by Ron Mader

As part of the global celebration of World Environment Day, Planeta.com presents the tenth annual Colibri Ecotourism Awards honoring the work of Allan Rhodes and Verena Gerber.

The Colibri Ecotourism Award recognizes leaders who are at the forefront of innovative measures to protect cultural and natural heritage in Mexico. The winner of the 2010 Colibri Ecotoursm Award is Alan Rhodes. This year we also present the Colibri Ecolodge Award to Verena Gerber, founder of the EcoParaiso ecolodge.

“Allan stands at the forefront of Mexican ecotourism leaders who are equally talented in working with communities and officials on the ground and communicating this work online,” said Planeta.com founder Ron Mader. The development of Ecoturismo Genuino and its accompanying online community are thanks to Allan’s long-standing commitment to connecting players working in the virtual and natural worlds.

Mexico’s esteemed park system plays a critical role in protecting biodiversity while creating employment for locals. Allan’s work stands as a model for those integrating conservation and tourism in these areas.

“EcoParaiso offers responsible tourism and an alternative to mass tourism,” Mader said. “There is a growing market for smaller places that respect the environment. EcoParaiso has set a high standard and provides a positive financial impact for the people of Celestún and a positive environmental impact for the wilderness area of the Celestún Biosphere Reserve.

Background

As part of the global celebration of World Environment Day (June 5), Planeta.com presents the annual Colibri Ecotourism Award (2001-) to a leading catalyst working toward ecotourism and responsible travel in Mexico!

Things you can do to support the Colibri Ecotourism Award

Congratulate the winners!
Work with the winners!
Add the Colibri logo to your website
Talk up Mexico’s ecotourism and responsible travel options
Talk up Mexico’s ecotourism and responsible travel options on your website
Talk up Mexico’s ecotourism and responsible travel options using Web 2.0: Blog, Tweet and Flickr!
Support the winners by adding a link to their website and Web 2.0 channels
Add photos to the Colibri Flickr Groups: Re-Imagining North American Ecotourism, Si mas Bicicletas, Mexican palette, Birds of the World!, Árboles de Oaxaca (Oaxaca Trees) and Sustainable tea, coffee and chocolate
Fave the Colibri Slideshow