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Monika & Gary Monika and Gary Wescott are real pioneers of modern overland travel. They have truly done it all under their now famous Turtle Expedition banner. For the past thirty-six years, these two intrepid adventurers and photojournalists have globe-trotted from the arid deserts of Afghanistan to the deepest jungles of the Amazon. Much of that time has been spent exploring the backroads of the Western Hemisphere, (Mexico, Central and South America), Europe, and parts of Asia. |
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Roseann & Jonathan Roseann and Jonathan Hanson are the consumate example of overland conservationists. Together, they have authored over a dozen natural history and outdoor books, including the Southern Arizona Nature Almanac
Jonathan is an elected fellow of the Explorers Club and co-founder / executive editor of our favorite publication the Overland Journal. Roseann is similarly busy as founder of Conserventures, the producers of the Overland Expo. She is also an executive director of The African Conservation Fund. At any given time one might find Roseann and Jonathan running their enterprises from their remote base outside of Tucson, AZ, or working with the local Masaai communities in the Kenyan rift valley. You can follow their adventures at: www.jandrhanson.com |
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Doug & Stephanie Doug & Stephanie Hackney have certainly "been there and done that". They have traveled to over 40 countries together: "Exploring the world and meeting its people", by car, on the back of a bike, on a sailboat, and most recently inside their Mitsubishi Fuso. They have just completed a tour of South America, and are next headed out to explore the far reaches of South East Asia. At night, around the campfire, Doug keeps himself from getting bored by writing award winning books including the Silver IPPY awarded How the World Works They truly embody our vision of "Do Good As You Go" through (amongst other things) their Giving Pictures project, by which they give people family portraits, often for the very first time ever. You can follow their adventures at: www.hackneys.com/travel |
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Jan Alsen Jan is truly a global citizen. Throughout his career, he has lived and worked in the most exciting and remote regions of the planet - from the jungles of Borneo to the deserts of North Africa, and pretty much everywhere in between including South America, Asia, and the Middle East. Jan approached each location with a thirst for exploration, driving down dirt roads and across rivers into little known ruins and distant villages, resulting in some amazing campfire stories. Not focused just on the destination, Jan believes that getting there in his '90 TLC HZJ73 Land Cruiser is more than half the fun. He has driven most of the 4x4 models Toyota has ever made, in every kind of terrain. Jan now calls Calgary his off-the-road home and is looking forward to spending significant time on expedition trails in the coming years. This time however, Jan sets off not for work, but for having fun and giving back something to the communities that he visits, leveraging his significant work experience as an engineer and in corporate strategy, consulting and planning. You can follow Jan's trails and overland activities at www.expeditionportal.com and www.expeditionutah.com as CanuckMariner. |
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Jay & Alice When they first met in Singapore 10 years ago, Jay & Alice were already avid travelers. Since then, they've been to 30 more countries traveling by bike, boots, 4x4 and the occasional sampan. While bouncing around S.E. Asia in their Land Cruiser they came up with the dream of traveling the planet and creating a positive impact in the communities they visit. Five years and two children later, the vehicle and the dream are both bigger now with The EcoRoamer and The Muskoka Foundation.
