We are thrilled to announce that two of our Great Amazon River Cruise summer departures will be escorted by WWF conservation experts this summer.
PAUL HARDY: May 23-May 31, 2014
Photo © Tania Segura/WWF-US
Paul Hardy, director of strategic planning for WWF’s Latin America and Caribbean Program, will be the WWF guest lecturer on our May Great Amazon River Cruise.
In his role at WWF, which he has held since February 2010, Paul helps to manage a team of 300 WWF staff spread across 15 countries, including Peru. From the Amazon to the edge of the Antarctic, Paul works with WWF teams on large-scale conservation projects that address growing threats to rain forests, fisheries, island systems and wetlands. In the Peruvian Amazon, mining and hydropower development are two issues he follows with special expertise, as both activities are increasingly rapidly and could potentially transform these important headwater regions.
Paul began his conservation career with WWF more than 20 years ago as a junior staff member in the Latin American and Caribbean Program. In the intervening time, he managed field programs for The Nature Conservancy, ending a 13-year career there as a deputy director for TNC’s global policy program, obtained an MBA and a master’s of science degree in natural resources from the University of Michigan, had three kids and renovated a 125-year-old Victorian home close to WWF’s headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C.
AMY SMITH: June 20-June 28, 2014
© Amy Smith/WWF-US
Amy Smith, a senior program officer with WWF’s Global Forest and Trade Network, will join our June Great Amazon River Cruise as a guest lecturer.
Amy has more than 15 years of experience in tropical forestry, forest products manufacturing and marketing, including work with indigenous communities in the Peru Amazon, where our tour occurs. In her current role, Amy helps companies understand the sources of their forest products, implements responsible sourcing policies, increases the amount of credibly certified products in supply chains, and teaches buyers and suppliers how to commit to responsible forestry and trade.
Before this role with WWF, Amy directed a nonprofit that supported indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon to produce and market sustainably harvested wooden handicrafts. She previously worked with WWF in the United States and Peru, including fundraising and technical assistance for forest conservation projects. She has a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Boston College.
To learn more about how you can join Paul and Amy on one of these voyages, visit the Great Amazon River Cruise tour page on our website or call (800) 543-8917 to speak with one of our Adventure Specialists.
