On location in the Pantanal
Greens and Glaciers
Greens and Glaciers is a husband-and-wife-run ecotourism and conservation photography blog and guide. In the midst of the Anthropocene, we are racing extinction, deforestation, rising seas and a warming atmosphere to document the planet’s threatened places and vulnerable species. Our goal is to showcase the wild earth of long ago that lives on and share with others how to experience these adventures themselves.
Our philosophy maintains that in order for the principles of conservation to take root in modern civilization, mankind must form a personal bond with the wild places of the planet. While there is a worthy argument for keeping fragile natural areas completely restricted from human presence, if done responsibly and conscientiously, we feel that experiencing awe in the natural world can be paramount in motivating people to protect it.
We also aim to further land and wildlife conservation by promoting and highlighting specific ethical ecotourism initiatives. Many environmental projects and organizations are privately run and rely on the funding and support of travelers and visitors for the resources they require to keep their preservation missions going. What’s more, tourism-based economics can be a critical conservation tool. In parts of the world that experience human-wildlife conflict or natural resource strife, the environment, its animals and plants included, must be more valuable alive, intact, and sustainably-sourced than it is hunted, degraded or harvested. When local economies monetarily benefit from the returns of ecotourism, natural resources become long-term profitable annuities as opposed to a short-term commercial commodities, empowering local populations to become active participants in their conservation.
If given the option, most people inherently want to experience amazing eco-adventures while doing the most good through travel, but given the overwhelming amount of, and sometimes misleading, information, that can be challenging. Greens and Glaciers strives to be a credible source of information to help you accomplish that.
While the name, Greens and Glaciers, is inspired by two of the most endangered and critically important global ecosystems: tropical forests and polar regions, you will find that we cover all of the planet’s treasured biomes.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Itineraries and tips rooted in respect and concern for imperiled flora and fauna
Transparent, honest reflections regarding the ethics of ecotourism, particularly when we don’t get it right or are disappointed with an experience
WHAT NOT TO EXPECT:
Inaccessible, unrealistic, or unaffordable travel - while those terms are highly subjective, let’s just say we’re not millionaires nor do we have unlimited time off of work. We are normal, working Americans and travel within the constraints of other regular people. We believe there are conservation stories to tell both across the world and in our backyard, ones that can require a high level of activity and low. We take pride in offering a diversity of experiences.
Actions and behavior that contribute to the degradation of the environment or harassment of wildlife, including selfie-safaris, animal captivity, and unsustainably-sourced souvenirs
ITS CREATORS: MATT AND CARISSA
Carissa’s life passion for discovering the last truly wild places on this planet existed long before Greens and Glaciers. However, for years, she was primarily inspired to document them through photography for her future children and grandchildren, whom she feared would know a vastly different and rapidly changing planet devastated by climate change. And so, while she traveled to seven continents, over time, her photos amassed on hard drives, travel contacts and itineraries accumulated in Gmail, and her audience remained comprised solely of a small, personal circle. Fellow travelers who observed her photographing on location would ask where they could view her work, but she never considered publishing them.
Finally, after years of persuasion, Greens and Glaciers became her husband’s brainchild when he finally convinced her to put together a publicly curated gallery and travel journal. With the natural world under threat, she knew she needed to do more and hoped this could inspire others to do the same. Now, through Greens and Glaciers, Matt and Carissa hope to widen their audience and dedicate their work not just for future generations, but by sharing their ecotourism tips, to move existing generations to explore the Earth’s last great places, both near and far, so that they take up the banner of conservation themselves.
In a time when we are constantly bombarded by grim planetary prognoses, it’s easy to understand how distraught, distressed, and demoralized feelings can take hold. Particularly when human activity is the driver of climate change, it’s not hyperbole to admit that some environmentalists even struggle with a crisis of faith in humanity. Greens and Glaciers also hopes to be a source of catharsis from which we can derive hope by focusing on the dedication and work of our fellow man fighting for the future of the place we all call home.