Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
1of6
Community
This tour supports local community outcomes by supporting local conservation and research outcomes on Montague Island Nature Reserve. We provide opportunities for travellers to learn and personally contribute something back to local conservation efforts. All produce is sourced from local, family owned and operated businesses. All guides are employed from the local area and we use local accommodation and suppliers. Profit is returned into community conservation projects. We engage community members in the development and execution of programs on Montague Island Nature Reserve.
Environment
This program supports conservation and research on Montague Island Nature Reserve. Participants on an overnight tour will contribute to the Montague Island Penguin Monitoring Program. Montague Island is a significant seabird nesting and breeding ground and home to Australia’s second largest Little Penguin colony.
The Penguin Monitoring Program aims to monitor the difference in breeding success of penguins using nest boxes between recent patches of regeneration (2007, 2010) and older patches (2004, 2005). It is expected that initially the more recent burnt patches would have a lower breeding success due to limited cover (from predators such as Ravens, Swamp Harriers or Owls). The older patches with more cover should have a higher success as predator problems are less.
A series of over 120 artificial nesting boxes have been mapped, tagged and staked over 4 regeneration patches for survey purposes. NPWS guides will train the volunteers in how to conduct the survey. Teams of volunteers will visit each nest box once per week or fortnight, lift the lid and record the contents. This would be in the form of numbers of adults, eggs, chicks (with approximate ages) and other comments. A photographic guide for estimating the age of Penguin chicks is provided. Any handling of birds would be done by the Guides. This would be for reading tag numbers or other purposes and is minimal. Each box is only opened for a short time in an approved manner to minimise any disturbance to the birds. On completion of the survey, participants will enter their data into the database.
Group sizes are kept to a maximum of 10 people to ensure a quality experience and minimal environmental impact. This Advanced Eco Certified tour is provided by Australia’s largest not for profit, community based conservation organisation and any profits from these trips are donated back to the conservation projects on Montague Island and across Australia.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