Jay & Alice (& Kurt & Maya) are currently "traveling around the world, one dirt road at a time." - Follow their travels at www.OnTheRoadLessTraveled.com |
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Matt Moniz Matt Moniz officially qualifies as both the youngest and highest Muskoka Traveler. At just 11 years old this world-class alpinist already holds two world records for being the youngest person to summit the highest point in the Americas (Cerro Aconcagua) and the highest point in Europe (Mount Elbrus). This summer Matt and his family will be embarking on another remarkable expedition, attempting to summit the highest points in all 50 U.S. states in under 50 days. Traveling in a donated XP Camper, and towing the Muskoka Foundation's Adventure Trailer, Matt will be raising funds to help with research towards a cure for Pulminory Hypertension. Follow along with Matt's adventures at: www.climb7.com |
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Don & Kim Greene If there is anybody who embodies the concept of "Do Good As You Go", it is the Greenes. As the founders of the Adventure Learning Foundation, they have traveled through 69 countries promoting the goals of: "promoting a greater understanding of and between people of different cultures around the world" and "promoting the utilization of the Internet in schools and in home-based educational venues by developing Internet-based curricula and teacher training for K-12 education." Traveling in a custom built Mitsubishi Fuso, they have been valuable members of the Overlanding community, contributing regularly on the portals and presenting at the Overland Expo. Don & Kim have recently completed their journey through Western Africa, and are now heading out to explore Eatern Europe and Russia. In between they stopped briefly back at their home in Prescott, Arizona - where they are the founders of Harvest Hosts, a program that allows Overland Travelers in the USA to spend free nights at wineries and vineyards. |
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Bill Dwyer Bill lives in Phoenix and works as a software developer for the University of Phoenix. He’s been riding motorcycles and touring for 5 years with 60,000 miles across the states under his belt. He’s now looking to explore further. He has a bachelors degree of science and majored in Computer Science and Philosophy. Bill is a huge technology enthusiast and loves the idea of spreading ideas and education for those who don't have access to it, but has never done anything to fulfill this passion-until now. Bill is leaving for his trip in August 2010 with a likely duration of 6-8 months. He’s planning on heading south through eastern Mexico, zig-zaggin through every country in Central America, and then in South America going down the western side through Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and to the southern tip of Argentina. He’s looking forward to working on the OLPC (One Laptop per Child at www.laptop.org) workshops with The Muskoka Foundation. |
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Tom and Janet Tom and Janet believe that there are no destinations in their travels. Their journey is one of self discovery, for a better understanding of the world and those who share it with us. In their trusty 1997 Land Cruiser 80, they recently completed both East and West Africa overland expeditions traveling over 80,000km for a total of more than 500 days on the road; a distance equivalent of twice around the world, traveling through 34 African countries. Tom, despite being 60 has never really grown up. His wild nature and fearless risk taking has resulted in broken bones, near death experiences, and every moment of life fully lived. He’s tried golf and fishing but can’t stand still long enough. He started his adult life as a navy seal and tried professional scuba diving before he decided to study geology. He loves outdoor living, exploring first for minerals and finally for oil. Janet has endless energy and curiosity. Her first love are her children who share her sense of adventure and ongoing leanings about the diversity of our planet, the wonders of wildlife, nature, people, cultures and treasures of the world. Tom and Janet are soon leaving for their next adventure, an overland expedition from Canada to Argentina in September 2010 and planning is now in high gear. Follow their travels on their wonderful site, full of amazing photos at http://www.adventurouspirits.com |
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Nicole Espinosa Nicole’s love of motorcycles, visual and functional creativity, and connection with people has filtered into her life by way of various paths through the years. It was her fun-loving "Uncle Mike" on a Harley, cruising into Nicole’s life at age five, who instilled the connection between motorcycles and passion. Ever since then, Nicole has associated motorcycles with adventure, freedom and a joy of living life to its fullest. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara in 1986 with a BA in Communication Studies, Nicole settled in Santa Barbara and continued her adventuresome life backpacking and exploring California’s coastal and mountainous regions when she wasn’t appraising in the real estate world. After purchasing her first convertible car, an ’81 Alfa Romeo Spider, in ’93, she quickly realized the need for a second mode of transportation once getting to know the tow truck driver on a first name basis. Enter the love of her life: her first dual sport motorcycle, a Honda NX250. There was no looking back. Moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the entertainment industry in ’94, satisfied the creative side of Nicole as she landed on the path to directing through the job of script supervisor for many TV shows and films. Her hobby of photography and love of telling stories through photos continues to this day. The long production hours had to take a back seat to Nicole’s new role as wife and mother in ’98. After a brief sabbatical from the working world to raise her young children, Nicole and her entrepreneurial spirit were at it again forming the dual sport aftermarket accessories corporation, Rugged Rider. 