| |
PUNTACANA
RESORT & CLUB ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF NEW ‘VOLUNTOURISM’ BIRD
WATCHING PACKAGE
‘Voluntourism’
Package to launch this holiday season, celebrating 40 years of
Sustainable Tourism Practices at PUNTACANA Resort & Club
NEW
YORK, NY (November 30, 2009)—PUNTACANA Reso rt & Club today
announces the launch of their first
‘voluntourism’ package: participation in the island’s annual
bird count with renowned ornithologist Dr. André Dhondt. From
December 28 through January 2, guests at both Tortuga Bay and The
Puntacana Hotel will be invited to partake in this yearly census of
the 27 indigenous bird species native only to the Dominican Republic.
The count is a crucial method used to monitor and protect the health
of the island’s unique birdlife.
Dr.
André
Dhondt, from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, will be offering
tours around the grounds of the resort, lectures on the island’s
birds in the Ecological Foundation, and exclusive access to the
resort’s beautiful Ecological Reserve. Each tour will be limited to
10 participants who will be provided with binoculars, field guides
and refreshments. Participants will learn the basics of Caribbean
ornithology, bird observation skills, and have the opportunity to
participate in scientific research of native, migratory, and endemic
bird species. Participants will also hope to see the highly rare
Ridgeway Hawk, an endangered species that has been recently
reintroduced by the PUNTACANA Ecological Foundation. PUNTACANA
Ecological Foundation was founded by PCR&C in 1994 to maintain
the health of the local ecosystem. Today the organization plays a key
role in PCR&C’s corporate and social responsibility efforts.
 “This
is a great opportunity for our guests to learn more about the
wildlife here in Punta Cana, and help us to preserve and protect the
natural environment that people come to enjoy. We are very proud to
be able to offer our guests the chance to participate in one of our
many ecological programs.” said Jake Kheel, Environmental Director
of PUNTACANA Resort & Club.
Executive
Director of Hospitality Alberto Abreu said, “People think of
eco-tourism as tents and backpacks. The launch of these voluntourism
packages means that guests can relax and enjoy their vacation while
also helping us take care of a
beautiful natural
environment. Oscar de la Renta designed villas at Tortuga
Bay, new rooms at the Puntacana Hotel, Six Senses Spa or our golf
courses are the perfect locations to unwind after the day’s
activities. It really is a uniquely “Eco–Chic” paring for our
guests.”
Since
its inception in 1969 PUNTACANA Resort & Club has been
recognized
as a pioneer of Sustainable Tourism practices. Frank Rainieri
(President and CEO of PUNTACANA Resort & Club), has always
emphasized the need to care for the natural and human resources that
make the Dominican Republic one of Caribbean’s most popular
destinations. “I believe in sustainable development,
sustainable tourism and sustainability. We are very proud to be able
to offer our guests a way to help us care for the natural environment
that we are lucky enough to call our home.”
About
PUNTACANA Resort & Club
The
development of Grupo PUNTACANA dates back to 1969 when
Dominican
businessman and hotelier Frank R. Rainieri and Theodore W. Kheel, the
prominent New York attorney and labor mediator, created a partnership
to construct a resort and real estate community that respects the
natural habitat of Punta Cana while offering a world-class vacation
experience. Maintaining a dedication to sustainable tourism,
PUNTACANA Resort & Club has since grown to encompass over 26
square miles and now includes Tortuga Bay; Six Senses Spa; the
PUNTACANA Ecological Foundation; four residential communities
(Corales, Hacienda, Marina and Arrecife); a full-service marina; nine
restaurants; a shopping village; two 18-hole golf courses (La Cana,
designed by P.B Dye, and Corales, designed by Tom Fazio); and Punta
Cana International Airport, a modern facility that incorporates
innovative and eco-friendly design. In 1997, Julio Iglesias and Oscar
de la Renta joined the Group as co-investors and have made PUNTACANA
Resort & Club their home. Currently, Punta Cana is
the most
highly visited Caribbean destination and is easily accessible from
all over the globe.
About
The Ecological Foundation
GRUPO
PUNTACANA,
the owner of PUNTACANA Resort & Club, founded The Ecological
Foundation in 1994 to protect the Dominican coral reefs, reduce
pollutants, replant coastal mangroves, and maintain the health of the
coastal ecosystem. The Foundation also developed the Center for
Sustainability and Biodiversity of PUNTACANA, which brings together
experts from Harvard, Columbia, Cornell, and the University of Miami
to develop and implement new ecological programs. These ventures work
to strengthen and maintain PCR&C’s deep commitment to
environmental protection and sustainable tourism, while also aiming
to serve as both inspiration and a working example to similar
progress throughout the Caribbean and around the globe.
Awards
and Affiliations
PUNTACANA
Ecological Foundation maintains affiliations with a diverse group of
institutions that confirm its commitment to sustainable development.
The foundation is a founding member and of the Caribbean Alliance for
Sustainable Tourism (CAST) and has made a yearly commitment to the
Clinton Global Initiative since its inception in 2005. PUNTACANA
Resort & Club is a signatory of the United Nations Global
Compact, the world’s largest corporate responsibility initiative.
Previous
awards include;
-
In September 2007,
the PUNTACANA Ecological Foundation received the annual prize for
Corporate Social Responsibility from the American Chamber of Commerce
in Dominican Republic
-
In October 2007,
the Prize for Excellence in Environmental Protection from the Brugal
Foundation
-
In November 2007,
Tortuga Bay, owned by PUNTACANA Resort & Club, received the
“Leading Hotels of the World” prize for excellence in environmental
practices, due in large part to the efforts of the Ecological
Foundation.
-
PUNTACANA Resort & Club was listed in May
2008 in Island Magazine in the list of the 100 most socially
responsible resorts in the world.
-
In November 2008, PUNTACANA Resort & Club
was a nominee (second place) in the Best Initiative in Sustainable
Development for the Hospitality Awards in Paris France.
-
In March 2009, PUNTACANA Resort & Club won
the “Clean Development” prize for Central America and the Caribbean for
its integrated solid waste management program by the Central Committee
for Environment and Development (CCAD).
-
In September 2009, PUNTACANA Resort & Club
won the Condé Nast Traveler “World Saver’s Award” for its education
programs.
About
Dr. André Dhondt
Dr.
André Dhondt is the Edwin H. Morgens Professor of Ornithology at
Cornell University’s Laboratory of Ornithology. After he obtained
his Ph.D. in his native Belgium, he has studied birds in Europe,
Africa, North and South America and the Pacific. He has studied the
birds of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic since 2000. André has
published more than 250 scientific papers.
Press Contact
Lauren
Scott, HL Group
646
460 8908
lscott@hlgrp.com
Go from Bird
Watching to Punta Cana Hotel Dominican Republic
Return from Punta Cana
Hotel Bird Watching Package to Punta Cana All Inclusive Resorts
|
