For most North Americans, their knowledge would be limited to the political agendas of the 1980s or that Honduras is one of the largest producers of bananas in the world. Just look through the travel section of most bookstores and your selections about Honduras are few if any. Yet, with two-thirds of Honduras covered with mountainous terrain and borders created by two different oceans, there are many treasures of Honduras that have remained relatively unknown to the North American population: world class scuba diving in the Caribbean, Mayan ruins in the west, miles of sandy beaches, and in the east, the second largest national park in Honduras, Pico Bonito National Park.

Covering over 100,000 hectares of virgin rain and cloud forest, with an unexplored core area of over 500 square kilometers, Pico Bonito National Park is filled with mountains, waterfalls and hundreds of exotic wildlife species. Seven different ecosystems fill its borders, providing homes to jaguars, tapirs, monkeys, alligators and over 275 different species of birds. The Rio Cangrejal forms the eastern border of the park.

Running over 20 miles from cloud forest to the Caribbean, the Rio Cangrejal is one of Honduras’ most beautiful and powerful rivers. Valued as a vital resource for the region, the Rio Cangrejal not only supplies water to numerous communities, but also represents a vast source of opportunities for education, scientific research and eco-tourism. With three sections of world-class whitewater ranging from Class II to V, the Rio Cangrejal is developing into an eco-tourism and whitewater attraction capable of providing jobs to many Hondurans.

There are many threats to the Pico Bonito National Park. Even though the Park is set aside as a preserve, there are only limited funds for management and protection of the park. The presence of illegal logging and the growth of shifting slash and burn agriculture as local farmers are forced out of the fertile lowlands are the two most pressing threats to the conservation of Pico Bonito. With the added threat of damming of rivers (in particular, the proposed damming of the Rio Cangrejal) as short term solutions to the challenge of poverty and the need for electric power in one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere, eco-tourism has emerged as a sustainable alternative for preserving the environment as well as providing jobs and income to local Honduran communities. In order to encourage eco-tourism, Wings of Change believes that exposure of North American populations to the countless wonders of Honduras can support the communities of Honduras in creating a sustainable economy benefiting both the environment and people of Honduras.

In order to accomplish this mission, Wings of Change has put together a team of filmmakers, writers and photographers to travel to Honduras and work with local Honduran guides, journalists and communities. Over a two-week period in January-February 2003-2004, the Wings of Change team will generate a film documentary as well as several articles and numerous photographs focusing on the whitewater community of the Rio Cangrejal and Pico Bonito National Park. While the documentary, articles and photographs will be used to generate awareness of the Rio Cangrejal and Pico Bonito throughout North America, Wings of Change will also donate a selection of its work to the Honduran government, news and travel agencies.

Project objectives include:

• Developing an understanding in the North American community about travel to and within Honduras
• Exposing adventure travel and eco-tourism opportunities in Honduras to North American populations
• Creating more opportunities for Honduran jobs and income by increasing the number of North American adventure travelers
• Establishing an increased understanding of the value of Pico Bonito National Park and the Rio Cangrejal
• Increasing the local and international constituency for preservation of Pico Bonito National Park and the Rio Cangrejal through increasing the potential for local employment and international eco-tourism.

Wings of Change will accomplish these objectives by:

• Creating a film documentary on the whitewater community of the Rio Cangrejal and the rainforest of Pico Bonito National Park
• Creating articles and photographs to promote both the documentary and Honduras
• Establishing a network of corporate, foundation and individual sponsorships for travel expenses, equipment and supplies
• Educating local Hondurans through a rafting/kayaking “camp”
• Donating kayaking and rafting equipment and supplies
• Donating film footage, articles and photographs for use by the Honduran national and local media as well as Honduran river and eco-tourism marketing organizations

By educating the North American population about Honduras’ Pico Bonito National Park and Rio Cangrejal, Wings of Change and its sponsors will be instrumental in promoting Honduran communities who demonstrate a successful balance between the economy and the environment through eco-tourism.