2007 brought her second dual sport motorcycle into her life, a new Suzuki DRZ400S. It was the necessity of finding a cargo rack for her bike that satisfied durability, functionality and aesthetics that led her to designing her own accessories. Today, you can find Nicole satisfying her urge to explore the world atop her DRZ named Jack B. Nimble, by way of solo adventure rides. This type of adventure travel answers a calling for her of self reflection, freedom and connection with everyday people. In writing about her explorations on her motorcycle, Nicole hopes to inspire her readers to reach for their dreams. Nicole is looking forward to supporting the Muskoka Foundation photography program in LA and then moving on to support the programs in Mexico during her solo trip in 2011. |
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Robert and Martine Robert was born and raised in the UK and at 12, won a contest organized by French Television, going to Africa with a team shooting a documentary series on wildlife. At 46, Robert decided to put away his High Tech dark suit as befitting his role of General Manager to release his longing for less travelled roads. After having experienced nomadism at work, mostly in Europe and also in the US, he traded his "company motor bike" for a vehicle designed for adventure. He is in charge of preparing and maintaining the Land Rover, a job where his engineering studies and his "Mac Gyver" creativity come in handy. He has a knack for establishing rapport, a good sense of humor and tenacity, which along with his sales experience are great assets at borders or in other situations involving any kind of negotiations. A serious fisherman, Robert is quite knowledgeable in earth sciences, and is also a competent photographer. He is always ready for adventure and has a true gift for unlikely encounters. He speaks French, English, Italian, Spanish and survival Finnish. Martine spent her early years in Northern Africa and at 13, traveled in Greece, and the following summers in the Netherlands and Turkey. At 45, Martine leaves behind a job as a headhunter, but keeps her people skills at hand, to decipher interactions. As a consultant in international management, she had further developed her communication skills when dealing with intercultural situations. She is gifted for languages and has a knack for picking up phrases and expressions which are useful door openers. She speaks French, English, Spanish, is capable of communicating in Italian and German and has recently started studying Russian. A proficient information searcher, very organized, she is in charge of administrative matters and logistics en route. A history and art buff, her interest for cultural sites and cities drags Robert's focus away from his favored open spaces. Martine has a passion and a talent for French and other cuisines, and is serious about expanding her knowledge. She loves to share her discoveries... and to pass them on. Robert and Martine just entered Mexico for their Central and South American overland adventures in their new vehicle. Follow their travels at www.kookynet.net |
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Ann Lockley After too many years in a safe, well paying, but soulless job that only ever allowed enough free time to ‘play’ at being a writer, it was time for a change. In 2006, Ann quit her job, bought an old Range Rover, and took to the road, embracing life as a full-time freelance writer and photographer. Prior to shifting career gears, Ann spent the majority of her life sailing the waters of BC and the Pacific Northwest, backpacking local trails, and exploring the many back roads of British Columbia. The writer's creed 'write what you know' is true meaning she write about sailing, adventure travel, wildlife conservation, environmental responsibility, and her favourite four-legged friends - dogs. The last few years on the road have taught Ann more about life, living, and herself then all the pre-road years combined. Some lessons are simple like never turn down the opportunity to use a real shower, you need to eat your vegetables even more when you are travelling, and there are always good people who are willing to lend a hand, or possibly a shower, no matter where you are in the world. Beyond that, Ann brings to every mile and every project a few simple values that she is learning to live her life by: • Integrity • Accountability • Compassion • Adaptability • Courage • Curiosity • Extreme Optimism • Patience Patience so far has proven to be the most challenging. You can follow Ann's adventures at: www.annlockley.com |
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Eric Ibarra Los Angeles based photographer Eric Ibarra has been one of the Muskoka Foundation's most prolific and helpful travelers in 2010. He found and kicked off the photography workshop with a group of Hispanic girls, living literally on Skid Row in Los Angeles. Then, as an encore Eric rode a bus to Tijuana, Mexico to head down to the Buen Pastor girls' shelter in Guanajuato. The photography workshop there -and the images created from it- were incredible. The girls, together with Madre Lourdes (the convent's mother superior) learned both about photography and themselves. Eric is now planning to travel throughout South America, using photography as a tool for building self-expression and self-confidence with disadvantaged Latina Girls. Be sure to check out his Las Fotos Project page for more information about where Eric is headed next. |
