Month: May 2021

In March we decided to defer all 2021 expeditions to 2022 and to concentrate on restarting in that year. Now for the first time in many months, the outlook is starting to look better. In particular, people can now see the light at the end of the tunnel and are starting to dare signing up again for 2022 expedition. This, combined with deferrers from the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, means that teams are filling up for many expeditions. For example:

• Our Arabia desert species expedition in January 2022 now only has a few places left.
• Our Kenya Maasai Mara biodiversity expedition in February 2022 is now full except one vacancy, so we have have opened up another group 27 February – 11 March 2022, which is filling up also. 
• Our Azores whale & dolphin expedition in March/April 2022 has three groups now. The middle group is full, there is only one vacancy in the last group and the (new) first group is half-full already also.

Expeditions further down the 2022 timeline are by and large not looking bad either. Given that it’s over a year now until they happen, hopefully, this is not surprising.

Of course, as we have said before, ultimately we will only get ahead of this virus together as one world, but in terms of 2022 expeditions, this is the first time in over a year that we can dare dream and make some plans.

All this is of course assuming that we will make it into 2022. But we are close to reaching that goal too and we still need just over €4,000 to ensure we do so. So please give to our survival fundraiser to help us get there, if you can, and also join one of our expeditions in 2022 too!

After our March decision to defer all 2021 expeditions to 2022 and to concentrate on restarting in 2022, we are still on that trajectory, but the outlook for where most of our citizen scientists come from (Western Europe, North America and Australia/New Zealand) is improving with light at the end of the tunnel more visible by the day. Of course ultimately we will only get ahead of this virus together as one world, but in terms of 2022 expeditions, this is the first time in over a year that we can dare dream and make some plans.

This is because vaccination programmes in Western Europe, North America and Australia/New Zealand should be complete later in 2021. And because vaccines block most transmissions of the virus  and protection from Covid-19 for those vaccinated is very good,  the list of countries opening up for vaccinated people is growing by the day. We are therefore optimistic that the majority of expeditions in 2022 will be able to run.

And to be honest, we need this to happen, because after what will then be almost two years without expeditions, our resources are low. In fact, we still need just over €5,000 to ensure we make it to 2022, so please give to our appeal for this, if you can.

Assuming that we will be able to raise that amount – and given the generosity of supporters so far, we are optimistic that we will be able to – we are planning on starting to get back to something approaching normal starting in 2022.

All in all, it is good to see the light at the end of the tunnel getting bigger and to be able to look at the way ahead with optimism again, re-booting our work in wildlife conservation, which is now more important than ever.

Join us in this optimism and on an expedition in 2022, if you can!