Melbourne wildlife day tours, Victoria, Australia
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Our mission as a tour operator is to ensure that wild animals have a future in wild habitats around Australia.
Wild Koala Research
For the past 12 years we have tracked and monitored the movements and lives of the hundreds of wild koalas that we encounter on our tours. Each resident koala is named, photographed and identifying markings are noted. These wild Koalas are not tagged, caught or handled in any way – they are identified by observation at a distance, through binoculars. Each day every koala found is located on a map, they are photographed, the tree species they are in and all behaviour is noted. At the end of each year these findings are compiled, analysed and a report for the year is provided to all our Guides, Koala Researchers and to the National Parks Service, local Field Naturalist Club and Koala-specialist Wildlife Carers and veterinarians to assist with understanding of Koalas in this particular wild habitat. This Project is our own initiative, and fully funded by our tour company. A Researcher is employed one day per week to input data, and on every tour a Koala Researcher/Field Guide goes out ahead of the tour group to find Koalas and monitor them before the group arrives. This ensures a high degree of success with koala sightings (100% over the past 3 years) and adds 3 hours of monitoring data to each day’s sightings.
Guide Training – Leading by example and information
All our tours are fully guided by experienced, well-trained Nature Guides. Our Nature Guides are trained to impart an environmental ethic that respects the animals and ecosystems that we encounter. We inform our guests of the least intrusive way to behave around wild animals. We speak quietly around wildlife, walk slowly towards them, stopping often, and we insist that our guests do the same. We all remain at least 10 metres away from wild koalas, wallabies, kangaroos and possums, as these animals are easily distressed.
We train our Nature Guides intensively and continuously and we encourage further learning on all aspects of the environment. Natural history books are available to all Nature Guides on loan from our collection. We compile Special Sightings every month with a list and photographs of all unusual sightings of animals, insects, plants to keep Guides up to date. This is sent to all our Nature Guides, Field Guides, Researchers and to the local Field Naturalist Club, Bird Observers Club and local National Park Rangers.
The owners, with over 17 years experience with wildlife, are often invited to give talks to interest groups, universities and community groups about wildlife behaviour and working with Australian wildlife in the wild. We often work with media, promoting the inherent value of wild animals, the region and the ethics of eco- and wildlife-tourism.
Reduce, re-use and recycle
Water Conservation: We clean our vehicles with one small bucket of recycled water and an “Enjo”-style re-usable cloth that uses no chemicals and very little water to clean. After use the water is put on our native garden. We wash linen/tablecloths and all our own clothing in phosphate-free, biodegradable washing detergent. All the “grey” water from the washing machine goes onto our native garden. Our garden is never watered with fresh, unrecycled tap water.
We minimise vehicle travel and fuel use by employing local people and using local suppliers and businesses as much as possible. We avoid disposable products, plastic bags & cling film and discourage the use of throw-away water bottles. Our cutlery, crockery and food containers are all enamel, metal and hard recyclable plastic and are washed and re-used. 95% of our rubbish is food scraps and paper – all is collected and composted or recycled (paper). We recycle all paper, glass and suitable plastics & aluminium through the local government recycling system. Our office and home use low-voltage light globes; 100% recycled paper; all lighting, heating, computers and office equipment are turned off overnight; we do not have, and do not want air-conditioning in our office or home.
Community
Aboriginal/Indigenous involvement
From the beginning, the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative have been involved in our planning and research for tours in their area. They taught us what to say about their Culture and how to say it. They continue to be valued mentors to our business. We promote and encourage Aboriginal–guided cultural interpretation on all group, special and private tours.
We employ Aboriginal Guides as much as possible. No non-Aboriginal person should speak for the Aboriginal People of Australia. In addition, we and our Aboriginal mentors teach our non-Aboriginal Guides about the protocols of dealing with, and speaking about, Aboriginal People. Our specialized food for Private tours is prepared by a local Aboriginal-owned business. We create awareness and understanding of the local Aboriginal Culture by working with and learning from the local indigenous people, employing indigenous people where possible, including them in tours where possible and passing on respect for their culture to our guests and staff.
All our Nature Guides, Field Guides and Researchers live locally – many in the smaller towns outside of Melbourne, close to the sites where we operate. We are active members of the local Field Naturalists Groups and Bird Observers Clubs in the areas we work in.
We share our wildlife sightings with local people visiting the National Park – often passers-by notice our group looking at a koala, for instance, and so we invite them to join us for a short time to see and learn about the animal. This encourages local pride in the wildlife and in the area.
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