Eco-tourism has to be the future of travel. With environmental pressures bearing down from all directions, sustainable adventuring is really the only ethical choice. Luckily, if you’re in Sydney or surrounds looking for some quality time in our beautiful backyard, Damien from Ecotreasures has you covered.

Damien has been running Ecotreasures since 2010, and is one of only five Advanced Eco Tourism Certified experience providers in Sydney. He shares his self-described ‘locally grown lifestyle’ with small groups – and what a lifestyle it is. Snorkeling off Manly, exploring Kuring-gai Chase National Park, paddle boarding up rivers, breathing in the Blue Mountains air… could anything sound more appealing in the middle of winter.

But there’s a serious message at the core of every breathtaking trip. The natural world is ours to marvel at – but it’s also ours to preserve. All Damien’s tours go into conservation areas. Everyone who participates learns about why we need conservation areas in the first place, and what we stand to lose.

Ecotreasures has partnered with Fifteen Trees to plant over 700 trees so far. The number of trees planted is linked to the number of eco-tours Damien runs. Most recently, those happy paddle boarders, kayakers and campers have also been indirectly responsible for 110 trees going into the ground at Redbank Farm in Tasmania.

These trees have been planted on the behalf of QBE ANZO, who had a wonderful time with us at The Basin campground late last year. It was a relaxing and enjoyable time running their annual team building event at the Kuring-gai Chase National Park, NSW.

Damien McClellan | Founder & Director | Ecotreasures

Redbank Farm is a working farm with a superb environmental conscience. The family-run enterprise works closely with local Landcare groups to identify areas on the property that need revegetating, or would benefit most from wildlife corridors or soil stability projects. As a result native flora and fauna are beginning to thrive on previously clear felled and overworked landscapes.

Snorkeling in Cabbage Tree Bay might seem a long way from muddy gumboots on a Tasmanian farm, but as Ecotreasures and Damien know – this is one world. A tree strategically planted in Tasmania may well one day have an impact on the health of an aquatic system in Sydney. It’s our world. And every one of us can help preserve it.

Writer – Sarah Hart.

Sarah is an artist whose passions include the stories and experiences of women and narrative driven creative work. Her aim is to delight, to reveal glimpses of everyday beauty, and to celebrate flights of the ordinary. Sarah works across a range of media, with an abiding interest in pen and ink, mixed media and the human form. You can find Sarah here.