Vote for Team Elephant in National Geographic's Expedition Granted Program

Cast your vote by clicking here (ends November 19, 2009.)

National Geographic is offering a $10,000 grant to fund the expedition of the adventurer who receives the most votes in their Expedition Granted contest. This is their largest grant yet.

The battle for expedition bucks is between Team Elephant (represented by Trip Jennings) and Team Shark (represented by Ben Horton.) Both are intrepid adventurers. Both have already received some acclaim for their work. Both have applied for this grant to support anti-poaching efforts. But of course, you already know who's getting my votes* Trip Jennings and Team Elephant.
*You're allowed one vote per day, until 11/19/09, 11:59pm EST.

*Photo credit Inside NGC Blog.

Team Elephant's expedition will take them deep into the Congo in search of elephant poop. Samples collected from the inhospitable and conflict-ridden area will assist Dr. Sammuel Wasser, Director of the Conservation Biology department at the University of Washington in his efforts to abate ivory poaching. Dr. Wasser has developed non-invasive DNA identification techniques that help map out where different elephant families live, so that reclaimed poached ivory can be tracked to its source. In this way, the distribution networks of organized criminals might be broken by law enforcement.

For more information about both team's mission, read the Inside NGC Blog.

One of the things that inspires me about this project is the collective passions and teamwork behind it.

• Trip Jennings is offering his talents at leading the conservation expedition on the river, being the charming spokesperson for the team, and raising funds. 
• Joe Riis will be setting up remote video capture of elephants and taking photos.
• Andy Maser is the media expert, who'll be getting the word out about the expedition's results and what they learned from it.
• Kyle Dickman will be writing up some great stories and articles about the adventure.
• Dr. Wasser will work with the samples collected and integrate the date into his existing project.

All of them will be up to their ears in elephant poop, contributing what they do best to the team's project, and helping to raise awareness about the seriously escalating problem of elephant poaching. It's very exciting to see these guy's take their skills and talents, and courageously put themselves out there to help save elephants.

Most of us conservationist types are hard-wired to ask the question: What can I do to help? The answer is to take what you already know how to do and apply it towards your cause. We can all do something to help. That question is what prompted me to start this website. I enjoy writing, so I started there. Not all of us can be (or need to be) machete-weilding jungle explorers like our heroes on Team Elephant (even though it's thrilling to live vicariously through their stories.) Not all of us need to be super brainiac scientists, either. Just do your thing--whatever that is.

Here are two easy things you can do right now:

• Vote for Team Elephant to win the NGC Expedition Granted contest.
• Forward this Sacred Elephants blog post to your friends (there are Twitter, Facebook, and email sharing links below.)

One last note: Not only do the guys at Team Elephant have a chance to win, but elephants will win. Also, there's a BIG prize you can win, too! NGO is giving away a 12-day Mediterranean Cruise (worth $24,580.) Remember, you can enter once per day until November 19th. Click here to enter now.

PS: National Geographic Channel staffers, if you're reading, as I know you sometimes do, I don't want to win a luxury cruise. There are no elephants on cruise ships! I want to be up to my ears in wild elephant poop. That's my idea of great holiday. Sheesh. *grin*