DELRAY BEACH, FL, Sept. 22, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
The TreadRight
Foundation
, a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation's family of
brands, celebrates "World Rhino Day 2014" with the
unveiling of The TreadRight
Wildlife Initiative. This initiative introduces a
compelling new approach to its sustainability efforts, providing
comprehensive aid in its support of the fight against wildlife
crime.
In its first year, The TreadRight Wildlife
Initiative focuses its support on the plight of
the rhino and the fight against illegal wildlife
trafficking, a critical threat of unprecedented
proportions. Never before has the illegal wildlife trade seen such
a surge in poaching, smuggling and sales. The extremely
erroneous and harmful belief by some that rhino horns can
cure fevers, blood disorders, gout, cancers and a plethora
of other ailments has brought all five remaining species of rhino
to the edge of extinction.
Wildlife organizations face an uphill battle against a highly
sophisticated and pervasive foe. Protecting some of the most
at-risk animals on the planet requires considerable resources,
significant aid and enduring dedication. It is with this is in mind
that The TreadRight Foundation has forged partnerships with
leading wildlife organizations to support the defense and
conservation of these otherwise helpless animals.
In partnering with WildAid, the foundation backs an
organization with a successful track record in reducing the
demand for illegal wildlife products by educating
the public through poignant multimedia campaigns,
prominent partnerships and an extensive international network of
influencers.
The TreadRight Foundation's continued support of the Endangered
Wildlife Trust's Rhino Conservation Project, in
conjunction with African Travel, Inc. and Lion
World Travel, helps the organization deliver wildlife
crime interventions at several stages in the poaching and
wildlife trade chain, including care for orphaned baby
rhinos.
African Travel, Inc. is proud
to be an active founder and supporter of TreadRight's projects and
work. The principles of conservation and leadership serve to guide
all actions from the regional offices beyond, and African Travel,
Inc. encourages their various partners to do the same. By
providing grants to organizations that encourage
sustainability in different destinations, the hope is to
maintain the natural attractions that define each unique
region.
Lion World Travel is
haunted by the plight of the rhino, and conservation-based tourism
is an integral part of their commitment to providing guests with a
magical African safari. They believe that tourism is one of the
most powerful tools against poaching, and Lion World Travel has
committed to donate $0.50 to The Endangered Wildlife Trust
every time their "Help Save the Rhinos" page is shared on
social media using #ShareIfYouCare or #50for50 . The goal
is to reach 20,000 shares for a total of $10,000 to be donated to
the Rhino Project in honor of the company's 50th anniversary this
year.
"Bringing multiple project partners across multiple brands together
under one banner, The TreadRight Wildlife Initiative looks to
further the foundation's commitment to the future now, by
highlighting an urgent and desperate cause," said Brett
Tollman, CEO, The Travel Corporation. "The staggering and
disturbing statistics associated with the illegal wildlife trade,
combined with the horrific stories and images from the frontline of
this fight in the south of Africa - a place close to the hearts of
my family and of The Travel Corporation - cannot and will not go
ignored."
This marks the first official initiative launched
by The TreadRight Foundation and signals a contemporary and
engaging approach to its sustainable efforts, further confirming
its complete dedication to help ensure the environments and
communities we visit remain vibrant for generations to
come.
Join the conversation using the hashtag #LetsTreadRight on Facebook and Twitter.
About The TreadRight Foundation
At African Travel, Inc., Lion World Travel, and parent company The Travel Corporation, we understand that travel matters; it allows us to explore the world and gain a deeper understanding of each destination, its history and culture, through enriching experiences. We also recognize that it is our responsibility to help protect the places we visit and take care of the world around us.
Created as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation's family of brands, The TreadRight Foundation is a not-for-profit that works to help ensure the environment and communities we visit remain vibrant and preserved for generations to come. To date, TreadRight has donated more than USD 2.5 million to sustainable tourism projects worldwide. African Travel, Inc. and Lion World Travel are proud to be active founders and supporters of TreadRight's projects and work. Go to www.africantravelinc.com/about/sustainable-tourism and www.lionworldtravel.com/about-us/social-responsibility to learn more.
TreadRight's guiding principle is to encourage sustainable
tourism development through conservation, leadership and support
for communities. We encourage each of our partners to use this
principle to guide all of their actions, whether at our regional
offices or when taking guests around the world. By providing grants
to organizations that encourage sustainability in different
destinations, we hope to maintain the natural attractions across
the world that define each unique region. Foundation priorities are
set by the Steering Committee, which includes sustainability
leaders like Céline Cousteau and Costas Christ.
To learn more about our past and current work at TreadRight, please visit us at TreadRight.org.
About WildAid
WildAid's mission is to end the
illegal wildlife trade in our lifetimes by reducing demand through
public awareness campaigns and providing comprehensive marine
protection. WildAid is the only organization focused on reducing
the demand for these products, with the strong and simple message:
"When the buying stops, the killing can
too."
With an unrivalled portfolio of celebrity ambassadors and global
network of media partners, we are able to deliver high-impact,
culturally-sensitive multimedia campaigns, leveraging well over USD
$200 million in pro-bono media support, and reaching one billion
people every week.
About The Wilderness Foundation
The Wilderness Foundation is a
project-driven conservation and leadership organization that
encourages, plans and protects wild lands and wilderness, uplifts
the knowledge and lives of citizens and stimulates an environmental
ethos among current and future leaders. We envisage a world that
has sufficient intact natural ecosystems and wilderness areas that
are valued and effectively protected for the benefit of all
species.