Status update March 2020 – 2021 expedition dates and options to defer from 2020 to 2021

With the situation what it is now, and as we have previously announced on this blog, our worst case planning includes severe restrictions to all 2020 expeditions. At the same time we have worked with our local partners to confirm all 2021 dates, which are now set as:

ARABIA: 18 – 25 January 2021
KENYA: 31 January – 12 February | 14 – 26 February 2021
AZORES: 1 – 10 April | 12 – 21 April 2021
COSTA RICA: 3 – 10 May 2021
ARMENIA: 4 – 16 July 2021
SWEDEN: 19 – 26 June 2021
TIEN SHAN: 12 – 24 July | 26 July – 7 August 2021
GERMANY: 26 June – 2 July | 3 – 9 July 2021
MALDIVES: 28 Aug – 3 Sep 2021
MALAWI: 12 – 24 September | 26 September – 8 October 2021
THAILAND: 8 – 16 November 2021
SOUTH AFRICA: 5 – 17 December 2021

What we mean by “severe restrictions” is one of three scenarios (also as previously communicated on this blog):

1. Running our projects with local staff and partners only, without the involvement of citizen scientists from abroad; this is our preferred option when the coronavirus crisis makes citizen scientist involvement impossible, because we feel very strongly about the need for continued conservation efforts and supporting our local partners and staff despite, or indeed because of, the unprecedented and very difficult circumstances.

2. Cancelling an expedition entirely without local partners and staff conducting any research and conservation work; this is our least preferred option, because it would leave our local partners in the lurch and would mean that no conservation efforts are being made.

3. Running expeditions where possible as planned and with those citizen scientists who are willing and able to attend; this option now seems increasingly unlikely for expeditions in 2020; if (against expectations) it becomes a reasonable and safe option again, we will act and inform accordingly.

We will announce which path an expedition will go down 4-6 weeks in advance of the expedition’s start date.

Please also see our newly instigated coronavirus appeal to help our local partners and staff get through this crisis, and give generously, if you can!