Dear Fellow Adventures,

I created Green Planet Expeditions as a result of more than 20 years of working as a photographer, guide, and creating wildlife adventures that brought people around the world to view animals in their natural habitat. During that time, the people who traveled with me, and the people I met in the different countries I visited, change me profoundly.

Through wildlife travel I found a connection to people that I felt was important to share with everyone. Unfortunately, the programs I conducted gave my guests only passive experiences with the daily lives of the people we met along the way. “Take only photos and leave only footprints,” is the credo many of us have lived by. I have thought about that phrase so often and I thought it was how I wanted to run the tours that I guided. Then, I was part of a project that changed the way I felt about travel. My colleague, and Director of our sister company Mondo Verde Expeditions (Green Planet in Spanish) www.mondove.com , Mario Corvetto and I, took a group of photographers to a village high in the Peruvian Andes and photographed most of the people of the village. Two days later, the photographic images we had made were given back to the people of the village. The impact was tremendous both on the photographers and the photographed. I realized then that no matter how hard we try, we always leave more then footprints.

The people and places we visit affect us, but the people we visit are also affected by us. It is time to embrace the idea that we can add to the lives of people in far away lands. We can do more than visit a native village; we can participate in their life experience with them.  We at Green Planet and Mondo Verde Expeditions recognize the fact that even though the footprints we make in the sand fade away, the footprints we leave in the hearts of people can last a lifetime. Along with the cultural and culinary tours that Mondo Verde offers, and the wildlife tours presented through Green Planet Expeditions, we are connecting people throughout the world. Our programs will do nothing less then change your life. We invite you to share a meal with a local family in Rwanda, talk about the customs of tribal life on a walk on the Serengeti of Tanzania with a Massai warrior, or learn about traditional weaving as you are shown how to work home made yarn from a woman in Peru. Combine this with the wildlife adventures you thought only existed on the Discovery Channel and it will change the way you view your place in the world.

Together we can create bridges between peoples and cultures through our travel experiences. Our unique and customized travel programs are designed to create a greater understanding of our place in the natural world and the importance of conservation and sustainable approaches to development. Our journeys are designed to bring travelers in close, to interact with nature and cultures rather than being a passive observer, while at the same time fully respecting the natural places and people we encounter. We believe our business is not separate from the communities and places we visit and we feel strongly about supporting the people and organizations making a difference. We design and operate programs for individuals, families and institutional clients, join us as we leave more than footprints.

Steven Morello
Director