Tourism Cares Grants Funds to Six Projects

Non-profit organization Tourism Cares, which works to preserving travel experiences for future generations, has awarded $45,000 in grants to six non-profit organizations as part of its Worldwide Grant Program for winter 2010.

All recipients are receiving dollar-for-dollar matching funds from other organizations and a total of $90,000 will be presented to the organizations for projects in the following areas: historic preservation and restoration; eco-tourism and sustainable tourism; conservation education; and interpretation of natural and cultural heritage sites.

The six recipients are:

1. Caribbean Conservation Corporation, Gainesville, FL for costa Rica: Sustainable Project To Improve Education at the World's Premier Site for Sea Turtle Eco-Tourism.

2. Green Mountain Club, Inc., Waterbury, VT for the Ukraine: Green Mountain Club: Collaborative, Eco-Tourism Project to Develop Interpretive Materials for Transcarpathian Hiking Trail.

3. Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs for Tierra Nativa, Los Angeles, CA for Copper Canyon, Mexico: Culture-Based Eco-Tourism Model Project to Develop a Tarahumara Interpretive Cultural Center.

4. Cahokia Mounds Museum Society, Collinsville, IL: Project to Create Interpretive Multimedia Exhibit of Woodhenge, the Ancient Sun Calendar at Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site.

5. Kona Historical Society, Captain Cook, HI: Project to Restore Kona Coffee Living History Farm.

6. The Women's Exchange, New Orleans, LA: Roof and Millwork Renovation Projects at the Hermann-Grima and Gallier Historic Houses.

Visit www.tourismcares.org.