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 McClellan from Ecotreasures has you covered.

At the core of every breathtaking trip Damien organises, there is a serious message. 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.

Since 2012, Ecotreasures has helped us plant over 1,100 native trees. In October last year, we planted another 50 trees. With this small forest, Damien is building habitat for fauna and improving our collective future by greening the local landscape.

The trees are helping with the regeneration of ecological communities under threat, in particular the Shale Sandstone Transition Forest in the Sydney Basin Bioregion which is ‘critically endangered’. In doing so it will also increase canopy, shade and food sources for nectar-eating species such as Australian parrots.

Dominant canopy species in the area planted, are Grey Gum, Forest Red Gum, Ironbarks and Wattles. The plantings were designed to increase cover and supplement the area with other tree species that are part of the ecological communities listed.

Katherine Clare | Coordinator | Hawkesbury-Nepean Landcare Network

Ecotreasures’ trees will grow up a long way from the blue waters of Sydney that inspired their purchase, but the connection is just as strong as if they had been planted on the shoreline. We are all part of an ecosystem. Every piece has its place in the puzzle, and the health of our seas is intimately connected with the health of our forests, with the stability of our land, and with the commitment of its human custodians.

Damien is passionate about ‘spreading the message of conservation across the world while having a good time with new friends’. We absolutely couldn’t be more on board.

If you would like to know more about sponsoring community tree planting projects and how we can assist you in becoming a more sustainable business, please contact Colleen at <[email protected]>.

Writer: Colleen Filippa

With a background in Environmental Science, Colleen is the Founding Director of Fifteen Trees. In 2009, after 20 years in primary, secondary and tertiary education institutions, Colleen left the classroom to start the company. Fifteen Trees is a social enterprise assisting individuals and companies to reduce their carbon footprint by supporting community groups such as Landcare, schools and environmental networks.