iExplore launches SaveTheGalapagos.org to Assist in the Galapagos Islands Crisis
iExplore Will Donate a Portion of Trip Sales to
Emergency Clean-Up and Recovery Efforts
CHICAGO, January 24, 2001-- iExplore, Inc. (www.iExplore.com) today announced a multi-faceted campaign to provide financial and promotional assistance towards the clean-up and recovery efforts of the recent oil spill threatening the Galapagos Islands. iExplore designed this program to increase public awareness to the gravity of this crisis and to provide a means for iExplore, its members and the general public to directly offer financial and volunteer support.
The Galapagos Islands--home to more than 5,000 rare species of birds and animals where Charles Darwin pioneered his theories on evolution--are under threat of long-term damage due to an oil tanker spill a half-mile off the archipelago's coast on January 17, 2001. To date, more than 150,000 gallons of diesel and bunker fuel have been released into the ocean, threatening the fragile and irreplaceable wildlife and ecosystem of the Galapagos National Park. Ecuadorian President Gustavo Noboa declared a national state of emergency on January 22, 2001 and has appealed for international aid to resolve this crisis.
In response to the crisis, iExplore launched www.SaveTheGalapagos.org, a resource designed to educate the general public on this crisis and to solicit public donations to the oil spill initiatives being managed by the Charles Darwin Foundation. People can also visit the site for information on volunteering in the clean-up effort. More than 35 links to related articles about the oil spill, and about the Galapagos Islands in general, provide a comprehensive overview of the situation. In addition, iExplore is contributing a portion of all trips sold by iExplore between January 17, 2001, the date of the oil spill, and February 28, 2001, to the recovery effort.
As a contributing member of The Ecotourism Society, iExplore is committed to supporting environmentally responsible travel worldwide.
###
