The Tarkine Trails Vision of Our Eco Tours

That Earth's wildness, beauty and diversity is cherished and protected as sacred, as an immeasurably valuable contribution to the entire web of life.

The guiding principle of our eco tours operation is best described as integral. In its basic definition, integral is described by the Integral Institute as meaning comprehensive, inclusive, balanced, not leaving anything out. This term serves as a yard stick to measure the ecological, social and financial implications that our business operations have on individuals, society and the environment. We recognize the importance of considering our business from a broad perspective, knowing that a healthy system is dependent on the health of the parts that make up the whole. To hold ourselves accountable to this integral principal, we've applied the following guidelines and policies to our eco tours business.

Ecological
At an ecological level we;

• have embraced a policy of "Maximum Respect Bush walking " which embraces and develops upon the philosophy of minimal impact walking. This idea encourages us to recognize that we are a part of the natural environment and as such damage to "it" is ultimately damage to us.
• offer organic food (where possible) with minimal and reusable packaging.
• run the business on a carbon neutral basis, investing in tree planting schemes to capture the carbon that is created by our vehicle and air travel. More details click here
• Use 100%, post consumer waste recycled paper for all our office paper needs

Social
At a Social level through our eco tours we;

• Recognize the importance of connecting people with places and providing high quality, landmark experiences that leave people rejuvenated and inspired.
• Actively support the many community groups that are campaigning for the protection of Tasmania's magnificent natural and cultural heritage.
• Have a policy of fair and equitable employment.
• Purchase as much gear as possible from ethically based manufacturers like the Canadian based Mountain Equipment Cooperative (MEC) More details link this to our gear sub heading under about us page
• Aim to provide a rich and stimulating environment for our staff to inhabit.

Financial
At a financial level we;

• Are committed to providing more in use value than we take in $ value.
• Aim to achieve financial wealth to fulfill our desire for further growth in ethical business models.
• Have donated over $50,000 to environmental organisations that campaign for the protection of old growth/native forests.
• Provide fund raising trips that serve as vehicles for groups-organisations to raise money. On these walks, we require group bookings that allow us to donate a percentage of our takings to the group-organisation. More details click here.