Conservation Projects
At E-Ko Tours we believe in helping conserve the unique environment that we operate in. We have many in house initiatives you can read about more here and we are also heavily involved with a variety of different conservation organisations and projects that you can read about below.
Ethical Konservation Organisation = E-Ko
Kiwis for Kiwi/Operation Nest Egg
We are extremely proud of the role we play in collaboration with DOC and the team at Kiwis for Kiwi.
In the wild, the survival rate for a juvenile kiwi can be as low as 2.5%. Once the birds have matured this statistic dramatically improves to 60-80%.
To help protect kiwi during their infancy, DOC and members of Kiwis for Kiwi hatch baby kiwis in captivity and then transport them to Picton.
Once in Picton E-Ko Tours donates our time and resources to transport these baby kiwis to Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary.
Once there the kiwis are free to live and grow in safety until they are large enough to fend for themselves in the wild. Once they have matured we work with DOC to round up these kiwis off Motuara and return them to their native habitat.
For more information on Kiwis for Kiwi please visit: https://www.kiwisforkiwi.org/
Project Jonah
Project Jonah is a New Zealand charity organisation that works to inspire Kiwis to care for and protect marine mammals and the oceans these animals call home.
E-Ko Tours has worked closely with Project Jonah for many years, donating our time, resources, helping fundraise and paying for all our staff to become qualified marine mammal medics.
Activities undertaken by Project Jonah to protect marine mammals fall into three main categories:
Rescue - Project Jonah deliver essential first aid to stranded or injured animals via their nationwide network of trained and passionate Marine Mammal Medics.
Action - Through their public education and awareness campaigns they inform and educate people, and encourage them to get involved.
Protection - Project Jonah acts as a watchdog to expose marine mammal suffering and help create and enforce laws that will protect these animals
For more information about project Jonah or to become a qualified marine mammal medics please Visit Project Jonah.
Guardians of the Sounds
E-ko Tours is proud to be directly involved with Guardians of the Sounds with our CEO – Paul Keating – currently chairing the organisation.
Guardians of the Sounds began with a large group of Queen Charlotte Sound residents concerned about the devastating effects fast ferry wash was having on the foreshore and people’s safety.
Many other issues that needed community input were identified throughout the Marlborough Sounds and, to give the community a voice.
Guardians of the Sounds became an incorporated society in August, 2000. Guardians have become an officially recognized community and environmental group through which residents can unite and be heard by local and national government.
The Guardians Charter covers all the Sounds within the jurisdiction of the Marlborough District Council.
The first object of the Society is “to ensure that the natural environment, water quality, ecological biodiversity, safety of people and wildlife of the Marlborough Sounds and surrounds are managed wisely both now and in the future.”
The primary role of Guardians is that of environmental ‘watch-dog’ to ensure the Sounds are managed in a sustainable way for the benefit of the present and future generations of New Zealanders.
For more information about Guardians of the Sounds please have a look at their website.