LANDED’s Philosophy of Conservation
and Responsible Presence
Once you’ve witnessed a jaguar in the wild, touched the buttressed root of an Amazonian mother tree, or snorkeled with Galapagos sea lions and penguins, your commitment to protecting these places shifts. Theory converts into motivated participation. Similarly, it is life-changing to meet families benefiting from non-profit education and healthcare, or to see how former poachers become wildlife guardians.
LANDED grew out of Erynn Montgomery’s early non-profit work in the Andes. She led an NGO that helped local communities create wells, greenhouses, libraries, and micro-lending projects. Our commitment to Latin America is not random; it is the result of knowing and loving these communities and landscapes.
For more than 20 years, LANDED has designed tailor-made journeys through Central America, South America, and Antarctica.
In that time, the places we love have changed: some for the worse, and some for the better.
The difference between those two outcomes (especially in wild places) can have a lot to do with how tourism is practiced.
We’ve seen it; long-term results are much better when tourism is designed with intention, within appropriate limits, and in consideration of the long-term environmental and social impacts.
Partner Selection
In Patagonia, LANDED works with partners whose operations fund puma research, huemul deer protection, and condor monitoring. We’ve assisted in work that promotes the creation of private reserves and rewilding.
In Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil, we work with lodges employing naturalist guides who have inherited knowledge their families have passed down for generations. In several parts of Central America, trackers and hunters now work as wildlife guides and game wardens.
Across Central and South America, partner hotels and private reserves are reforesting and reintroducing flora and fauna. They are removing invasive species that inhibit wildlife migrations, choke out native plants, and overconsume scarce water.
Many of our partner lodges and boutique hotels are locally-owned and locally-staffed. When done right, local ownership translates to great stays for our travelers, sustainable profit margins, and to real reinvestment in community: education, training, infrastructure, and well-being. We consciously avoid activities and lodging options that ignore social and environmental externalities. To that end, we inspect regularly.
“There wouldn’t be conservation as we know it without people living here, and without tourism. The tourism brings entrance fees to the National Park, financing conservation, and philanthropy is another important part. If people do not come to the Galapagos to see it and fall in love with it, there wouldn’t be philanthropy to finance patrolling and conservation. I cannot see the Galápagos as we see it today if there weren’t committed people in the community.”
Reyna Oleas
Montemar
(a LANDED partner)
Foundation Sol y Luna
LANDED works closely with the Sol y Luna Foundation in Peru’s Sacred Valley, serving on the foundation’s board and operating the organization’s US charitable arm. A portion of the proceeds from every LANDED journey is used to fund the education and care of children in the Urubamba area. To make a life-changing gift, please visit our Sol y Luna webpage.
“Landed is family. They have been walking alongside us for so many years, sharing our dreams, our values, and above all, our love for the children of Sol y Luna. Their support comes from the heart, and that is something we deeply treasure. They believe in our children, in their dreams and in their future. Having Landed by our side all these years has been a true gift, and they will always be part of the Sol y Luna family.”
Petit Miribel
Sol y Luna Founder
The Footprint & The Impact
International travel creates carbon emissions. Air, land, and water transportation carry a real environmental cost. LANDED works with clients who want to offset their travel emissions through verified programs, recommending organizations focused on reforestation in the Amazon Basin and Andean cloud-forests: places where the ecological benefits are directly connected to your visit. Carbon offset is not a license to travel carelessly; it is part of a larger commitment.
When travel is intentional, it can be a powerful force for good. We’ve seen small-scale, socially and environmentally-conscious visitation make important contributions to habitats and ecosystems from the Amazon to Patagonia to the Galapagos. We’ve witnessed the generational improvements that can result in stronger wildlife protection, education, and health. We maintain that travel is a net force for good.
“Ecotourism brings people in who actively contribute to conservation. It aligns nonprofits, for-profit enterprises, local communities, and philanthropic partners around a shared goal: preserving ecosystems for 100 years to come. Tourism allows travelers to appreciate the majesty of biodiversity while confronting existential challenges like climate change.”
Dr. Bill Frist
Chair of The Nature Conservancy’s Global Board of Directors
(a LANDED traveler)
The Standard We Hold
LANDED is a travel company, not a conservation or educational organization. We know our lane. What we can do, and have done for more than two decades, is design travel that contributes much more than it takes. The right recommendations to the right places: lodges, guides, and experiences that are forces for good in their ecosystems and communities.
We find priceless wonders in the wilds and the people we meet in Central America, South America, and Antarctica. We treasure these places and are committed to their long-term health and thriving.
LANDED is committed to the long haul as partners and advocates.
If you’d like us to help you design your ideal journey through Latin America or the Antarctic:
You’re closer than you think to experiencing the magic of these places.