Conservation & Fundraising Partners
Probably linked from elsewhere on the site, these are other organisations with whom we work, either through giving money for specific projects or receiving donations, support or advice. We don't necessarily follow the advice or support 100% of the organisations projects, or even worldview, but very key to the way we work is to find common ground where we can and work for the good of the elephants.
Elephant Family
An English charity run by, amongst other people, renowned elephant lover and conservator, Mark Shand. They have provided means of donating through the English tax system and also support many other worthy elephant charities throughout the range of the Asian Elephant. www.elephantfamily.org.
Friends of Conservation
The charity arm of travel agent Abercrombie and Kent, renowned for conservation work in their own right, have agreed to become a funding channel for Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation from the US. www.friendsofconservation.org
The Thai Elephant Conservation Centre or National Elephant Institute
The official Government body controlling elephant policy in Thailand, based in a large teak forest in Lampang province much of Thailand's good work involving elephants emanates from here.
They have two websites, one official one www.thailandelephant.org and one, highly recommended, unofficial one www.changthai.com.
Supporting and Fundraising Businesses
The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation couldn't exist without several businesses that have donated time, support, money and continue to do so. Your donations help us run with our ideas; the businesses pay the rent and sort out the legal niceties of owning elephants and conscientiously employing mahouts.
Anantara Resorts Asia
My employers, the owners of the land which the baby eles eat, our accountants, the source of most of our donations. Without Anantara Golden Triangle allowing me to play with eles for two years and form ideas about where elephant conservation can go, without them turning a blind eye to my time spent writing websites, talking to ele owners and project managers none of this could have happened. The other Thai Anantaras have begun to help us raise donations and we will try to use that money on projects locally relevant to them. www.anantara.com. PS. They are all also world class hotels in their own right so didn't need to help me do this to gain attention!
Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle
The Tented Camp is the reason I was able to give six elephants with variable pasts and uncertain futures a home, they support our baby rescue scheme and love our eles to boot. www.fourseasons.com.
www.elerescue.org
This website encompasses the various elephant helping ventures by Carolyn and Perry Butler, the Rescue label wine from their Juslyn Vineyards and the limited edition Rescue shoes from their Foot Candy exclusive shoe store.
For more information take a look at www.elerescue.org
Escar UK Bronze
The name Escar has become synonymous with the elephant due
to the huge public demand for their depictions of this wonderful animal
in bronze.
The Anantara Foundation approached them at the beginning of 2006 to create
a life-like study of a young bull elephant to grace the lake at the approach
to the elephant camp. This was to coincide with Chiang Rai hosting
a series of the international elephant polo tournaments for the first
time in September this year. He was installed June 2006 and has
already attracted many fans.
The foundation has named him after one of their rescued elephants, Tawan
– meaning “the sun” in Thai.
Our next project will be little Lychee, a mischievous three month old baby who has just arrived at the camp. For further information visit www.helpingelephants.org www.ukbronze.co.uk
Finass Reisen
After a visit to Four Seasons Tented Camp the Swiss travel agent Finass Reisen immediately offered to adopt a baby elephant, Nong Lamyai, they continue to raise funds ans awareness as well as sending guests to spend time with our elephants. www.finass.ch
RJM Design Consultants
The
Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation website has been designed and
donated by
RJM Design Consultants. We are very happy to be associated with the GTAEF
and wish it every success in the future. www.rjmdesign.com
Minor International
Without going into the complicated corporate issues, Minor International a Thai based Internation Corporation that owns Anantara amongst many other businesses. Their support has been on a corporate level - I continually bother their lawyers for advice, their accountants for breaks and their network for help. The Foundation was the initial brainchild of Minor founder and C.E.O. William Heinecke who takes a very personal interest in our work as well as being a part owner of Plai Tawan. www.minornet.com.
Operating Charities and Friends
There are many worthy charities working very hard for the conservation of elephants, both in the North of Thailand and throughout the world. I add here only those that I have a personal link from, that they are not in the higher section doesn't mean they haven't given good advice, more that we are linked through shared information (and gossip) rather than directly working together at this point.
