AMNH Expeditions and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre have launched an exciting partnership aimed at increasing the public’s awareness of theneed to protect and preserve the values of World Heritage sites. Most of the well-known sites carry the coveted United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage status: the Pyramids of Giza, the Galapagos Islands, the Temples of Angkor, and the Great Barrier Reef. But did you know that there are over 800 UNESCO World Heritage sites?

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the American Museum of Natural History are two of the most recognizable names in international conservation, research and education. Nearly every AMNH Expedition visits a World Heritage site, but as part of our partnership with UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Museum Travelers have the opportunity to meet with selected site managers, learn about UNESCO's World Heritage mission and valuable work through our website and educational materials, and take part in our special UNESCO-themed programs each year, which feature privileged access to certain key sites.

To learn more about the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the World Heritage List, please visit http://whc.unesco.org/



Together AMNH Expeditions and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre have created World Heritage Expeditions, a new travel series exploring the ongoing efforts for the conservation and preservation of some of the world’s outstanding cultural and natural sites.  Several programs a year are designated World Heritage Expeditions, which feature outstanding content designed especially for travelers on these trips.  Our inaugural program to Turkey in the Spring of 2008 received an overwhelming response and will be repeated in 2010. Upcoming programs take Museum Travelers on journeys of exploration into the world of the Maya and along the path of the great caravans on the Silk Road.

            The Mayan World:
            El Salvador, Honduras, & Guatemala