by (CNN) — This is something that many couples dream of. But few actually do.
Matt and Leah Prior quit their jobs, sold everything, and on July 15, set out on a round-the-world road trip with their two children: Jack, 3, and Charlotte, 1.
Travel has always been part of the Prior family DNA.
The couple met in Laos in 2011. At the time, Matt was raising money for the British Red Cross while driving a London black cab around the world, while Leah was on a year-long globetrotting adventure, after teach in South Korea for a few years.
They instantly connected and were in a long-distance relationship for a year after their road trip ended, before moving to Hong Kong to start a life together.
During that same trip, Matt met the Zapp family, who traveled the world for 22 years, in a 1928 Graham-Paige classic automobile. The Zapps had four children during the trip.
“Leah and I talked about the Zapps’ adventure shortly after we met, and from that moment on, the seed was planted: Maybe one day we could do something similar,” Matt Prior told CNN Travel.
And now, that dream came true. Taking off from London, the family travels in an INEOS Grenadier 4×4 with a Patriot Camper X3 off-road trailer, which has a pop-up tent. They will travel to more than 100 countries over the next five years, stopping in national parks and protected areas to support social and environmental initiatives.
After the UK, they will cross Europe and the Middle East before moving on to Central Asia, China and the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, the Asia-Pacific, Africa and finally the Americas.
During the project, called “Project Wild Land,” they will also share stories on their website and social media accounts about inspiring rangers, support organizations, government officials and business owners they work with or come into contact with.
“We have a unique opportunity before our kids start school, so if we’re going to do something a little wild as a family, now is the time to do it,” says Matt.
“We hope to contribute to the protection and preservation of our planet’s biodiversity, and if we can deliver on this, I will feel that we have played our small part in leaving the world better than when we arrived at it, and helping to adapt the course away from where we are. at the moment”.
The road to the Wild Land Project
After meeting in Hong Kong, the Priors lived in the busy city for just over a decade.
Leah, an American, worked as a primary school teacher and helped establish a school in Sudbury, Hong Kong, that allows children to direct their own education.
Meanwhile, Matt, who is British, wore many hats: commercial pilot, co-founder of specialist adventure travel company AdventureX and director of The Explorers Club in Hong Kong, to name a few.
When political unrest rocked the city in 2019, the couple began to reevaluate their plans.
Ready for a change, they hoped to move to Indonesia to live on an organic farm and start a family.
The Covid-19 pandemic forced them to take a pause. The Priors found themselves stuck in Hong Kong, which had some of the strictest pandemic restrictions in the world due to its “zero Covid” approach.
Matt worked as a pilot during the pandemic, delivering supplies around the world in difficult conditions.
“There were endless tests, forms, track and trace… I had to quarantine in hotel rooms for weeks,” he recalls. “Sometimes with armed guards and without the ability to even open the window.”
Meanwhile, Leah was pregnant with Jack. At the time, Hong Kong public hospitals had banned couples from entering delivery rooms, which meant Matt couldn’t be there while she underwent an emergency cesarean section to give birth to her child.
“Jack was a bright light during a dark period,” says Matt. “We moved to Sai Kung [en la parte este de los Nuevos Territorios de Hong Kong] to be in nature, which helped a lot and allowed us to live a simple life away from the city.”
When Leah became pregnant with her daughter in 2022, the city had yet to relax its policies, so she temporarily moved to the U.S. Matt continued working in Hong Kong, but this time he was able to accompany her during the birth.
“When these things developed in Hong Kong, we had to reconsider everything. Everything was on the table and open for discussion,” she says. “We were basically looking for a new start, a new location and potentially new occupations. “This was a family decision this time, not just what we would want to do individually.”
As they weighed their options, they remembered the Zapp family’s inspiring adventure and came up with Project Wild Earth.
“Our idea of taking a family overland trip resurfaced once again. This time was our preferred option, all things considered, and the one our hearts and guts gravitated towards,” says Matt. “It’s probably not the most sensible decision career-wise or financially, but it felt good.”
“Protecting nature would be our north star”
The couple was inspired by renowned primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall. (Credit: Sumy Sadurni/AFP/Getty Images)
When deciding how to spend their time on the road, they kept coming back to their interests and values.
