Sustainability COBBOLD GORGE NATURE REFUGE

The main criterion in the establishment of Cobbold Gorge Tours, and to this day – is that the operation is conducted with minimal environmental impact, so in 2009 the Terry family established the 4,720-hectare Cobbold Gorge Nature Refuge. A Nature Refuge is a voluntary agreement between a landholder and the Queensland Government that acknowledges a commitment to manage and preserve land with significant conservation and or cultural values, while allowing compatible and sustainable land uses to continue. Nature Refuges are perpetual, registrable on title and bind successive owners or lessees of the land. Nature Refuges not only reflect the significant values on the land, but also the effective management to maintain them over time.

“Creating more nature refuges on private land could be the best way to protect animals from the effects of climate change, the Queensland Government says.” extract abc.net.au by Eric Tlozek 2 June 2015.

EcotourismCOBBOLD GORGE NATURE REFUGE

The Cobbold Gorge Nature Refuge was formed on 5 June 2009. It protects rare and vulnerable plant species, including the Solanum carduiforme, the rare Gilbert River ghost gum (Corymbia gilbertensis), Dodoaea oxyptera, labichea brassii and Leptospermum pallidum. The area also forms wildlife corridors and catchment linkages and protects several regional ecosystems not otherwise represented.

Cobbold Gorge Tours also secured funding through Northern Gulf Resource Management Group for the Cobbold Gorge Nature Refuge Project, which targets pests and weeds in the Refuge, and this project commenced mid-2014.

Cobbold Gorge Tours & Accommodation are proud to be an Advanced EcoTourism Eco Certified operation, as assessed by EcoTourism Australia.

So, how can you help in our vision of sustainable ecotourism during your stay and touring with us? Be water wise; only use what’s necessary. Reduce, Re-use and Recycle wherever possible. Travel with friends, or even better, contact us about available transfers. Buy local and keep local businesses alive.

Being an Eco Tourist is easy if we think before we act.

If you’re interested in more ecotourism destinations and adventures, check out the Green Travel Guide for inspiration, and if you’d like to know more about how ecotourism is managed in Australia, visit Eco Tourism Australia.