Egypt desert tourism: eco or not?

Global Post reports on the effects of "ecotourism" to Egypt's western desert region near the town of Bawati.

Desert ecotourism is becoming a popular alternative to the usual Pyramids and Red Sea lures of this North African nation. But the country's economic dependence on tourism is leading to a need to balance out development versus the overrun of ecosystems.

The White Desert - that features otherworldly landscapes (picture right) - is a prime tourist spot that fills up at sunset with snap happy foreigners.

The Bahariya Oasis just north of the White Desert has also seen a rise in visitors to the extent where one-third of the residents now work in tourism.

But the industry isn't regulated well and environmentalists say the economic interests outweigh minimizing impact on the environment. Others in the tourism industry welcome the rise in tourists and want more to come.

Read the full story: Desert ecotourism, what's in it for Egypt?

Photo from A-1 Safari Egypt

Arizona hotel offers "EcoRooms"

Terra Curve reports on the eco-upgrade at Arizona hotel Kings Ransom Sedona.

After the success of offering environmentally-friendly rooms at the Kings other property, the hotel chain now has 95 at this property.

The EcoRooms offer natural soaps, lotions and shampoos along with energy-efficient lighting, low-flow shower heads, use nontoxic cleaning products and reuse linen.

"Our housekeeping staff is also enthusiastic as we now use earth-friendly cleaning products which they love," said Amy Bertorelli, president of the Kings Ransom Sedona Hotel. "We believe it is vitally important for individuals and businesses to be mindful of our planet’s health and contribute to sustaining that health by implementing green practices daily."

Read the full story: Sedona hotel comes equipped with eco-ammenities

Photo from Terra Curve.com

Desert eagles to lose endangered protections

Treehugger reports on the desert bald eagles imminent removal from endangered protection.

48 breeding pairs of bald eagle survive along the rivers of the otherwise hot and dry Sonoran Desert. Currently, this small group of eagles is listed on the federal list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife but, if a new petition from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is approved, they would lose that protection.

It is not the first time the department has motioned to eliminate endangered-species protections from the desert-nesting eagles. The agency has been fighting conservationists in court over the issue since as early as 2006 and, in 2007, a judge threw out their motion to strip the desert eagles of their endangered species protections.

Read the full story: Desert nesting bald eagles set to lose protected status

Photo by Carl Chapman / Flickr

Beautiful white dunes of New Mexico

Here's a beautiful shot of New Mexico's white sand dunes from Discovery News. The dunes are part of the Chihuanhuan Desert and the aptly named White Sands National Monument.

Some 250 million years ago, this area was home to a shallow sea. As the sea level began to drop, thick layers of gypsum settled on the sea floor, eventually forming a field. Then about 70 million years ago, plate tectonic activity increased. During this time, the Rocky Mountains shot up, taking the giant gypsum field with it.

Read the full story: White sand dunes for miles

International protection for Dubai desert

United Arab Emirates' Gulf News reports on the globally recognized protection status of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR).

Started as a nature reserve surrounding a luxury hotel, the DDCR was recognized as an important natural area for native flora and fauna and given protected status this month by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

"The achievement marks the DDCR as the first wildlife and conservation area in the UAE to be formally declared by IUCN as a Protected Area, one of the few in the [Gulf coast countries].

The DDCR now joins some of the world's greatest conservation areas including Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks in the US, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and Africa's largest National Parks and wildlife reserves."

Read the full story: Dubai desert reserve gets protection

Controversy over proposed Amazon dam

Brazilian Amazonian Indians are protesting a dam project over the Xingu river that would displace thousands from their native lands, divert rivers and open up rainforest areas to exploitation.

Watch the Reuters report:

LA Times showcases desert wildflowers

The Los Angeles Times highlights four of its famous deserts and the beautiful and rare blooms that have been bringing in wildflower tourists like mad this month.

Ecotravel News wrote a previous post about this spring being a peak year for western desert wildflower viewing, because of the very rainy winter.

The Times article says it's almost past peak viewing in the Anza-Borrego Desert, Death Valley and Joshua Tree parks but the orange state flower - California Poppy - is just beginning to carpet the Antelope Valley. For arm-chair desert wildflower viewers, the article has a wonderful photo slide-show and links to real-time desert flowers.

For the full LA Times article: California's deserts ablaze with wildflowers

Eco-friendly Texas resort in the middle of the desert

The Fort Worth, Texas Star-Telegram had a feature about an eco-lodging in the Chihuahuan Desert, a self-proclaimed "organic bed-and-breakfast and ecology resource center." Writer June Naylor observes:

"Within a half-hour of your arrival, you realize that Eve's Garden represents a model of how healthy our world would be if it were to function in a purely green manner."

That's because owners Clyde Curry and Kate Thayer created their green haven using recycled and environmentally-friendly materials. Their green ethics also extend to their guests by feeding them on-site greenhouse grown veggies, a library full of ecological books, and also impromptu discussions about how to help the environment.

Read the full story : Earth-friendly West Texas resort

Peak year for western desert wildflowers

Because of intense and wet storms throughout the west this past winter, desert wildflowers should be in abundance this spring. Normally dry desert areas in such states as Nevada, California, Utah and Arizona will proliferate with colors for a short viewing season in April. The Wall Street Journal via the Miami Herald says that the popularity of viewing desert wildflowers is a growing trend and many websites on the topic have -ahem- sprung up.

Read the full story: This could be a great year