China Fleecing Locals over Tourism Trade

by Neil Woodburn on

China, once closed off to the outside world, is finally learning the monetary value of tourism. Unfortunately, according to a recent article by Don Lee, very little of it actually trickles down to the locals who live in or near popular attractions.

Lee uses the city of Hongcun as an example. Thanks to the popular movie, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” tourists now flock to this UNESCO heritage town. The tourist trade, however, is managed by the Beijing Zhongkun Investment Group. The company, owned by one of China’s richest people, collected $2.3 million in ticket sales last year from tourists visiting Hongcun. According to Lee, the company kept two-thirds of the profits and turned the remainder over to local government officials. Meanwhile, ordinary townsfolk have been forced to clean up their homes and to keep livestock out of view of the tourists. In return, they receive a paltry $90 per person for their efforts.

This is not an isolated occurrence. Lee explains that villagers near famous tourist sites are routinely under-compensated and taken advantage of by local governments or massive companies like the Beijing Zhongkun Investment Group. Some are even forced out of their homes or required to turn their land over to help build a lucrative tourist infrastructure from which few locals will ever benefit. In a land of few rights, most have no chance at a fair compensation.

So, does that mean a socially conscious person should never travel to China? No, not at all. Just be sure when visiting such areas to try and spend some money off the main tourist circuit. Injecting a cash flow directly into the hands of locals instead of the companies or governments which take advantage of them is always a much better option whenever possible.

Heal the Earth Equinox Gatherings

by Jamie Rhein on

Now, if I lived in Southern California, here’s where I’d head on Wednesday, March 21. At the Big Bear Discovery Center in the San Bernadino National Forest in California, there’s an event my 5-year old (and I) would jump at the chance to go to. The Spring Equinox Celebration combines nature and Native American culture in a day long event of story-telling, crafts, animals from Moonridge Animal Park and two EarthHEALCeremonies. The ceremonies are in conjunction with Gathering of Elders in Titicaca, Peru, also with an aim to heal the earth, both spiritually and environmentally. The mix of nature and peace is appealing to me, particularly since it provides a thematic approach to activities geared to parents and their caregivers. The Big Bear Discovery Center is a prototype for an urban forest center operated in partnership between the U.S. Forest Service and volunteers of the San Bernadino National Forest Association. There are other urban forest service visitor’s centers around the U.S. This one was the beginning.

The Gathering of Elders, March 19- 23, is a convergence of indigenous tribal elders who will be taking advantage of the timing of the Spring Equinox of 2007 to bring healing and peace to the world. Somehow, 2007 is a significant year having something to do with 500 years of darkness and bringing the Eagle and Condor together. If this is true, I hope the elders are able to turn the tides. At any rate, it’s comforting to know that the various indigenous groups are watching the earth’s back. The event in Peru is also something non-indigenous folks can go to. Although these particular earth healing events are connected to the Spring Equinox, there are other events throughout the year. Here is a weekend I came across in Vermont that will be the end of July.

Tampa Bay’s Big Cat Rescue

by Adrienne Wilson on

It was an easy breezy Saturday morn when I set out from my home with a close friend of mine to check out Tampa’s Big Cat Rescue. The animal attraction is only a good five miles away from my place and after three plus years of living in the area the perfect opportunity finally presented itself and I took the bull by the horns or in this case I should say the cat by the tail, or wait whiskers… Bad joke, guys. In all seriousness, please don’t grab any cat by the whiskers.

The Big Cat Rescue is a sanctuary for wild cats and I believe one of the worlds largest. The BCR provides a permanent retirement home for more than 100 lions, tigers, leopards, cougars, servals, caracals and sand cats to name only a few exotic felines. Most of the cats come from a turbulent past of cross-breeding, circus stages, and other sad tales which I’ll touch on later.

When we pulled up into the unpaved lot of the rescue leaves were blowing everywhere and there were several cheery volunteers up early waiting for each visitor’s arrival. Before entering you have sign off on a few simple rules. For instance teasing the big 400 lb. tiger is not advised and getting too close to the smaller servals could result in a nice bath of feline perfume. Follow the rules and you’re bound to have an enjoyable trip through the grounds. Our guide for the day was Denny, a volunteer who had been with the BCR for quite a while and a passionate animal lover. He jumped right into leading us through the path of the sanctuary. He described each cat like they were one of his grand-children and told the rest of us how we could get involved volunteering with the organization.


