as a whole.
These partnerships are the heart of the Discover Corps experience. Not only do they provide you with a rich, completely unique behind-the-scenes experience, but also allow you to see the world in a different lens – one that you may carry with you long after the trip. Your decision to travel with Discover Corps has ripple effects across these communities supporting these organizations and projects financially and creating advocates for change. Regardless of the destination, all of our trips will impact not only the communities we visit, but you and your family in a positive way.
Women’s Empowerment
Helping women thrive is essential to the health of any community. Women are not only the primary caretakers in most households around the world, but serve as educators and leaders in their towns and villages. Discover Corps partners with a range of organizations helping to advance women’s rights in destinations across the globe. In Kenya, there’s the Maa Trust in Kenya which works to generate income through bead making for Maasai women. In Oaxaca, there’s En Via which is working tirelessly to empower women financially through microfinance initiatives. And then there’s our dedicated guide Mama Simba in Tanzania who works with women from all parts of the country to improve their well-being through education.
Here are a few trips that have a women’s empowerment element to them:
Wildlife conservation
We pride ourselves on venturing to some of the furthest corners of Earth to experience the most unique nature & wildlife on the planet. From the silverback gorillas of Uganda to the majestic elephants of Thailand, there is a seemingly endless array of animals to witness. While most tourists simply scratch the surface looking at these creatures from the binoculars of their safari vehicles, we go deeper and spend time with the conservationists working tirelessly to protect this wildlife.
Whether releasing baby sea turtles into the ocean in Costa Rica, caring for Thailand’s dwindling elephant population, or lending a hand at a giant tortoise refuge in the Galapagos, you will experience intimate encounters with animals that you will never forget. And more importantly, your trip helps fund and support the conservancies and organizations that are protecting these creatures.
Here are a few trips that focus on wildlife conservation:
- Australia: Beachside Wildlife Adventure
- Uganda: Gorilla Conservation Adventure
- Thailand: Elephants & Islands Expedition
- Costa Rica: The Sea Turtle Initiative
Community Development
Discover Corps was founded on the belief that travel can enhance and preserve the character of a place: its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents. And it’s here in these communities that host our groups that we’ve developed extensions of the Discover Corps family. Many of these relationships span over a decade and have led to a range of positive outcomes that are all thanks to you – the intrepid traveler venturing out on one of our trips.
Given that we opt for locally-owned hotels, utilize small-scale suppliers and pay fair wages, each one of our itineraries contributes to the betterment of the local community. However, there are certain trips that do have an explicit focus on community development. From hosting educational projects in Tanzania and Peru to visiting Seeds of Light, an organization providing food security and education programs to youth in South Africa, we use our trips to improve the lives of people in the communities we visit and also support the integrity of a place, allowing it to retain the distinctive character that makes it unique. Not only is it the right thing to do, it also provides a richer experience for our travelers.
Here are some of our trips that focus on Community Development:
Environmental Preservation
We are committed to designing our trips so that they contribute to the preservation of both the local culture and the environment. This is crucial as many of the places that we visit have fragile ecosystems that need forward thinking solutions to ensure they endure for generations to come. We are committed to not only helping reduce our carbon footprint through optional carbon offsetting, but intertwine environmental initiatives into several of our itineraries. These range from helping to plant trees in rural Costa Rican village communities to visiting farmers in Cuba working to preserve their natural, untouched landscapes.
Here are several trips that have an environmental aspect to them:
