Jennifer Morfín Wins 2005 Colibri Ecotourism Achievement Award
As part of the global celebration of World Environment Day, Planeta.com presents the fifth annual Colibri Ecotourism Achievement Award to Jennifer Morfín Morgan
(PRWEB) June 4, 2005 -- Planeta.com - As part of the global celebration of
World Environment Day, Planeta.com presents the fifth annual Colibri Ecotourism
Achievement Award to Jennifer Morfín Morgan
About the Colibri
Award
First presented in 2001, the Colibri Ecotourism Achievement Award is
presented to a leading catalyst working toward ecotourism in
Mexico.
Colibri means "Hummingbird" in Spanish and the Colibri Award is
celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2005. The winner of the annual award
receives a trophy, diploma and a $1,000 cash award from Emilio Kifuri, president
of Canyon Travel.
The winner of the Colibri Award is selected by
Planeta.com founder Ron Mader with consultation from members of the Mexico
Ecotourism Network.
"Ecotourism depends on the leadership of individuals
who are resourceful and innovative and who are bold enough to bridge the
traditional divisions between tourism and the environment," said Planeta.com
founder Ron Mader.
"Mexico is one of the world's mega diverse countries
with one of the most successful tourism industries," said Emilio Kifuri. "If
ecotourism is ever to overtake the senseless destruction of the world's natural
areas, it certainly has to develop at a much faster pace. We feel fortunate to
be in a position to demonstrate to the tourism industry that ecotourism can be
more profitable than mainstream tourism. It is this potential for profit that
has the greatest ability to cause the most profound changes."
Planeta.com will participate in several environmental events in Mexico
City during the World Environment Day weekend and will present the Colibri on
the waters of the Xochimilco Gardens.
"If we desire to make our cities
greener, making tourism greener is a great step forward," said Mader, adding
that urban ecotourism is a reality in Mexico City with such pioneering projects
as the ciclovia (bike path) and the hiking and biking trails in the Ajusco
mountains.
Planeta.com is no stranger to city-based nature tourism,
having hosted the 2004 Conference on Urban Ecotourism. Participants at that
event agreed upon the Urban Ecotourism Declaration, a collective response to a
common challenge - making urban spaces more livable while protecting
biodiversity.
Winner
Jennifer Morfín Morgan's interest in ecotourism
began when she began working at the Mexican Nature Conservation Fund (FMCN) and
took part in several online conferences hosted by Planeta.com to see whether
tourism could benefit conservation.
Jennifer's work with communities goes
back 10 years. She received her bachelor's degree in International Affairs at
Mexico City's Universidad Iberoamericana and recently received a masters degree
in Sustainable Tourism Management from the International Cooperation University
of Costa Rica.
Her tenure at the FMCN began in 2000 and she was part of a
team that created the Mexican Conservation Learning Network (IMAC). Jennifer's
work at IMAC is that of a web-savvy training manager specializing in sustainable
tourism and wildfire management.
Jennifer describes her work as a way
that connects conservation in the natural world with improving communication
using a variety of media:
"I believe that promoting communication among
institutions and communities links people with similar interests in a way that
encourages transparency and sustainable development," she said. "Sustainable
development has renewed purpose when we use current technology to improve not
only what we know, but how we collaborate and learn new things that improve our
quality of life."
Jennifer's interest in sustainable tourism and
ecotourism continues as IMAC strengths its coverage and Jennifer continues to
work face-to-face with community leaders.
Feedback
Jenny is one of the
most dedicated people I know in the conservation field, besides being one of the
most efficient people I have worked with! Certainly she deserves it!
- Edna
Aguinaga
Totalmente de acuerdo con que Jennifer sea este año la ganadora
del Premio Colibrí. Me entusiasma la idea. Más allá de que sea una amiga. Poca
gente hay en iniciativas ligadas a gobierno que hayan favorecido al ecoturismo,
Jennifer es una de ellas, quien además tiene un gran entusiasmo.
- Fernando
Garcia Aguinaco
I completely agree with Jennifer's designation as a
recipient of the 2005 Colibri Award. Her work in IMAC has been outstanding and
she fully deserves this award.
- Hector Ceballos-Lascurain
Of course
Jennifer has all the qualifications for the Colibri Award. She has done a
marvelous work and, as you say, her dedication to the "cause" is
remarkable.
- Verena Gerber
Excelente la propuesta para que Jennifer
sea acreedora al Premio Colibrí 2005.
- Angel Nieva
About World
Environment Day
The United Nations General Assembly established the first
World Environment Day in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on
the Human Environment. 2005 spotlights green cities.
Planeta.com is
submitting our Declaration on Urban Ecotourism (the theme of our 2004 online
conference) to the organizers of WED 2005. The declaration is a collective
response to a common challenge -- making urban spaces more livable while
protecting biodiversity.
Organizers
Planeta.com
- http://www.planeta.com
Canyon Travel
- http://www.canyontravel.com
References
Colibri
Award
- http://www.planeta.com/colibri.html
World Environment
Day
- http://www.unep.org/wed
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb247230.htm