Maple Leaf Adventures Supports Raincoast's Monitoring of Illegal Hunting in B.C. as the First Adventure Cruise Company to Join 1% For The Planet
Grizzly bears in British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest are the beneficiaries the first-ever adventure cruise donation to 1% For The Planet.
Proving that adventure tourism can be an environmentally-friendly way to travel - if you choose a small-scale operation and care about a company's ethics -- Maple Leaf Adventures, a wildlife safari cruise company in B.C. and Alaska, has pledged to donate 1% of its sales to organizations protecting the environment.
And this will benefit travellers, too.
In 2008, Raincoast Conservation Foundation used Maple Leaf Adventures' donation to assist with spring and fall monitoring of their 24,000 sq km guide-outfitting territory for illegal hunting and other activities that negatively impact grizzlies.
As Raincoast patrols the territory, ecotourists benefit, too. Grizzlies learn quickly when they're not the target of trophy hunters. Then, grizzlies will often tolerate a very small group of people who get to observe the bears' natural behaviour - catching salmon, nursing cubs, etc.
That peak experience is what Maple Leaf Adventures guests seek. The Victoria-based company's nature and culture tours are similar to Galapagos cruises or African safaris, but instead explore the islands, fjords and rainforests of B.C. and Alaska. Observing bears, whales and seabirds, plus cultural history, are paramount.
1% For The Planet, created by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and Craig Matthews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, encourages businesses to donate a percentage of sales (not just profits) to environmental groups. Musician Jack Johnson is a member, as are Patagonia and Mountain Equipment Co-op.
Raincoast Conservation Foundation is an organization of conservationists and scientists empowered by their research to protect the lands, waters and wildlife of the Great Bear Rainforest.
"This is an example of how ecotourism can support conservation," says Chris Genovali, executive director of Raincoast. "As an environmentally responsible tour operator, Maple Leaf Adventures has goals compatible with ours. They inspire people to explore the Great Bear Rainforest and to value it. They need its natural systems protected, and Raincoast's work helps ensure that."
Maple Leaf Adventures trips, aboard the classic B.C. schooner "Maple Leaf", are a Frommer's "Trip of a Lifetime". Upcoming adventures include the Hidden Gulf Islands (April 2009), Great Bear Rainforest (Apr 2009), Haida Gwaii (May 2009), Alaska (June 2009) and Brooks Peninsula (June 2009).
For information, contact Maple Leaf Adventures at 1.888.599.5323 or +1.250.386.7245 or visit www.MapleLeafAdventures.com
More Quotes and Info
"Making money is important for a business to succeed, but there's also a higher calling of environmental sustainability," says Maple Leaf Adventures president Kevin Smith. "We're already donating 1% or more of our revenues to environmental organizations, but we joined 1% For The Planet to help spread the word. And to challenge other cruise companies to also give generously to the planet that sustains us."
Through 1% For The Planet, Maple Leaf plans to formalize its longtime support of organizations that protect its tour areas: the Great Bear Rainforest, Haida Gwaii/Queen Charlotte Islands, the Broughton Archipelago, northern Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and southeast Alaska.
"We're thrilled to see Maple Leaf Adventures leading the way in the travel industry," says Terry Kellogg, executive director of 1% For The Planet. "Experiential travel can be good for the planet, when it's done on a small scale, with strong environmental ethics, and enriched by opportunities for guests to learn."
For more information, contact Maple Leaf Adventures at 1.888.599.5323 or +1.250.386.7245 or visit www.MapleLeafAdventures.com
For more information about the program, visit
1% For The Planet
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