Animal Experience International is proud to announce their certification as a B Corporation. Certified B Corporations meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Unlike traditional corporations, Certified B Corporations are required to consider the impact of their decisions on their employees, suppliers, community, consumers, and environment.

B Corporation certification was important to Animal Experience International, a volunteer tourism organization. Animal Experience International helps animals around the globe by matching clients with animal related volunteer opportunities at sanctuaries, hospitals, wildlife rehabilitation centres, conservation projects and government programs. As a B Corporation engaged in business in over ten countries, AEI can use the power of business to help solve social and environmental problems.

Animal Experience International is dedicated to more than just travel and more than just volunteerism. AEI wants to ensure their global impact creates advocates for animals and communities around the world.

Whether an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, a sea turtle rescue group in Costa Rica or a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Australia, all of AEI’s partners are community-based organizations who have the sustainability of the wider community as part of their mission. AEI works directly with the community to not only take part in conservation projects but to ensure that they are making a sustainable change. Each partner has been personally visited and assessed to ensure that the placements are genuinely aiding animals and that AEI’s presence will be beneficial to the community.

AEI understands the negative impact that volunteer tourism can potentially have and is committed to ensuring our clients make a valuable and positive impact on their own lives as well as the lives of our Placement Partners around the world. AEI is committed to ethical environmental practices. Understanding that travel is a contributor to climate change and environmental degradation, AEI has partnered with a family-run company to ensure the travel associated with its experiences is carbon balanced. Trees are planted in the boreal forest to off-set the travel of AEI volunteers. AEI’s commitment is not only to changing the lives of AEI clients, but to making the planet a healthier place to live.

AEI is proud to join the hundreds of other Certified B Corporations to build a collective voice through the power of the unifying B Corporation brand. As of January 2013, there are over 660 Certified B Corporations from over 60 industries, representing a diverse multi-billion marketplace active in more than 20 countries. In the long term this commitment to higher standards will lead to a legally recognized new corporate form called a Benefit Corporation (like a C corp or an S corp) as well as tax incentives, procurement preferences, and a social stock exchange for sustainable businesses.

B Lab certifies and supports B Corporations. B Lab is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. B Lab drives systemic change through three interrelated initiatives: 1) building a community of Certified B Corporations to make it easier for all of us to tell the difference between “good companies” and just good marketing; 2) accelerating the growth of the impact investing asset class through use of B Lab’s GIIRS impact rating system by institutional investors; and 3) promoting supportive public policies, including creation of a new corporate form and tax, procurement, and investment incentives for sustainable business.

About Animal Experience International

Animal Experience International (AEI) is a Travel, Adventure and Volunteer company that specializes in animal and wildlife conservation experiences. Animal Experience International is an organization with a mission to help animals around the globe by matching clients with animal-related volunteer opportunities at sanctuaries, wildlife hospitals, animal clinics and conservation projects. Through their respective work as a wildlife veterinarian and as a volunteer coordinator for wildlife sanctuaries, co-founders Dr. Heather Reid and Nora Livingstone have come to understand the need for an organization like AEI. People from all walks of life, and from every country, are seeking animal-related experiences as volunteers. Organizations that provide help to animals, either directly or through conservation projects, are often reliant on volunteers to achieve their goals. AEI is excited to help bring these two groups together and make a difference in the lives of animals around the world. AEI is committed to making sustainable and long lasting connections by partnering with only the very best organizations around the world. Quality, worry-free placements allow AEI’s clients to focus on taking care of the animals and getting the most possible from their volunteer experience.

Animal Experience International – Points of Interest:

• The only Travel, Adventure and Volunteer company dedicated to animal and conservation projects that is a certified B Corporation
• AEI’s directors are both women
• AEI’s president is a wildlife veterinarian.
• To date, AEI’s charitable donations to animal projects and wildlife conservation have exceeded AEI’s profits

www.animalexperienceinternational.com

www.bcorporation.net/community/animal-experience-international

Animal Experience International

Animal Experience International

Animal Experience International - Empowering people to travel by providing exceptional volunteer animal adventures.

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