The Winner - Conservation Volunteers Australia

In 1982, the first conservation volunteers came together to revive severely degraded farmland surrounding their hometown of Ballarat. Today, 26 years on, this small community group is now one of Australia's leading, multi-award winning, non-profit conservation and volunteer tourism organisations, Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA).



In fulfilling their mission, "to manage a force volunteers to complete practical conservation projects for the betterment of the environment", CVA created volunteer tourism experiences that embrace the principles of sustainability, engaging volunteers from Australia and abroad to conserve the environment and generating revenue to fund ongoing conservation initiatives.

In 2008/2009, CVA attracted and managed approximately 15,000 volunteers on conservation projects from 25 offices located in city and regional areas of Australia.

www.conservationvolunteers.com.au

Highly Commended - Lane Cove River Tourist Park

Lane Cove River Tourist Park (LCRTP) is a unique business unit of the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change and Water (National Parks and Wildlife Group). The Tourist Park is located within 680 hectares of Lane Cove National Park, just 10kms from the Sydney CBD, and provides an award winning ecotourism experience for guests from the local area, regional NSW, interstate and overseas. Guests enjoy an environmentally friendly, carbon-neutral stay in one of 28 self-contained ensuite cabins or over 250 caravan, motor-home, campervan or tent sites. They are invited to explore and experience the surrounding National Park.

www.lcrtp.com.au

Winner - Big Cat Green Island Cruises

Big Cat Green Island Reef Cruises is a leading reef ecotourism operator operating to Green Island within the Cairns section of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and Marine Park. The company recognizes environmental management as one of its highest corporate responsibilities and is committed to being environmentally responsible, promoting environmental best practices, maximising sustainability and being a responsible member of the local community.

Big Cat Green Island Reef Cruises offers high quality, comfortable catamaran transport to over 120,000 domestic and international tourists annually to Green Island - an idyllic coral cay on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. BCGIRC fleet includes eight coaches, two catamarans, two glass bottom boats and two semisubmersible vessels.

Big Cat Green Island Reef Cruises main goal throughout 2008 was to adopt a differentiated position in the market place by becoming the only large reef operator to obtain a zero carbon footprint by implementing sustainable practices. They have taken a very proactive position on the issue climate action by attaining a zero carbon footprint, because it is viewed as a very serious threat to the reef environment in which they operate.

www.greenisland.com.au

Highly Commended - Crystal Creek Meadows

Crystal Creek Meadows is four fully self contained luxury cottages and residence scattered across a 16 acre property in Kangaroo Valley, 2 hours south of Sydney, NSW, owned and operated by, Chris and Sophie Warren, and their lovely children.

They brought a rundown business with two dinghy cabins and set about renovating them and building two new cottages. The land and waterways had been cleared and were running beef cattle, and almost none of the original habitat remained. They embraced the opportunity to learn all they could about their environment and started on a very steep learning curve - they educated themselves on water conservation, energy efficiency, flora and fauna conversation and social responsibility.

In February 2009, they won the Australian Tourism Award - Hosted Accommodation, achieved Climate Action Accreditation, rose to AAA 5 stars, were recognised twice by Shoalhaven City Council for community contribution, and recognised by the Department of Environment and Climate Change in its Green Globe Environmental Sustainability Awards June 2009.

www.country-accommodation.com.au

Winner - Kakadu Culture Camp

The Kakadu Culture Camp is 100% Aboriginal owned and operated by the Hunter family from Kakadu National Park. It was a dream of their late Grandfather to establish a camp where Bininj (Aboriginal) people could live and work, and share their culture, traditional heritage and amazing wildlife with tourists from around the world.

Kakadu Culture Camp is Kakadu's first accredited Savannah Guide Site with all guides successfully completing several Savannah Tour Guide Schools. The business is also ROC and Eco accredited and has been the recipient of two prestigious awards in 2009. In January Director and key guide Jenny Hunter received Travel + Leisure magazine Australia and New Zealand Top Twenty Travel Innovators Award, and was named the 2009 Australian ‘Gnunkai' Indigenous Tour Guide of the Year.

She has also been nominated for the 2009 Savannah Guide 'Future Leaders Award'. Kakadu Culture Camp was also among a select group of operators to represent Indigenous Australia at the 2009 "G'Day USA" Roadshow, a one month tour of USA/Canada promoting Australia as a destination.

http://kakaduculturecamp.com

The winner of the 2009 William Angliss EcoGuide Award of Excellence

Barry Davies, Gondwana Guides

"My motivation is simple: I love sharing the natural and cultural environment with people!

Every time I lead a group, I am excited by the opportunity to share my knowledge and experiences and to learn from the group I'm leading. I'm also excited by the possibilities of learning from the environment, seeing new things and meeting new people. In my 20 years at Binna Burra not a day went by without my seeing something different in the forest and without my meeting someone interesting who had something to teach me. Now as I travel around Australia, I have the privilege, and sometimes heartbreak, of experiencing how this great country changes from year to year.

I believe my passion for interpreting and learning is my secret for maintaining my enthusiasm over such a long guiding career. I have always said the day I don't get excited by the prospect of taking a walk is the day I give it away. That day hasn't come.

I try to maintain the highest possible standards of guiding and to set an example to younger guides, which in this industry is just about everyone! During my travels I see the best and worst of guiding. Where it is appropriate I try to give guides positive feedback and encouragement.

Developing and running my business on my own is hugely demanding and leaves me little time for other activities but I am on the national committee of Wildlife Tourism Australia, on the Board of Directors of Binna Burra Mountain Lodge, and contribute to local events when I can."