The group walks down the path to check out the next big kitty on the property.

If I’m not mistaken this would be Nikita and if I have the right cat then Nikita’s story is just the beginning of several horrific animal abuse tales Denny shared with us. To say the least, Nikita was found chained to a wall in a crack house during a drug bust in Tennessee.
I’ve never been a huge cat lover to be honest. I’ve lived with cats on occasion, but never by request really. Seeing all these beautiful animals, I could easily understand why someone might want to own one for show, but would imagine they’d be hell to take care of once they gain three times my weight and their teeth and paws grow into mighty fangs and claws. Denny revealed that a good many of the abused cats came from wealthy homes with owners that didn’t know what to do once the cats got a little bit bigger. There were some stories of cats being starved to keep them from growing so that they could be used in photographs with people and children. Our guide was also packed with information on what happens when animal and man interact when they very well shouldn’t. Most stories ended in a human being killed and the animal accused of murder though it was only doing what came natural. I could go on here, but I wouldn’t be nearly as good as our guide Denny or any guide leading the tours at the Big Cat Rescue, which is why I suggest if you’re in the Tampa, FL area to pay a visit to this attraction and sanctuary. Here are just a few more photos from my adventure in and out and details below on how to make your own day trip down.

Meet Cloe, a snow leopard with a very unusual away of saying hello or perhaps she is warning us to get away. My friend found her behavior very, very odd.

This African Lion, Cameron relaxes with his back turned to our group. He turned his head occasionally so that we could get a glimpse of his beautiful side profile, but otherwise stayed put.

Zabu is far to lazy to strike a pose for us during our visit, but after hearing the story of this white tigress I can happily excuse her for being so bored with our presence and cameras.

My memory fails to remind which bobcat this is exactly. I want to say Raindance, but in any event check out the BCR site to read the stories of this bobcat and the others. From escaping being slaughtered for their fur to departing owners that couldn’t tolerate their urinating on the floor they are as heart-wrenching as the rest.

Again, I can’t recall the name of this tiger. There are many at the BCR that come from the circus.

If you can’t make it to the Big Cat Rescue in person, start by paying a virtual visit to their website. It is loaded with pictures, information and more importantly ways to contribute to the organization and how to adopt one of the cats. Join them during one of the feeding tours or experience the animals during a night tour when almost all of them to come out. The night tour is one that I’m hoping to take part in one of these days on my next visit and sounds like a real treat as mentioned by my day guide, Denny. To find out more about the various tours, programs, hours, prices and how to get to the Big Cat Rescue click here.

Spring Equinox Ritual Celebration

by Jamie Rhein on

As I’m blowing my nose, yet again, wondering when this cold might end, and lamenting that yesterday’s 70 degrees and sunny has turned into today’s blustery grey complete with snowflakes, I’m thinking, “I could really use some spring renewal.”

I came across an event that would do just that. At Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve in southwestern Wisconsin, the Welcome Spring Festival, March 24, is a tribute to the Spring Equinox. This is a child-friendly event with crafts, nature walks, egg hunts, house-cleaning rituals and shared food. It sounds homey and nurturing which I think is the point.

The Circle Sanctuary Nature Preserve is not open for public use on most days, but during festivals, everyone is welcome. You do need to register. The sanctuary, on 200 acres of forested hills is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to nature preservation and healing. If you’re interested in finding out more information about the sanctuary and other spirit gatherings the website has much information.

Brit Skateboards Entire Length of the Outback

by Willy Volk on

No, not the restaurant — Dave Cornthwaite skateboarded the entire length of Australia!

Cornthwaite left Perth last August, hoping to raise money for a charity. Seven months and 3700 miles later, Cornthwaite arrived on the other edge of the sprawling country with a whopping $40,000 in donations, a whole load of blisters, and a new world record.

Claiming he’d do it again, Cornthwaite downplays his achievement: “I’m just an ordinary guy who’s just done something amazing… Just find what you want to do and go for it and a couple of years later, you can go back to normal life.”

[Via Hobolinks]