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Brandy Yvette Bonomo Brandy is what you might call a professional backpacker. She has been through more of the world than you or I, and had a blast doing it. She has been a mountain guide in the Rockies, a travel-nanny for some very senior Redmond, WA executives, hitchhiked (literally) across Europe, and meditated in Iceland. On one of her recent adventures, Brandy carried a Muskoka Foundation portable music studio to record the campfire songs of a band of Gypsies as they traveled throughout Georgia and the Czech Republic. We're not sure exactly where she is right now, but we are pretty sure she'll have some amazing stories when we next see her... |
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Bell Family We are the Bell family; Graeme, Luisa, Keelan (12) and Jessica (7). South African by birth, African by disposition and resident in beautiful Plettenberg Bay in the Garden Route area on the East Coast of South Africa. Graeme (36) is passionate about Africa, its geography, history, politics and future. Other interests include international politics and history, travel, the outdoors, his Land Rover, surfing, writing, photography and Rugby. A practical and mechanically minded person, Graeme has over 10 years experience of off road driving, vehicle modification and maintenance. Graeme holds both British and South African citizenship. Luisa (36) is a fiery redhead! An administrative genius, Luisa keeps the wheels turning with her creative problem solving and attention to detail. Luisa is a social and caring person who quickly makes an impression on whoever she meets. Interests include travel, reading and working. Yes, working is Luisa’s hobby! Graeme and Luisa have owned and run an Immigration consultancy in South Africa since 2005, specializing in the Construction and Built Environment. Keelan and Jessica are scholars at Plettenberg Bay Primary School. Keelan is a gentle, caring and adventurous boy who loves to cook, practice Mixed Martial Arts and watch Rugby with his Dad. Jessica is a loving and courageous girl who, being 7, is practically obsessed with fashion, Barbie and Disney. Jessica lost her first tooth in the Serengeti National Park - Tanzania. Our family is undertaking an expedition from Argentina to Alaska in 2012. We will be driving our Land Rover Defender across the American continent (North, South and Central) and we will be using this opportunity to raise awareness and funds for Malaria No More. As a family, we have travelled often overland. We have toured Southern Africa and in 2010, we took 6 months to complete an overland trip to Tanzania and the Serengeti to witness the annual migration. Keelan and Jessica were educated whilst we were travelling and both successfully progressed through their respective grades upon our return. In fact, we truly believe that the experience of travelling and learning gave them a distinct advantage in terms of the breadth of the educational experience. During this trip we travelled through Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Northern Botswana and Namibia. In 2011 we headed to Mozambique and Malawi. |
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Efrain Martinez and Bagna La Torre We’ve been traveling on a sidecar motorcycle for about a year and two months. Our journey started in the east coast of the USA (Charleston, SC), with the goal of reaching the southern tip of South America. While planning for our trip we decided to add a social component to it, to give more meaning to the journey of our lives. We had some ideas of how and who we wanted to help, so we started fundraising for the cause: to help street kids in Latin America. It was during our research that we found the Muskoka Foundation. We found that the Muskoka Foundation offered a variety of programs in which we could participate while traveling and through which we could provide more to the street kids than a simple visit and a donation. So we contacted Alice Gugelev and expressed our interest to work with them. She was very excited to have us as part of their team, and we started coordinating photography workshops with several organizations in Central America. |
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Andy Smith and Emma Smart Around the World in 800 Days For Andy and Emma the "grown-up" world of mortgages, tax, politics, banks, pensions, investments and working for ‘the man’ just didn’t compute; the thought that your life was dictated by an alarm clock was mind-boggling. They wanted to escape the never-ending pursuit of happiness through the accumulation of ‘things’ and sold nearly all their possessions, trading it all in for the adventure of a lifetime on their own more leisurely terms. |
Are you an overland traveler? Planning an expedition in the next year and wondering how you can have a positive impact? Watch our introduction slideshow here, and find out how you can be a part.
Below are some of the wonderful people who have already agreed to dedicate a portion of their journeys to making a difference in the communities they visit.
(hold CTRL down to select/unselect multiple choices below)
and 
won the 1997 Outdoor Book Award and their 
was cited for Interpretive Excellence by the National Park Service in 1997. 
and 
an historical fiction based on their visit to the site of one of the longest lived civilizations in the history of humanity, the Atacameños, in what is now the intersection of Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. .Support Our Talented Youth!
The new 2012 Calendars are ready! All photos taken by youth from around the world. Click here to order yours today.
