New York, NY (May 30, 2006) – Sven-Olof Lindblad, President and Founder of Lindblad Expeditions, received international recognition for his innovative and successful model of tourism on Saturday evening, May 27th in a ceremony hosted by HRH, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg at the Grand-Ducal Palace. To further honor the entrepreneur for his dedication to the conservation and environmental stewardship of the Galapagos archipelago, a new species of endemic moth was named in Lindblad’s honor by the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF) and presented in a framed photograph.
Lindblad Expeditions has been taking curious and intrepid travelers to the island group since 1967 when Lars-Eric Lindblad, Sven’s father, led one of the first non-scientific expeditions with the goal of approaching tourism with the lightest footprint possible. Sven Lindblad took that approach further by creating a model of tourism that integrates action by all stakeholders including visitors, the tourism industry and well-established local conservation groups. Since 1997, Lindblad Expeditions guests have contributed more than $3.5 million to Lindblad’s Galapagos Conservation Fund, started by Lindblad, which directly supports on-the-ground conservation projects in the region. “The Galapagos Conservation Fund provides critical funding for essential projects such as environmental education and research and building sustainable businesses in the islands,” said CDF’s Executive Director, Dr. Graham Watkins. “The GCF has made a tremendous difference to our effectiveness in fulfilling our mission,” he added.
Grand Duke Henri has been a keen supporter of Galapagos conservation since his first visit in 1987 and he is a long-standing member of the CDF board. He also established the Galapagos Darwin Trust in Luxembourg with the aim to build a broad-based fund-raising capability throughout Europe for the benefit of conservation, education and research in the Galapagos. The royal recognition of Sven-Olof Lindblad’s contributions to Galapagos conservation reflects the global importance of a shared conservation-based vision for the islands.
A New Species
The scientific name given to this newly discovered endemic Galapagos insect, Undulambia lindbladi, was named in honor of Lindblad who has shown, through his own model of tourism, that people, business and conservation can coexist in the Galapagos. “Lindblad’s multiple, generous contributions to conservation have provided life-changing, educational experiences to travelers, leading to greater understanding, appreciation and stewardship of the places they visit,” said Peter Kramer, CDF President. “This new discovery in the Galapagos and our wonderful planet is symbolic of the biodiversity we all must protect, as well as the largely unexplored world waiting to be discovered,” added Kramer. The moth was recorded for the first time in the Galapagos by Canadian entomologist, Bernard Landry, from the Muséum d’histoire naturelle, in Geneva and CDF entomologist, Lazaro Roque-Albelo.
About Lindblad Expeditions
Lindblad Expeditions was founded in 1979 and operates a fleet of six ships in regions such as Galapagos, Antarctica, Alaska and Baja California with a focus on responsible tourism. Sven Lindblad has been the recipient of many environmental awards including the U.N. Programme Global 500 Award. The company has also received numerous awards including being named the #1 Small-Ship Cruise Line (Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Value Awards 2006); #2 Tour Operator (Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Value Awards 2006); “The Best Ships in the World” and “The Best Itineraries” (Conde Nast Traveler: Truth in Travel Awards 2006). For more information, visit www.expeditions.com.
# # #