Nurturing it. Sustaining it. Protecting it

WINNER
Bushmans Kloof, South Africa
small resort
The rugged landscape at this luxurious safari lodge in South Africa's Cederberg Mountains is so beautiful that you might not realize how hard the owners have worked to bring the wildlife back to what was once seven farms. One of the toughest challenges: reintroducing the Cape mountain zebra, which had been hunted to fewer than 100 animals. Bushmans' current population, one of the world's largest privately owned herds, includes 33 from other reserves and 10 babies born on the property. If a male is kicked out of a family group, the staff introduces a female in hopes that the two will mate. "It's kind of like speed dating, and we're trying to play the love doctor," says general manager Nelson Rodrigues, who has also reintroduced bontebok, red hartebeest, grey rhebok, and ostrich. You'll find culture here, too: rock art painted by Bushmen some 120,000 years ago, when the mountains were their home.

WHY I LOVED IT
"It's inspiring to see native ecosystems restored and endangered animals brought back. If all tourism operations invested in conservation, we would have a far richer natural environment"
— Tensie Whelan
President, Rainforest Alliance

RUNNER-UP
Micato Safaris, Africa and India
tour operator
The company contributes more than $1 million annually to education, financial incentives against hunting, and field trips to national parks. "Most Africans have not even seen wildlife," says managing director Dennis Pinto, "so the community programs are really important."

TIP
Travel on foot or horseback, or by camel or private plane, with this luxury safari outfitter (800-642-2861; from $550 per person per day).

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airline
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cruise line
Costa Cruises
Supports the World Wildlife Fund in the Mediterranean, the Antilles, and Brazil; runs a guest marine educational program (costacruises.com).

city hotel
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Helps plant trees, bay grass, and over 50 million oysters in the Chesapeake Bay (washington.intercontinental.com).

large resort
Puntacana
Funds coral transplanting (with a survival rate of 75 percent) and helps reforest mangroves (puntacana.com).

small chain
Six Senses
Fights shark fishing in the Maldives, protects turtle nests, maintains coral reefs in Phuket, and helps plant mangroves (sixsenses.com).

large chain
Fairmont
Finances the monitoring of snowy owls in Boston, conserves the Vancouver Island marmot, and protects Acapulco's turtles (fairmont.com).