EXPLORERS CLUB
East 79th Street, NYC
September 17th, 2009
Words : Judith Ecochard
An invite from “the father of modern adventure travel” Richard Bangs to preview his latest American Public Television special ADVENTURES WITH PURPOSE: ASSAM INDIA: QUEST for the ONE-HORNED RHINO ----enticed like another New York Fashion Week RTW catwalk romp couldn’t possibly.
THE EXPERIENCE
Entering the historic Explorers Club in Manhattan’s Upper Eastside gave us goose bumps…and not because there was this dead stuffed grizzly posed in the corner, snarl in tact.
But partially because this non-profit org. “Promoting Field Sciences and Exploration Since 1904” ---with the Mt. Everest ‘conqueror’ Sir Edmund Hillary as honorary chair in perpetuity (he died in 2008)---is dedicated to preserving the “vital instinct to explore” -----which we feel also means preserving the planet’s threatened animal/bird species, not shooting it (anymore).
And more partially because raconteur Richard Bangs, founder of what is now the oldest/largest adventure travel operator Mountain Travel/Sobek (their annual massive catalogue that’s dog-eared-like every other page)
… is one of the coolest people we know.
No surprise but still a delight---the many conversations we had with the peeps gathered for the occasion.
Sponsored by the adventure/travel clothiers EX OFFICIO, the Ministry of Tourism –India, and Adventure Link (an online site that serves up the 411 on getting’ out and about to exotic locales)…
…this available on DVD special wonderfully highlights the rare species of rhinos- that nearly vanished from the earth 100 years ago.
What we love about the ADVENTURES WITH PURPOSE series (this installment is number six) is that viewing the docs inspires and educates. And of course this one makes us want to go to the remote state of Assam in northeast India- tomorrow.
BOTTOM LINE:
The scenery (filmed in HDTV format) is stunning, and the tale of what went right with preserving the existence of this rare species, is a lesson that “can teach us about out world today.”
IMHO: Every school/public library should stock the DVD.
FOR MORE INFO:
ADVENTURES WITH PURPOSE
info@travelsmallworld.com