Pemberton day tours to Lake Jasper and Black Point, Western Australia

Environment
We operate responsibly in all areas of our work. Working with the Department of Environment and Conservation, we repair and maintain forest tracks and organise clean up days with our own Yeagarup Trust fund of the environment we showcase. 5% of tour costs go back to the DEC for looking after our National Parks and forests.

We work with Australia’s South West, Tourism Western Australia and Tourism Australia to showcase our region and our product to the best of our ability as we recognise that what we do is unique and special to our tourism industry.

Community
We participate in local and state training opportunities and give the opportunity for our contract guides to attend these training courses. We offer training with both the tours and also the office work and employ students to work during their school breaks.

We are proactive in local involvement with the tours and the shop, working with guides in ensuring that their love for the environment is transferred onto the tours –often building a new tour product to ensure they can showcase their knowledge. An example of this is the Bugs in the Bush and Frogs in the Forest tours that guide Wendy has been running for 3 years now – she is also working with the ribbons of blue (Department of Water) to bring it into the local schools.

The shop offers not only an office and main street location – but other local operators and residents a place to come and chat as well as supplies the town with educational toys, scientific books and local products.

Owners Graeme and Toni are proactive in their community offering advice to new businesses considering starting a tourism product as well as involved at a state and local level in tourism and business organisations. Graeme, a finalist in the Golden Guide Award, is a member of the government advisory board between DEC (Department of Environment and Conservation), Tourism WA and small operators. Toni is secretary of the Pemberton Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Together they also ensure that the business is run to the best of their ability. All the tours are offset by Carbon Neutral – the business arm of “Men of the Trees” and the owners have also purchased a property in the dry wheatbelt country where they have been planting trees to offset their clients for the last three years. Currently we are working with DEC to develop a cultural awareness course for the local area and have plans and dreams to increase the ecotourism opportunities for the region.