The Hurtigruten Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to supporting sustainable exploration and research, is now accepting applications for its grants. The Foundation supports projects and initiatives that positively impact the natural environment and wildlife, support local communities, and battle plastic waste and marine litter. Since 2015, the Foundation has supported more than 60 projects worldwide.

Grants are available to individuals, organizations, and institutions, in areas that the leading adventure travel company Hurtigruten Group explores. Applications will be reviewed by the Hurtigruten Foundation Board, a team of experts with extensive experience in the fields of sustainable tourism, conservation, and research. The deadline for application submission is May 1^st, 2023.

“The Hurtigruten Foundation is proud to support initiatives that further our mission to protect and preserve unique natural environments and cultural heritage,” says Henrik A. Lund, Managing Director of Hurtigruten Foundation.

“We go to some of the most unique places in the world, and the nature, wildlife, and local communities in those places should not just be undisturbed, they should benefit from our visit. We want to leave positive footprints everywhere we go. Supporting local projects through Hurtigruten Foundation is one of our ways of giving back.”

Among the supported projects last year are the Prince William Sound Science Center in Alaska, USA, for their research into plastic ingestion by migrant shorebirds during spring on Alaska’s Copper River Delta, the Norwegian Tarevokterne, “The Kelp Guardians”, for their efforts to restore the sea kelp forest in Northern Norway, and The Charles Darwin Foundation for their studies on the population of Waved Albatross in Galápagos.

“We are honored to receive support from Hurtigruten Foundation for our important research and conservation work on the Waved Albatross population in the Galapagos Islands. This funding will enable us to purchase necessary sampling equipment, microchips, and travel to the field to conduct our research, including the analysis of heavy metals,” Gustavo Jiménez, Principal Investigator of Marine Birds at the Charles Darwin Foundation says.

Applications for the Hurtigruten Foundation’s grant program are now open and will close on May 1st, 2023. Interested parties are encouraged to visit the Foundation’s website for more information on the simple application process.