2000-2001:  IRI conducts World Encounters and research in the Bahamas.  At the edge of the Caribbean, the 700+ islands of the Bahamas are the perfect launch point for experiential education in nations which, while close to the US, are little understood by most North Americans.  IRI seeks to inform those who join us, and apply our expertise and resources towards constructive action in the region:

Expeditions to the Bahamian Field Station on San Salvador	Support for the Clifton Cay Conservation effort on the Island of New Providence
Cultural research through attendance and participation in the local Junkanoo festival	Undersea research to examine the impact of tourism and development on the world's third-largest barrier reef.

Spring 1999:  IRI establishes World Encounters in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, taking its first steps towards Asia, and a program of experiential education at sea.  We thank all the participants who helped make our projects a success:

The Lembeh Island Fishing Boat Donation Program in North Sulawesi	Establishment of ties with existing Indonesian cultural and ecological organizations
Construction of a wooden sailing vessel in Indonesia for education and research	Bunaken Coral Education Program planning underway with local university

Summer and Fall of 1998:  IRI focused on the Sea of Cortez and northern Sonora, Mexico.   Several educational tours were featured, including:

To Visit the Saint: A pilgrimage of tradition and transculturation on the road to Magdalena.

Living with the Desert Sea: The cultural ecology of the Sea of Cortez.

Contact IRI for information and dates.