Apr.11.2021
It takes some doing to get to Fiji but once you look up at a night sky full of the Southern Cross stars, feel the soft breeze, and the warm smiles of your hosts fill your heart, jet lag will evaporate or nearly. I can still hear the soft harmonies of a trio of guitarists at dinner on my first night on Taveuni, Fijiâs third-largest island. We were close to the Namena Marine Reserve, which Jacques Cousteau helped create. He inspired thousands of divers and snorkelers to visit local waters that are home to whales, dolphins, a vast variety of corals, at least four species of sea turtles, and more than a thousand species of fish.
In Mexico’s vibrant forests, locals adapt to a year without tourists
Ecotourism and conservation efforts go hand-in-hand. What happens when the tourists disappear?
ByAnnelise Jolley
Email
When she was 10 years old, Ana Moreno watched buses full of tourists pull into her village. They had come to see the monarch butterflies, which arrive in flurries each November and stay the winter in the Sierra Madre’s forested peaks. Moreno watched the monarch enthusiasts pour from buses, chattering to each other. She thought to herself, “How is it possible that I don’t speak English?”
Moreno went on to study tourism and learn English at university. Her goal was to become a butterfly guide and lead tours into the forest. Moreno’s father had worked as a forest ranger, and on several occasions she accompanied him up the mountain to see the monarch colonies. “I wanted to be up there every single day,” she says.