An Invitation from
Hollis Burbank-Hammarlund
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Dear Friends,
I cordially invite you to join me and world-renowned elephant veterinarian Dr. Susan Mikota on an unforgettable, nine day adventure to the beautiful, rural mountains of
Myanmar---home to Green Hill Valley Elephant Camp.
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I have created and am leading Everything Elephants, a special volunteer travel program to benefit elephants living in captivity throughout Asia. Proceeds raised will support Green Hill Valley's Mobile Elephant Veterinary Unit and Elephant Care International's global elephant healthcare and welfare work.
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This ain't no ordinary volunteer vacation... It's a mission to help elephants around the globe!
Green Hill Valley (GHV) is Myanmar's premiere elephant sanctuary where elephant welfare, habitat reforestation, and sustainability are seamlessly integrated into elephant-friendly ecotourism. Eight elephants, now retired from the logging
industry, call GHV home, along with their mahouts and families. GHV also provides free, life-saving emergency and routine veterinary care to elephants living throughout Myanmar through its Mobile Elephant Veterinary Unit.
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Established in 2005, Elephant Care International (ECI) is dedicated to the health, welfare, and conservation of elephants and the sharing of information among elephant professionals. ECI actively supports the care of elephants in Myanmar, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and elsewhere through specialized training, veterinary clinics, field-based workshops, and free online resources. ECI staff take no salaries and rely solely on donations, grants, and modest travel stipends.
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In 2018, I partnered with GHV owners and lead veterinarian (Maw, Htun, and Ba), ECI co-founder and Director of Veterinary Programs and Research (Dr. Susan Mikota), and other elephant experts. Together, we trained 21 elephant veterinarians from nine different Asian elephant range countries (read more). My time at GHV was magical and I promised I'd be back!
And so, in November of 2019 Dr. Mikota and I will return to Green Hill Valley with a team of six adventurous, elephant-loving guests. Are you one of them?
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As a team, we'll roll up our sleeves and engage in hands-on projects to benefit elephants. We'll work alongside mahouts and veterinarians, learn about elephants and the people who care for them, and immerse ourselves in exotic cultural experiences. Oh, did I mention we'll be treated to amazing scenery, delicious local food, very nice accommodations, and elephants, elephants, elephants?
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Our team members will be asked to each raise $500 from friends and family using a crowdfunding tool, which I will soon create. In addition, a portion of the program fee will be a direct contribution to GHV and ECI.
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The best part? We'll have tons of eleFUN so ECI and GHV can provide critical eleVET care to dozens of elephants. That's our mission!
Please join me. We'll have a elevagood time!
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Warm regards,
Hollis Burbank-Hammarlund
Founder/Director
Work for Wild Life International
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Success ~ Watch our Video!
Stunning views from Green Hill Valley Elephant Camp are everywhere. You can't help but be impressed.
One of GHV's 8 resident elephants cools off in the river.
A Little Bit of Mandalay B&B and Tavern
Stunning views from Green Hill Valley Elephant Camp are everywhere. You can't help but be impressed.
DOUBLE-CLICK on slideshow above to view larger images and read captions about our adventure.
Trip Highlights
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Daily Interaction with elephants**
Ele-Care Projects (TBD)
EleVet Health Check-ups With Dr. Mikota & Ba
Working Alongside Mahouts
creating elephant enrichment
Planting Trees / Plant Nursery Project
making Ele-Poo Paper & Works of Art
Presentations About Elephants &
The People Who Care For Them
Primary School Visit & Special Project
(the mahouts' children attend this school)
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Daily Morning Walk/Stretch (optional)
Inle Lake sightseeing & Shopping By Boat:
Floating Villages & Farms, Local Artisans,
Traditional Fishing
Cultural Immersion
Fine Hotels - Delicious Meals - Beautiful Scenery
(Vegetarian Options Are Always Available)
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**Green Hill Valley's eight elephants spend 18 hours each day freely foraging, exploring, and roaming the nearby forests. They return daily to GHV's shaded cabanas for supplemental feeding. It is during this time that we will have the opportunity for safe and humane, up close interactions with the elephants, including
preparing food, feeding, walking the trails together, cooling off in the river, and assisting our veterinary team with ele-health evaluation tasks!
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Special note: The details of our specific projects are still evolving and may change slightly from the above list. In addition, I'll be posting detailed information and photos about GHV's Mobile Veterinary Unit work, and travel tips to help you plan your adventure. Stay tuned!
