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[acc_item title="The Holbrook Story"]

When Giovanna Holbrook took on the challenge of leading two University of Florida science professors and a group of naturalists to the Galápagos Islands in 1971, she had no way of knowing the lasting impact that experience would have on her life and on the lives of those traveling with her. Foregoing some creature comforts, the group journeyed throughout the archipelago aboard a retired navy vessel, propelled by their spirit of adventure and thirst for knowledge. At that time, the Galápagos was just celebrating its twelfth year as a national park, conservation work at the Charles Darwin Research Station was still in its infancy, and tourism in the islands was virtually non-existent.

Spurred by memories of her pioneering voyage to the Galapagos, a lifelong love of travel, and close ties to the local academic community, Giovanna embarked on a mission to design travel programs that were both educational and affordable. Her tireless efforts led to the birth of Holbrook Travel a few years later in 1974. Taking its first baby steps, Holbrook Travel focused on creating and running natural history programs for professors and students from the University of Florida and Santa Fé Community College in Gainesville, Florida. The company continued to grow and mature throughout the ensuing y ears, building relationships with a variety of organizations throughout the U.S. and overseas, and increasing its selection of travel destinations and program offerings.

In 1984, during the course of running a birding program in Costa Rica for the Pittsburgh Aviary, Giovanna Holbrook came across a large forested property in the Sarapiquí region that was in danger of being timbered. The owners wished to sell the 500 acres of mostly old growth forest and had already begun cutting some of the trees for lumber. When Giovanna saw a felled 900-year-old tree lying on the ground, she realized that appreciating nature and sharing its wonders with others was no longer enough—she also had to play a part in protecting and caring for it.

It took almost one year to raise the money, but by 1985 Giovanna was able to return to Costa Rica and buy the land. The once endangered forest became a private rainforest reserve and one of the country’s first eco-lodges, the Selva Verde Lodge and Rainforest Reserve. Selva Verde now plays an important role in the San Juan-La Selva Biological Corridor and the greater Mesoamerican Biological Corridor initiative, a proposal to create a corridor of protected habitats extending from Mexico and Belize all the way to Panama.

More than thirty years later, Holbrook Travel continues to serve the needs of teachers, students, academic institutions, and nature lovers. Although many changes have taken place over the years, Holbrook Travel has taken great care to remain true to its roots. As news of environmental concerns and world conflicts continue to fill the airwaves, it seems more important than ever to help people gain a better understanding and appreciation of the natural world and other cultures through first-hand experiences. In the words of Andrea Holbrook, president: “Our goal is to try to continue the great work my mother started.”

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[acc_item title="Ecotourism"]

Holbrook leads the way in fostering best practices of ethical and ecological travel. Since Giovanna Holbrook first brought a group of scientists and visitors to the Galapagos Islands in the 1970s, Holbrook has been at the forefront of eco-tourism and responsible travel.

Philosophy

Holbrook understands, as many clients do, that to visit a place involves interaction with the host country, its people and its environment. Holbrook believes in offering travel programs that help travelers, businesses and host country nationals to conserve the environment and improve the well being of local people.

Whether known as eco-tourism trips, sustainable travel or geotourism, tours are underpinned with the principles of respect and sustainability to help protect natural resources and benefit local culture.

Holbrook takes active steps to minimize any negative impacts travel might have on a host country’s sense of place or character, its culture or its natural systems. In every planned travel program, Holbrook identifies those in-country partners be they tour operators, hotel providers, or guides that adhere to the best practices in sustainable travel. This helps to develop demand for environmentally and socially conscious travel providers in the more than 30 countries Holbrook works.

Partners

Holbrook also partners with Rainforest Alliance, which has established a certification system to encourage and influence consumers to purchase certified travel products. Rainforest Alliance verifies the certifications of end providers and in-country tour operators in eight countries. It also provides training in energy saving and workshops and information on best practices in sustainable tourism. To Rainforest Alliance and to its clients, Holbrook has pledged certification of it travel suppliers.

As the world becomes aware of the potential damages caused by transport and air travel, Holbrook has partnered with Climate Safe to easily allow clients to off set the carbon produced during their educational and personal in-country travel. Holbrook has long participated in sustainable global travel by supporting local conservation projects and non-governmental organizations that work in the local community and community-based conservation programs that advance conservation. Holbrook uses its knowledge to educate travelers about environmental issues on a local and global level, and follows the principles of ecotourism to foster positive experiences for travelers and locals alike.

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[acc_item title="Academic Credits"]

Since 1974, Holbrook has led more than 70,000 students to the far reaches of the world. Over the years, Holbrook’s travel programs have immersed students in new ecosystems and cultures, improved students’ content area knowledge and invigorated their passion for subject areas.

To provide this valuable experience to students, Holbrook partners with academic institutions to provide travel programs that qualify for academic credit at the pre-college, undergraduate or graduate levels in specific disciplines.

Holbrook's academic travel programs team consists of both educators and travel professionals. This team works together to design hands-on, in-depth study programs to ecologically and sociologically significant destinations across the globe.

Pre-college credit and undergraduate credit

Holbrook supports high school juniors and seniors in obtaining pre-college credits for some travel programs. These credits, offered by Lees-McRae College, are fully transferable, meaning the student can enter university with approved college credits in science.

With its academic partnership with Lees-McRae College, Holbrook Travel specifically designs travel to provide undergraduate students course credit in science. Subjects include tropical conservation, biology and ecology.

Graduate-level credit

Through University of the Pacific and Holbrook Travel, students or teachers can receive semester units of graduate level professional development credits for Holbrook Travel programs.

Designed exclusively to meet the needs of educators for professional upgrading and salary advancement, these credits are only applicable towards a degree program when pre-approved by your institution.

This course offers educators and related personnel the opportunity to develop a personalized academic programs based on independent and or group travels either within the United States or abroad. Each participant has the opportunity to design a sequence of academic activities based on pre-determined travel plans. Upon submission and approval of an academic travel plan, the participant will develop units of study or audio-visual curriculum aids and materials which will be based on activities, experiences and information gained from travel. Aids and materials may include but are not limited to video tape recordings and slide presentations.

University of the Pacific is a nationally ranked university. The main campus in Stockton, California is home to seven schools and colleges, with more than 80 majors and programs of study.

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