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I can’t believe I actually got here!  A year ago, I had no idea of how to use WordPress, now here I am with around 450 blog posts all based around my mission of bringing eco-tourism within the grasp of normal people who thought they could never afford to go to all those exotic countries to see their favourite bird species.  And then there are the people who are well-versed in the use of miles and points who I hopefully may have coaxed out of their Park Hyatts and SQ first class cabins into the tranquility of eco-lodges where they can get away from it all, commune with nature and contribute to some deserving local communities who have learned to appreciate their natural resources.

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As I look back on my first ever post, I am proud that I have stayed true to myself.  I discovered that a small niche blog such as this one is never going to get credit card links and even if I did get them, I wouldn’t keep them for long.  I would never be comfortable pushing affiliate links in every post and have kept just very basic credit card information in the Miles & Points section.  I managed to get banned from Ad(non)sense but have a few affiliate links in the sidebar that most people probably don’t see because everyone uses an ad-blocker nowadays.  I do occasionally highlight books and products that are of use to eco-tourists which can be found by searching the “gear” or “guides” tags.  This isn’t a credit card blog and I think the best deals are to be found on FlyerTalk as they are crowd-sourced and discussed on a daily basis.

Monetization would have been more the icing on the cake though, what I really want is to help save wild birds from being captured and sold as more eco-tourists head into communities and create more sustainable jobs.  That mission will never change!

So as I head into my second year of blogging, I hope to continue to bring more beautiful birds to your attention, introduce you to some of the world’s top eco-lodges, keep you informed of miles & points opportunities and hopefully get more people out in the field traveling and appreciating this beautiful natural world we live in!