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Abercrombie & Kent® and The Nature Conservancy® Host Journeys to the World’s Last Great Places

OAK BROOK, IL — January 11, 2007 — Today, luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent (A&K) and The Nature Conservancy, a leading conservation organization, announced an innovative partnership to create conservation adventures in some of the world’s most awe-inspiring places.

“Guests will experience the beauty of these remarkable destinations, and then delve beneath the surface to see them through the eyes of Conservancy experts,” explains George Morgan-Grenville, president of Abercrombie & Kent. “These adventures offer the signature A&K experience — a unique adventure highlighted by luxury and authenticity — in some of the biologically richest and yet most threatened places on the planet.”

Travel to Brazil For more information and a detailed itinerary for the Brazil trip, visit Abercrombie & Kent. Frilled coquette hummingbirds Photo © Carlos Renato Fernandes

The partnership is an extension of The Nature Conservancy’s commitment to increase people’s awareness of the last great places on earth through travel, education, and outreach.

“We believe that experiencing these places is the most effective way to demonstrate the interrelationship between the flora, fauna, land and water, and human communities – and why protection for these natural places is important,” explains M.A. Sanjayan, Lead Scientist for The Nature Conservancy.

“In addition to remarkable wildlife viewing, guests will gain an understanding of the profound complexities that shape these extraordinary places and the challenges we face in preserving them for future generations.”

A Commitment to Protecting the Places Visited

For 2007, The Nature Conservancy and Abercrombie & Kent journeys include Brazil’s Pantanal (May 14-26); the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea (June 17-29); the mainland Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands (August 11-21); Southern Africa (September 23-October 4); and the tropical rainforests of the Peruvian Amazon (October 19-November 1).

A portion of the proceeds from each trip directly benefits The Nature Conservancy programs in that region. Program participants automatically receive a one-year membership to The Nature Conservancy and subscription to the organization’s award-winning magazine.

Trip Descriptions:

• BRAZIL
  May 14-26, 2007
  Explore the Atlantic Forest from a lodge located within a nature reserve and learn about the Conservancy’s efforts to combat climate change through innovative work on the ground. Travel through the Pantanal, South America’s Everglades and the world’s largest wetlands. The diversity of life is remarkable: giant river otters, jaguars, marsh deer, tapirs and 650 bird species including cormorants, egrets, herons, hyacinthine macaws, ibis, jabiru storks and roseate spoonbills. Hosted by Luciana Honigman, a zoologist and former Director of Conservation Science for the Conservancy’s Brazil program in Brasília.
• PAPUA NEW GUINEA
  June 18-29, 2007
  Papua New Guinea’s raw essence draws intrepid travelers the world over; its remarkably pristine environment and distinct local communities inhabit a world unlike any other. Explore this unique place with the Conservancy’s Paul Lokani, a Pacific Islands expert on coastal fisheries, who directs the Conservancy’s work in the area. Visit local villages and learn about the indigenous people and their traditions, explore high-mountain jungles full of roaring waterfalls and towering trees and snorkel or scuba dive in one of the world’s premier coral reef systems.
• MAINLAND ECUADOR & THE GALAPAGOS
  August 11-21, 2007
  As the living laboratory where Darwin conceived the theory of evolution, it’s difficult to overstate the importance of the Galapagos for conservation and biological diversity. Explore one of the world’s natural wonders in the context of the conservation efforts that protect this remote archipelago. Begin in Quito, with a visit to one of the finest private art collections in South America, before boarding ‘Beluga,’ a 110-foot yacht that will take you around the islands in style and comfort. After returning to the mainland, explore the Andean cloud forest, relax in natural volcanic hot spring waters, and tour the Condor Bioreserve, a unique sanctuary for the planet’s largest flying bird.
• SOUTHERN AFRICA
  September 23-October 4, 2007
  Southern Africa is a region of incredible diversity: in landscape, wildlife and culture. Visit the “cradle of humankind,” a globally significant anthropological site with caves containing hominid fossils. Travel to Victoria Falls, an awe-inspiring natural treasure nearly a mile wide, before beginning your luxury safari in the pristine South Luangwa Valley and the lush Okavango Delta. M.A. Sanjayan, a Conservancy lead scientist who has appeared in BBC and National Geographic documentaries, will accompany you in the bush. Includes wildlife-viewing by dugout canoe, guided walks and 4x4 vehicles.
• PERU
  October 19-November 1, 2007
  Peru’s multicultural ancestry, breathtaking geography and cultural treasures make it a destination for travelers the world over. After exploring Lima and its colonial charm, take to the waters of the Amazon for seven nights aboard ‘La Turquesa.’ Traveling down the river with Conservancy experts, you have unparalleled access to the abundant wildlife and unique ecosystems that make the Amazon Basin such an important place. Returning to land, hike the ruins of Machu Picchu in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The Conservancy’s former Peru Country Program Director, Bill Ulfelder, will share his insights into the natural and human histories of the region and his experience with innovative conservation strategies such as “debt-for-nature” swaps.

Inspiring Experiences^SM

A deep-rooted concern for the natural world infuses each and every Nature Conservancy/Abercrombie & Kent (www.abercrombiekent.com) journey. A&K specializes in providing the expertise and unobtrusive support required for travellers to experience areas “off the beaten track” in comfort and in style. From eco-lodges to permanent tented safari camps, the carefully chosen accommodations in The Nature Conservancy itineraries blend with the environment without sacrificing creature comforts. Travel with Abercrombie & Kent combines the convenience, service and security of a U.S.-based company with support 24/7 from a network of 50 on-site offices that ensure access in A&K’s personalized, low-profile and intelligent style.

Global Reach, Local Results

The Nature Conservancy (www.nature.org) is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific.

For reservations or additional information, contact your travel professional or call (888) 785-5379. Download day-by-day itineraries at www.abercrombiekent.com/tnc

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization working to protect the most ecologically important lands and waters around the world for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.