Wta may2012 fnpw

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop

Thursday 17thMay, 2012

Commercial and philanthropic opportunities

for enhancing wildlife conservation

through Ecotourism

Angus M Robinson &

Susanna Bradshaw

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Agenda

�A question of definitions and principles

�Foundation for National Parks & W

ildlife

�Current ecotourism

related partnerships

�Australian National Landscapes

�Philanthropy opportunities and vision

�Take aways

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Incorporating all types of “place based”tourism

Boley, B.B. after Thompson, S. 2009

Sightseeing

Cuisine

Agritourism

Indigenous

Tourism

Heritage

Tourism

Cultural

Tourism

NATURE

BASED

TOURISM

Geotourism

i.e. ‘experiential

tourism’

Geotourism

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

A Question of Definitions

‘Nature Based’activities:

�Nature tourism involves travel to unspoiled places to

experience and enjoy nature.

�Adventure tourism is nature tourism

‘on steroids’

�Wildlife tourism involves travel to observe anim

als, birds

and fish in their native habitats.

�Ecotourism

is responsible travel to natural areas that

conserves the environment & improves the w

ell-being of

local people, defined by a set of principles.

Source: Honey, 2008: Ecotourism

and Sustainable Development and

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Seven Principles of Ecotourism

1.Involves travel to natural destinations

2.Minim

ises impact

3.Builds environmental awareness

4.Provides financial benefits

and empowermentfor

local people

5.Respects local culture

6.Supports human rights

and democratic m

ovements

7.Provides direct financial benefits for conservation

Source: Honey, 2008: Ecotourism

and Sustainable Development

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Australian Definition of Ecotourism

�Ecotourism

is ecologically sustainable tourism

with a

primary focus on experiencing natural areas that

fosters

environmental and cultural understanding,

appreciation and conservation.

�Ecotourism Australiabelieves that the ultim

ate

definition of ecotourism

is compliance w

ith the core

criteria stated within the Eco Certification Program.

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Eco Certification Criteria

�In Australia, ECO Certification has three levels of

achievement which have been developed to

accommodate for a range of businesses and,

�their level of commitment to sustainability,

dedication/applicability to socialand cultural

responsibilities, and

�the level ofinterpretationand educationinvolved

in the product(s).

�Currently no specific focus on philanthropy/funding of

wildlife conservation research.

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

�When then Premier of NSW, the Hon Tom Lewis M

P,

first established the NSW National Parks & W

ildlife

Service, he had a vision of establishing a

complementaryorganisation, constituted mainly

from the corporate sector , to acquire parks for the

Service. Hence the birth of the Foundation for

National Parks & Wildlife

in 1970.

�Today the Foundation continues thetradition of

growing parksand caring for them and the species that

inhabit them.

Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Foundation achievements

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Volunteering Land for Conservation

�The Foundation for National Parks & W

ildlife is the

only organisation in Australia whose philanthropy is

an investment in our public estate, for all to enjoy.

�There are tax incentives for landholders donating

landbut thereal value is the growth of our national

parksand the protection given to our plants and

animals cared for under their management.

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Growing Our National Parks

�Growing our parks is essential to safeguard our

natural heritagefor future Australians.

�National Parks remain the core of our protected land

system.

�The Foundation continues to purchase suitable land

to add to extend our national reservesfor future

generations.

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

The Foundation & Philanthropy

�Since its inception in 1970, the Foundation has been

funding scientifically based projects for the

benefit of Australian native species.

�To date the Foundation has saved four species from

extinction and funded projects to research &

conserve over 30 other Australian plant and anim

al

species.

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Over 40 Years of Caring

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Foundation achievements

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Foundation achievements

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Foundation achievements

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Foundation achievements

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Foundation Partnerships

�Funding w

ildlife research conservation projects

�Biodiversity, geodiversity, cultural or heritage focus

�Includes environmental interpretation projects

�Targeted to m

ake the difference!

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

YuraygirCoastal Walk

Minimal impact, local benefits

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

YuraygirCoastal Walk

Follow the coastal emu

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

YuraygirCoastal Walk

Provides direct financial benefits for conservation

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Strategic Partnerships

Accommodation Providers within Protected Areas

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Strategic Partnership Opportunities

Ecotourism & Threatened Species –Eastern Quolls

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

University of Tasmania Project

Eastern Quoll Trapping, Tasmania

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

University of Tasmania Project

Eastern Quoll Monitoring

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

University of Tasmania Project

Eastern Quoll Pathology Testing

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

NP&WS ‘Koala Care’Project -Gunnedah

Tracking Koalas

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

NP&WS ‘Koala Care’Project -Gunnedah

Koala Wrangling

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

NP&WS ‘Koala Care’Project -Gunnedah

Project Ambassador -Koala Examination

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

NP&WS ‘Koala Care’Project -Gunnedah

Koala ‘Unwrangling’

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

NP&WS ‘Koala Care’Project -Gunnedah

Thanks A Lot Mister!

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

NP&WS ‘Koala Care’Project -Gunnedah

Koala Scat Research!

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Project Expeditions

Providing supporters with hands on experience

�Foundation volunteer Project Ambassadors undertake

field trips to experience, first hand, the w

ork of the

scientists and researchers they are supporting.

�The Foundation is looking to extend this opportunity

to project sponsorship in partnership w

ith Earthwatch

who run sim

ilar expeditions.

http://www.earthwatch.org/australia/expeditions/

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

EarthwatchGreat OtwayNP

Koala Research Program for Volunteers

�Help scientists study the response of koalas to climate

change to conserve their habitats and population.

�Traverse the Great Otw

ayNP w

hile conducting valuable

research on koala habitats to understand the impact of

climate change on population &

behaviour.

�During organised expeditions, volunteers w

ill get the

chance to w

ork closely w

ith koalas and be involved in

all aspects of the research.

�Leisure Solutions®

is a current year sponsor.

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Australian National Landscapes

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Scenic Rim

Green Cauldron National Landscape

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

‘Values Based’Philanthropy Opportunities

linked to Ecotourism

�Royalty payments from tour operators

�Corporate sponsorship of part or full project costs

�Per unit donations for research costs e.g. pathology

tests, GPS collars

�Sponsorship of vehicle leases

�‘voluntourists’

e.g. Earthwatch, Conservation Volunteers

Australia, World Expeditions etc

http://www.ecotourism.org/voluntourism

�Field Research ‘experiential’tourism

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Leisure Solutions®

Philanthropy Vision

Now:

�To act ‘on call’as an interested sponsor of threatened

species wildlife conservation projects

which have

(preferably) as their principal objective, the

maintenance and/or regeneration of wildlife habitat.

These projects can be located either within national

parks or within public or private lands in any location in

Australia.

Future:

�To undertake these projects in the area in which the

ecotouris being undertaken.

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Take Aways

�Ecotourism

requires a commitment by tour operators and

accommodation providers

to contribute to providing direct

financial benefits for conservation.

�Demonstrated opportunities are now readily available

for

industry participation.

�With an increasing level of promotion of ‘nature based’tourism

into both established protected areas and National Landscapes,

more opportunities will arise.

�In tim

e, it is predicted that eco-certification will directly

embrace wildlife conservation support.

�The Foundationis a leading NGO providing a vehicle for

ecotourism driven philanthropy.

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

Wildlife Tourism Australia Workshop | Caring for Australia’s Natural and Cultural Heritage since 1970

For more information about the

Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife

•Visit our website w

ww.fnpw.org.au

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•Email

arobinson@fnpw.org.auand

sbradshaw@fnpw.org.au