| MEXICO CITY -- As part of
Planeta.com's celebration of World Environment Day, Planeta.com
presents the first Colibri Lifetime Achievement Award is Hector
Ceballos-Lascurain, who coined the word ecotourism in 1983 and
has been an indefatigable proponent of environmentally sound
tourism.
Hector receives the Colibri ('Hummingbird') Lifetime
Achievement Award, which includes a trophy and a prize given
by Canyon
Travel, a prominent North American ecotourism operator. The United
Nations celebrates World Environment Day each year on June
5 as a way to stimulate worldwide awareness of the environment
and enhance political attention and action.
ABOUT THE COLIBRI AWARD
First presented in 2001, the Colibri Ecotourism Award is presented
to a leading authority and catalyst at the vanguard of ecotourism.
We recognize that ecotourism
depends on the leadership of individuals who are resourceful
and innovative. To honor the pioneers in this field, we pay
our respect via the Colibri Ecotourism Award.
Ecotourism depends on the leadership of individuals who are
bold enough to bridge the traditional divisions between tourism
and the environment. The decision of who wins the Colibri is
made by Planeta.com Webhost Ron Mader with consultation from
members of the Mexico
Ecotourism Network.
WINNER
Hector
Ceballos-Lascurain has carried out work in practically every
field of ecotourism in 72 countries around the world, including
the design and building of ecolodges and other environmentally-friendly
facilities in a dozen countries.
"By recognizing the vision and the achievements of ecotourism
pioneers, the Colibri Award pays an overdue homage to those
whose work celebrates the intersection of conservation ethics
and responsible tourism," said Mader.
In 2004 Hector worked in ecotourism and ecolodge
development in Quintana Roo and Veracruz, Mexico as well as
in Egypt, the Canary Islands (Spain),
and the Dominican
Republic. He also conducted courses on ecolodges in Mexico,
Brazil and
Peru.
This year he is designing an exclusive eco-retreat in a pristine
forest and coastal area of the Dominican
Republic. The retreat will offer ecotherapy, a technique
of healing through contact with undisturbed nature. It is being
developed in several prestigious institutions such as Harvard
Medical School, Mayo Clinic and Salk Institute. The design includes
three different ecolodges and a total of 60 cabins incorporating
local building materials, organic architectural forms and alternative
energy sources (photovoltaic systems, solar energy water heating,
ecological waste treatment through artificial wetland systems
and anaerobic bioseptic tanks).
In Mexico's Quintana Roo, Hector is developing three ecotourism
master plans in the southern region of the Yucatan peninsula,
with emphasis on local community involvement and environmentally-friendly
coastal and marine development in the Chetumal Bay Manatee Reserve.
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