Want to snag a big adventure trip or serious outdoor kit and do some good while you're at it? The Adventure Travel Conservation Fund (ATCF) has opened its seventh annual Travel Conservation Auction, and the clock is ticking — all bids close on October 20.
Billed as the largest adventure travel and gear auction benefitting conservation, it has become a fixture on the adventure travel calendar. This year's catalog mixes the kind of trips most of us daydream about with top-end equipment and one-off experiences, all donated by companies in the adventure travel world. Money raised goes to ATCF's grants for grassroots, community-led projects that protect wildlife, ecosystems and cultural heritage in the destinations travellers actually visit.
There's extra buzz around this edition because 2024 marks a milestone: ATCF is celebrating ten years of funding local conservation work. The anniversary was toasted at the Adventure Travel World Summit in Quebec City, where the organisation marked a decade of backing projects designed and run by the communities who live alongside the trails, reefs and forests the industry sells. The auction is the public-facing chance to join in — you don't need to work in travel to take part.
Getting involved is simple. Browse the catalog, bid on the trips and gear that catch your eye, and, if your budget doesn't stretch to a winning bid, share the auction with people who might bid. ATCF is explicit that both count: every bid funds conservation, and every share widens the pool of bidders.
For travellers, this is one of the few chances to book a genuine once-in-a-lifetime trip at a potentially bargain price while knowing the money goes to protecting destinations rather than a marketing budget. If you've been weighing up an adventure trip for next year, checking the catalog before October 20 is a smart move — you might land the itinerary you were going to pay full price for anyway, with the proceeds funding rangers, habitat restoration or community tourism projects on the ground.
Full details and the live catalog are on the ATCF website. Just remember the date: when October 20 rolls around, the bidding stops.
