As we get back from winter break and prepare for our spring breaks and summers, many of us will be reflecting on or planning volun-tourism or eco-tourism trips. The growing popularity of these trips brings up many questions, especially about the actual environmental impact of the eco-tourism industry. As Julie Dasenbrock outlines in her study, there are certainly pros to the industry–it is an alternative to environmentally damaging industries, and it supports individual conservation efforts and small-scale infrastructure development. However, it may also lead to visitor over-capacity, greenwashing, profit over protection, inadequate enforcement, and an unsustainable reliance on international donors for conservation projects. Even a quick search in JSTOR for “eco-tourism” yields over 2,200 results! Come discuss this important, controversial topic with us on Wednesday at 8:30 in the Dwight Hall library.