Go 'carbon-negative' with Naturetrek

With global warming at the forefront of today's issues, and the need to minimise our individual 'carbon footprint' a priority, leading natural history tour operator Naturetrek, is doing its best to minimise the environmental impact of its travellers by supporting the World Land Trust.

Around £30,000 has been raised by Naturetrek to facilitate the purchase of 1,200 acres in the Ecuadorian Andes, ensuring its holidays are not just ‘carbon-neutral’ but ‘carbon-negative’ too.

"Encouraging people to travel the world on our Naturetrek wildlife tours, most of which involve flights, is not, on the face of it, an environmentally-friendly occupation", said Naturetrek's managing director, David Mills.

"However, without the continuation of wildlife tourism to the national parks and wildlife reserves of the world, a great deal of the Earth's key habitats and wildlife will be lost, and the local communities whose livelihoods depend on such rural tourism will be threatened. In some respects it is a question of priorities - 'wildlife conservation versus climate care'."

Recognising this conflict, Naturetrek has chosen to ‘carbon neutralise’ all of its customers' bookings by contributing to the World Land Trust, a highly respected charity facilitating the purchase of South American rainforest for the benefit not just of the climate, but also for wildlife and the environment. A cheque for nearly £30,000 (£29,310) was handed over by Naturetrek to the World Land Trust's chief executive John Burton, to offset the carbon emissions attributed to Naturetrek travellers over the past year.

Further, in inviting each client to match Naturetrek's donation, each traveller has had the opportunity to ensure that his or her holiday is not just 'carbon-neutral', but 'carbon-negative'.

World Land Trust CEO, John Burton, said “Naturetrek's valuable cash contribution will buy around 1,200 acres in the Ecuadorian Andes and in due course travellers will be able to visit the 'Naturetrek Reserve'. Forests are constantly at risk from logging interests but pressure to asset strip the natural world is even greater right now given the current world financial climate - it's vitally important to take action to protect habitats now and study later.

“In the last 12 months land adjoining the 'Naturetrek Reserve' has revealed 16 species of tree and four species of frog, all previously unknown to science - one of the new trees is to be named in honour of Sir David Attenborough”.

Naturetrek offers a range of wildlife holidays and natural history tours in Ecuador including birdwatching tours of the western cloudforests, the spectacular paramo and the Amazon Basin, wildflower holidays in search of orchids and other special plant life, bargain birdwatching and mammal watching tours.

For example, a last minute 9-day birdwatching tour visiting the forests and valleys of the Ecuadorian Andes, including a visit to a Cock-of-the-rock lek, departing London 14th February, costs £1,595 p/p including flights, accommodation, meals and expert guiding.

For more information and bookings, log on to Naturetrek.co.uk.