Ecotourism

“Ecotourism” is perhaps the most over-used and mis-used word in the travel industry. But what does it mean? The Ecotourism Society defines it as "responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of the local people". A walk through the rainforest is not eco-tourism unless that particular walk somehow benefits that environment and the people who live there. A rafting trip is only eco-tourism if it raises awareness and funds to help protect the watershed.

7 Points to define Ecotourism:

1) Involves travel to natural destinations. These destinations are often remote areas, whether inhabited or uninhabited, and are usually under some kind of environmental protection at the national, international, communal or private level.

2) Minimizes Impact. Ecotourism strives to minimize the adverse affects of hotels, trails, and other infrastructure by using either recycled materials or available local building materials, renewable sources of energy, recycling and safe disposal of waste and garbage, and environmentally and culturally sensitive architectural design. Minimization of impact also requires that the numbers and mode of behavior of travelers be regulated to ensure limited damage to the ecosystem.

3) Builds environmental awareness. Ecotourism means education, for both travelers and residents of nearby communities. Essential to good ecotourism are well-trained, multilingual naturalist guides with skills in natural and cultural history, environmental interpretation, ethical principles and effective communication. Ecotourism projects should also help educate members of the surrounding community, schoolchildren and the broader public in the host country.

4) Provides direct financial benefits for conservation: Ecotourism helps raise funds for environmental protection, research and education through a variety of mechanisms, including park entrance fees, tour company, hotel, airline and airport taxes and voluntary contributions.

5) Provides financial benefits and empowerment for local people: National Parks and other conservation areas will only survive if there are "happy people" around their perimeters. The local community must be involved with and receive income and other tangible benefits (potable water, roads, health clinics, etc.) from the conservation area and it's tourist facilities.

6) Respects local culture: Ecotourism is not only "greener" but also less culturally intrusive and exploitative than conventional tourism. It strives to be culturally respectful and have a minimal effect on both the natural environment and the human population of a host country. Part of being a responsible ecotourist is learning beforehand about the local customs, respecting dress codes and other social norms and not intruding on the community unless either invited or as part of a well organized tour.

7) Supports human rights and democratic movements: Ecotourism demands a more holistic approach to travel, one in which participants strive to respect, learn about and benefit both the local environment and local communities.

Australia: The first laws to protect Australia’s scenic areas were passed in Tasmania in 1863. In 1879, the Royal National Park was established south of Sydney – Australia's first, and the world's second, national park. Since then, about 3,200 national parks, conservation parks, reserves, and refuges have been set aside in Australia and Tasmania, totaling more than 99 million acres, 5.3 % of the Australian land mass. A further 94 million acres in 228 marine and estuarine areas have also been set aside.

Visitors to one of Australia's 10 World Heritage areas will discover Australia at its most beautiful and exciting. World Heritage sites are chosen for their natural and/or cultural value, and Australia is proud to have three areas listed for both natural and cultural reasons. Australia is a founding nation of the World Heritage Convention, a body that promotes cooperation among nations to provide a conservation safety net for worldwide heritage areas deemed of value to all people. The protection of the world's irreplaceable natural and cultural wonders is all-important and of growing urgency. Australia is striving to balance the preservation of its precious areas, while allowing limited access to people who appreciate the fragile beauty of nature. Australians are increasingly conservation-minded and have embraced the World Heritage protection extended to some of the best parts of their country. Some of the better known sites include the Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu National Park, Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) and the Tasmanian wilderness.

FLORA:
Australia: Australia supports at least 25,000 species of plants, in contrast to Europe which only supports 17,500. Isolation and a harsh environment have resulted in a unique Australian flora. Over the immensity of the land there are many varieties of habitat, including tropical rainforest, temperate rainforest, savannah, steppe, alpine grassland, desert and various forests. In all these areas, except the rainforests, the common tree is the eucalypt. With over 500 species it is the most common tree in the country as its species dominates the forests and woodlands of the better watered regions of Australia, while vast areas of the drier country, particularly to the south, are covered by eucalypt mallee scrubs. Another major species in the Australian landscape is the acacia or wattle tree. There are over 600 species in Australia. In the drier woodlands and semi arid areas wattles are co-dominant with the eucalypts.

Evolution has resulted in species that generally can take advantage of every fall of rain, particularly in desert areas. This results in dramatic flowerings in areas generally considered barren. The Kangaroo Paw and Sturt Desert Pea both flower readily after desert rains. With the unique variety of birds and insects that are available to pollinate flowering plants, many Australian plants have developed distinctive methods of attracting particular species. These include dramatically colored flowers, unusual shapes designed to brush against birds or insects as they feed, and abundant supplies of nectar. The Kangaroo Paw, Grevillea, and Hakea are examples of this.

Some Australian trees and plants (for example banksias) produce hard woody fruits and seeds, which not only survive fire but require fire to germinate. Fire also burns back undergrowth. Some species’ seeds are adapted to germinate only in the presence of those nutrients available after a fire’s burning. The presence of eucalypts can also dramatically affect the way a fire burns. The volatile oils in eucalyptus leaves rise above the vegetation in advance of a fire front, and can literally explode, ahead of man-made and natural fire breaks.

The ancient soils which are characteristic of Australia are nutrient-deficient after millennia of leaching without renewal from volcanic activity. In some parts of desert Australia the lack of vegetation is an effect of poor soils rather than lack of rainfall. Salt is also becoming a problem over large areas of land as human use of available water lowers the water table. This further reduces the ability of the soil to provide sustenance for seeds.

FAUNA:
Australia: Australia's very distinctive fauna includes 800 species of birds of which 400 are endemic, 300 species of lizards, 140 species of snakes, 230 species of native mammals, and 2 species of crocodile. These unique animals evolved during the 55 million years that the continent has been isolated from other land masses. There are two predominant kinds of native mammals in Australia, the monotremes and the marsupials. The monotremes are egg laying mammals; the marsupials give birth to young in a very immature state which are carried in a maternal pouch. There are two kinds of monotremes; the platypus and echidna. There are hundreds of kinds of marsupials, including koalas, wombats, and more than 50 species of kangaroo. Monotremes are often called "living fossils" because they are egg-laying mammals and are considered to represent the stage of evolution between reptilian and placental mammals.

Isolation also allowed for the evolution of exotic birds. Over 400 species of bird are found nowhere else, and the birds are as numerous as they are colorful. They range from the tiny honeyeaters to the large, flightless Emu which stands over two meters tall. There is also the infamous Kookaburra bird, an endemic. There are 55 species of parrots in Australia; an early map by one of the earliest navigators suggested the Australian continent should be called "Terra psittacorum", Latin for "Land of Parrots".

The kangaroo is unique to Australia and New Guinea, its hind limbs are longer than its forelimbs, it has a front opening pouch, and a large muscular tail. A baby kangaroo is only partially developed at birth, and must reach the safety of its mother's pouch unassisted. Kangaroos are extremely social animals, and travel in groups. Another star member of the fauna team is the koala, which matures slowly over a period of three to four years. Once they are mature they are capable of reproducing every year. Koalas rarely leave their trees, and then it is only to reach the safety of another tree. Despite heavy hunting, disease, and the loss of their habitat, koalas, now protected, are making a comeback. Other common species is the wombat, a cousin to the koala.

DID YOU KNOW?
Built by tiny marine animals, the Great Barrier Reef is so large that it is visible from the moon.
It extends for 1,250 miles.