Boon Lott's Elephant Sanctuary
A fledgling elephant sanctuary in the hills above Sisatchanali with the stated aim to give a forest home for elephants who will be free to roam but still get the benefits of domestication - veterinary first aid and care and good food! There will also be an elephant hospital and veterinary training centre. www.blesele.com.
Elefantasia
After trekking the length of Laos on their elephants the people behind the Elefantasia project decided to do something to give back to not only the elephants that had carried them the distance but all of Laos' elephants - in French and English the website outlines their imaginative and well placed work. www.elefantasia.com.
Elephant Nature Foundation
An elephant dedicated space where rescued elephants are free to roam during the day, unencumbered by timetables, the need to meet and greet guests and many of life's other worries. The brainchild of the inspirational elephant campaigner Khun Sangduen 'Lek' Chailert. www.naturefoundation.org
Elephant Observation Tower at Ban Na - Laos
The elephant observation tower at Ban Na is part of an action plan to help the elephants of Phou Khao Khouay National Protected Area to survive. Whether this will be possible in the long run is unknown, since the herd apparently has no contact and therefore no genetic exchange with members of other herds and is thus prone to inbreeding. Nevertheless, this herd with its thirty or more members still shows signs of health, with at least two calves born respectively in the end of 2004 and the beginning of 2005. www.trekkingcentrallaos.com.
Thai Birding
The homepage of Nick Upton and a one stop page for all things in Thai Ornithology from trip reports and bird lists. Nick is a keen supporter of conservation efforts throughout Thailand, including projects and trips to National Parks that serve as wild elephant territory. Thai Birding is also a keen co-supporter of the Yonok Wetlands Project - not ele related but conservation is about the big picture. www.thaibirding.com.
The Elephant Umbrella Fund
Consider Elephants Umbrella Fund (EUF) the 911 emergency number to rescue Asian elephants in peril from abuse, malnutrition, neglect, or overwork. The Fund is concerned with all aspects of an elephant's well-being, and contributes monies to any cause that will ensure their survival. Based in California and working throughout Asia their advice and contacts book has been essential in starting GTAEF. www.elephantsumbrella.org.
The Giving Trust
A Chiang Mai based web-portal and information site for various local charities and good causes that seeks to give hope and enablement, in a way that is socially and environmentally responsible, to those who are often forgotten. www.thegivingtrust.org.
General Conservation and Eco-tourism Links
In a past life (and in my current one) I had a broader range of interests in the conservation world, eles were always there, but I still keep a list of favourite sites that are useful in my 'off ele' research and other projects.
The Boatlanding Guest House - Luang Namtha, Laos
Not only the best guest house in Luang Namtha this site is essential for anyone considering taking some time to explore far Northern Laos and the Luang Namtha, Nam Ha National Protected Area, Muang Singh or Vieng Phouka area. www.theboatlanding.com.
Campaign Against Tiger Trafficking
The U.S. National Fish and Wildlife Service sharing information on Tiger and, consequently, other wildlife trafficking news. www.savethetigerfund.org.
The Gibbon Experience
An amazing experience, a chance to spend time in a treehouse in the Bokeo National Protected Area in Laos, not only spotting troupes of, once thought extinct, Black Gibbons or trekking in rarely found pristine jungle but they have also set up 'flying fox' lines throughout the canopy enabling you to feel part of whichever local community you choose. www.gibbonx.org.
International Trust for Nature Conservation
An English registered charity working mainly in Nepal and India (but also elsewhere including, now, Thailand) on a variety of conservation and community issues. www.itnc.org.
IUCN Red List
The on-line red list a searchable database giving the conservation status of all species, I think, known to science - but particularly concentrating on those from threatened to in danger of extinction. www.redlist.org.
Sundarbans Tiger Project
Friend Adam's work with wild tigers in the Sundarbans of Bangladesh is an excellent website that seems to explode the myth the Sudarban tiger being a vicious maneater by nature. Well and thoughtfully written as well as endlessly interesting to those who follow tigers. www.sundarbanstigerproject.info.
