Funding will support long-term research and community stewardship in the Great Bear Rainforest
A Long Term Commitment to the Great Bear Rainforest from Maple Leaf Adventures on Vimeo.
Victoria, BC — Oct. 24, 2017 — Local expedition cruise company Maple Leaf Adventures is committing a 10-year, $100,000 donation to Raincoast Conservation Foundation, starting today. It’s an example of how tourism business and conservation can work hand-in-hand on the British Columbia coast.
The commitment will provide funding certainty to research and stewardship projects in the Great Bear Rainforest, one of the areas that Maple Leaf Adventures operates its trips. The money will help pay wages of a local indigenous field crew member and a scientist, initially, on a multi-year grizzly bear research project in the region.
“It’s very important to do long-term research, yet these projects are often cut by governments,” said Kevin Smith, Maple Leaf Adventures’ CEO. “The coast is our home, and we are committed to operating our ecotourism business here in the long term, so we are really pleased to support valuable conservation work into the future, too.”
Conservation and ecotourism have a symbiotic relationship when done right. In addition to benefitting from the protected areas and healthy wildlife populations that conservation safeguards, Maple Leaf Adventures’ guests are able to visit with stewards and researchers on the trips, getting first-hand insight into discoveries, and also into the First Nations communities whose territory the projects are in. Guests and operators love and protect the coast, donating back to the stewards who look after it.
“We are extremely grateful for the extraordinary commitment and support of Maple Leaf Adventures. This action has shown why Maple Leaf Adventures is a visionary company and an industry leader,” said Chris Genovali, executive director of Raincoast Conservation Foundation.
Smith hopes it’s the beginning of something greater. The company plans to set up a related fund for guests who want to help match Maple Leaf Adventures’ contribution each year.
“We and our colleagues in the industry fully support the work Raincoast does and the way they do it,” said Smith. “Each year, more of our guests are discovering the wonders of the BC coast. I expect that many companies will start committing long-term as our industry matures. It’s in our DNA as responsible operators.”
For more information about the project and the benefits between ecotourism and conservation, visit www.MapleLeafAdventures.com
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Sample Tweet: ANNOUNCEMENT: Maple Leaf Adventures is making a long term commitment to the Great Bear Rainforest and @Raincoast by donating $100,000 over the next 10 years. https://vimeo.com/238144602
About Maple Leaf Adventures
Selected for Canada’s “Signature Experiences Collection” by the Canadian Tourism Commission, Maple Leaf Adventures has provided conservation-focused, big adventures aboard small ships since 1986. With a reputation as one of Canada’s top sustainable tour operators, its multi-day excursions give guests one-of-a-kind experiences in some of the most beautiful and rare places in the world, often in areas that were once under threat of destruction or in dire need of protection. In 2012, Maple Leaf was awarded the Parks Canada Sustainable Tourism Award, for promoting the appreciation of Canada’s natural, cultural and aesthetic heritage, while also protecting them. As a long time practitioner of ecotourism, Maple Leaf Adventures pioneered travel in BC’s Great Bear Rainforest and northwestern Vancouver Island and has made significant contributions to conservation. National Geographic Adventure has rated Maple Leaf Adventures one of the “Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth”. For more information, visit www.MapleLeafAdventures.com.
About Raincoast Conservation Foundation
Raincoast is a team of conservationists and scientists empowered by our research to protect the lands, waters and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. We use rigorous, peer-reviewed science and community engagement to further our conservation objectives. We call this approach ‘informed advocacy’. As a conservation science organization that operates a research lab, research field station and a research/sailing vessel, we are unique in Canada. For more information, visit www.Raincoast.org
Media Contacts
Maureen Gordon, Maple Leaf Adventures, Maureen@MapleLeafAdventures.com +1-250-386-7245 (o) or +1-250-881-6143 (m)
Chris Genovali, Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Chris@Raincoast.org, +1-250-655-1229
Details, Photos, Video, Interviews
- Video for embedding: https://vimeo.com/238144602
- Backgrounder: 7 Reasons Why We Are Donating $100,000 to Raincoast Conservation Foundation: https://mapleleafadventures.com/conservation/7-reasons-donating-100000-raincoast-conservation/
- Photos: Professional photos available upon request.
Interviews: Kevin Smith (Maple Leaf Adventures CEO) and Chris Genovali (Raincoast Conservation Foundation executive director) are available for interviews by contacting the people listed in Media Contacts above.
