4.14.2008 - 11:55am ET

(CSRwire) NEW YORK, April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Lindblad Expeditions (http://www.expeditions.com), the pioneering expedition travel company with a strong commitment to conservation, has partnered with the Chefs Collaborative (http://www.chefscollaborative.org) to launch Chefs-at-Sea, a new program for the Lindblad on-board experience. The Chefs Collaborative is a network of more than 1500 chefs and culinary professionals from across the U.S. who are devoted to sourcing and cooking with local and sustainable ingredients. Through Chefs-at-Sea, guests aboard Lindblad's fleet of ships will learn from award-winning chefs, in presentations and demonstrations, or market visits. This program brings to life culinary history, practice and art, focusing on the growing trends in local and artisanal cuisine.

The Chefs-at-Sea program is a natural extension of Lindblad Expeditions' (LEX) ongoing efforts to inform guests on food choices. Since LEX's inception in 1979, the company has had an unwavering commitment to conservation and the environment, with a mission of exposing guests to issues impacting the special places where the company travels. In recent years, LEX has worked to bring this same philosophy to the shipboard menus by focusing on the tangible relationship between the destinations visited, the local culture and the foods served and by building awareness among our guests about the environment, our planet and the sustainability of food. For example, an earlier company initiative, developed in conjunction with the Blue Ocean institute to promote sustainable cuisine was Lindblad Expeditions' Seafood for Thought program, which provided guests with educational literature to help individuals preserve fish stocks by making informed choices about seafood purchasing. Lindblad Expeditions also removed shrimp from menus many years ago due to the environmentally harmful practices associated with harvesting shrimp worldwide and explains this to their guest on board. Through initiatives like these Lindblad Expeditions takes an active role to insure that the company's selection of food products mirrors their concern for the planet.

Bringing A-list culinary experts onboard LEX ships, through the Chefs-at-Sea program, creates an opportunity to broaden the subject areas on Lindblad voyages beyond natural history to the interconnected aspects of culture as it relates to food, food origins, ingredients and cooking techniques. The first round of Chefs-at-Sea, which will kick off in Fall 2008, will include nationally-recognized names such as Barton Seaver of Hook Restaurant in Washington, DC; Bruce Sherman of North Pond Restaurant in Chicago, IL; and Michel Nischan of the Dressing Room, A Homegrown Restaurant in Westport, CT. All of these chefs and their restaurants are exemplary models of fresh, modern and sustainable cuisine. Confirmed travel dates for the Chefs-at-Sea program include Michel Nischan on the 5 September "European Odyssey;" Barton Seaver on the 20 September "Atlantic Odyssey;" and Bruce Sherman on the 26 September "Soul of Wildness" departure which travels through the Galapagos Islands.

"Chefs today are the new celebrities," said Sven Lindblad, founder and president of Lindblad Expeditions. "Chefs of the Collaborative are incredibly influential with their patrons around issues of which we are mutually passionate -- sustainable fisheries, local, and artisanal ingredients as well as the cultural origins of foods. We are proud to showcase their knowledge and talent as part of our expedition environment," he added.

Additional chefs will participate in the program in 2009, details regarding which chefs and the dates of their travel will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more information on Lindblad Expeditions and its programs or to obtain a b roll package on Chefs at Sea, please see www.expeditions.com or contact Jennifer Gregoire at jenniferg@expeditions.com.

About Chefs Collaborative

Chefs Collaborative, a national organization based in Boston, works with chefs and the greater food community to celebrate local foods and foster a more sustainable food supply. The Collaborative inspires action by translating information about our food into tools for making knowledgeable purchasing decisions. Through these actions, its members embrace seasonality, preserve diversity and traditional practices, and support local economies.

About Lindblad Expeditions

Lindblad Expeditions is a pioneering expedition travel company providing voyages in Galapagos, Antarctica, Baja California, Alaska, the Arctic, and beyond. The company works in partnership with the National Geographic Society to inspire people to explore and care about the planet by providing innovative marine expedition programs and by promoting conservation and sustainable tourism around the world. Sven Lindblad has received international recognition including the 2007 Global Tourism Business Award, 2007 Seafood Champion Award, U.N. Programme Global 500 Award and recognition from HRH, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg for his dedication to the conservation and environmental stewardship of the Galapagos archipelago. The company has also been named #1 Small-Ship Cruise Line (Travel + Leisure's World's Best Value Awards 2006); "The Best Ships in the World" and "The Best Itineraries" (Conde Nast Traveler: Truth in Travel Awards 2006).

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