“It became clear that protecting nature would be our north star, which naturally led us to conservation,” says Matt.
They began researching global environmental projects and spoke to many people in the sector about how their family could make a difference.
As their project began to take shape, the pair began to build a global network of partners and compile a database of over 250 projects around the world.
The initiatives span a wide range of efforts, from Tompkins Conservation’s rewilding project in Patagonia to the Allen Coral Atlas, which maps coral reefs and monitors threats. Then there are the projects that return land to indigenous tribes, innovate nature-based tourism, significantly reduce bycatch, restore rainforests through agroforestry, and leverage technology to improve wildlife monitoring and conservation. wild.
During their trip, they plan to volunteer their time and skills and help spread the word about each project’s work.
“We are looking for projects that are not only inspiring, but can also serve as a potential model for others to use and start their own projects. We believe in referring to nature as much as possible in terms of finding a solution,” says Matt.
“I also love the use of cutting-edge technology, as long as its implementation has a tangible effect on the ground.”
Projects focused on agroforestry, permaculture and regenerative agriculture in our food systems have also piqued the Priors’ interest, as have grassroots initiatives.
“Regardless of the resources you have available, grassroots projects show that there is still a way to organize and act, which is what it is all about,” he says.
“We want to show that we can create a better world by moving from pessimism to one of creativity, inspiration and action.”
Stories from the road
Inspired by advice from the Jane Goodall Institute and youth service organization Roots and Shoots, Matt and Leah plan to raise awareness about conservation efforts through storytelling.
Both organizations were founded by renowned primatologist and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall.
“She is a huge inspiration to us and the main reason we have focused on storytelling, based on her belief that this is what really makes people change from within,” says Matt.
“We hope that over time, as we share more and more stories and examples of what is happening around the world, it will inspire people to take action in many ways.”
The couple hopes to lead some to reevaluate their spending habits and encourage others to change careers, partnerships, documentaries, start their own projects or volunteer with conservation organizations.
“When people ask us what they can do to help, we often recommend the Key Conservation app, which helps conservationists raise funds and support for their campaigns in real time,” says Matt.
“We hope that people think a little more about nature and biodiversity and appreciate what we have here on our planet.”
Since they will be driving most of the trip, the Priors plan to offset their carbon footprint through the Mossy Earth monthly membership program, which supports rewilding and biodiversity projects.
The family calculated an initial emissions estimate based on UK averages – 12.7 tonnes of CO2e per adult and 6.35 per child – but will carefully track mileage, water and waste use on the road. to obtain a more precise figure.
“This is something kids can participate in. I have no doubt they will enjoy it and hold us accountable, which is great,” says Matt.
Everyone in the family
Matt Prior says seagrass conservation is one of many issues they will highlight during their five-year journey. (Credit: Reinhard Dirscherl/The Image Bank RF/Getty Images)
Before taking off, Matt and Leah embarked on several long-distance trials with Jack and Charlotte in the UK and US.
These long trips and camping adventures helped the couple better understand how to plan their travel schedules, break up long trips, and entertain the kids without using screens.
By including their children in the trip and conservation work, the Priors hope to expose Jack and Charlotte to as much diversity, innovative ideas and natural beauty as possible.
“From our perspective, it is very important that children participate from day one. “They are the future,” says Matt.
“The life skills they will gain, as well as overcoming the challenges that affect us all, and simply interacting with people of all places, ages and backgrounds, will be priceless.”
They are excited for children to participate in many projects and learn about different ecosystems, wildlife, restoration, regenerative agricultural practices, and conservation in general.
Matt hopes Jack enjoys using the SeagrassSpotter app to help document seagrasses in coastal communities. That data will then be used by Project Seagrass to better predict where they can be restored.
“We’re going in with our eyes wide open,” he says. “We know this is not going to be a walk in the park, but at the same time, children are adaptable and nature is an incredible playground, which can be inspiring, entertaining and educational.”
Being able to spend this precious time with our children is very special, he adds.
“We hope that nature and supporting others will become part of our children’s DNA in the future. But where this journey ultimately takes them will be up to them.”
