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Responsible Travel, Conservation, Community and Environmental Policy
     

Conservation of the places we visit is a priority for us and our first objective is to minimise any potential impact your visit with us may have.  More than that, through the experiences we offer, you can make an active positive contribution towards the conservation of some of the world's most important and endangered wildlife and wilderness areas.

Our Environmental policy

  • We endeavour to provide a deep and genuine understanding of individual ecosystems and their ecological and conservation value and thereby foster and promote greater environmental awareness and respect.
  • Aqua-Firma aims to minimise the environmental impact of its operations by:
    - being Carbon and Biodiversity Positive via the Rainforest 4 Climate
    - hosting only small groups.
    - travelling by quiet, unobtrusive means such as canoe, sailing yachts and on foot,
    - exercising as far as possible a 'no-trace strategy' in terms of solid and sewage waste, noise, visual intrusion and social/cultural impact
    - continually improve our office environmental balance sheet, reducing pollution and minimising waste
  • We support in an advisory, practical and financial capacity, local and international environmental and community projects relevant to the experiences we offer.
  • We promote the adherence to voluntary codes of conduct tailored to each specific activity and destination.
  • Wherever possible we use local guides and resources to maximise local revenue up-take.
  • We are transparent about our environmental challenges and adopt a policy of continual environmental improvement.


Rainforest 4 Climate

It is an inescapable fact that travel involves the burning of fossil fuels and leads to the emission of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2). Where we can, we promote low impact travel which is why we favour sailing yachts, canoeing, kayaking and rafting over motorised transport.

As a company, Aqua-Firma is net Carbon and Biodiversity Positive. Our first step towards achieving this is to minimise our CO2 emissions. Where we are unable to eliminate our emissions, we offset them via Rainforest Concern's new Rainforest 4 Carbon project.

We recommend that all of our clients offset the impact of their travel via the Rainforest 4 Climate initiative. For a long haul flight Rainforest 4 Climate recommends a donation to its projects of £20. For a medium haul flight the figure is £10 and for a short haul flight £5.

Aqua-Firma takes its commitment to the environment very seriously and in response to the prospect of global warming having an adverse impact on polar environments, we are the only travel company we know of which offsets the carbon emissions generated by your polar voyage at our expense.  We also automatically offset the carbon emissions of flights booked with us for polar voyages.

For further information please Click Here.

Fundraising and community support

We continue through advisory and financial assistance to build upon our many years experience as environmental consultants and working within the environmental charitable sector. Below are some examples of environmental and community projects we have actively helped bring to fruition:

Project management and fundraising for Rainforest Concern conservation projects in Ecuador, Colombia and Peru including:

  - Community Watershed Forest Reserves Project in Intag
  - land purchases for conservation of the the Choco-Andean Rainforest
    Corridor in Ecuador and Colombia
  - sustainable development/education with Quichua and communities, Rio Napo, Amazon
  - reconstruction of high altitude Polylepis forests in southern Peru
  - development of organic shade-grown coffee in Ecuador
  - promotion of community ecotourism projects in the cloud forest and Amazon

Fundraising for Rainforest Concern's conservation land purchases in Chile

Protection of Giant Leatherback Turtle sites at the Endangered Wildlife Trust project near Bocas del Toro, Panama.

Establishment of a Watersport Association to promote protection of the coral reefs of Bintan Island, Indonesia

Initiated the first Reef Check surveys in Bintan Island, Indonesia

Promotion of permanent mooring systems, Riau Indonesia

Construction of a new school library wing, in village near Kasese, Uganda (Links 2000 project)

Creation of a Mangrove Tour- Indonesia, winner of gold PATA  Ecotourism award

Construction of a regional community centre health clinic in communal lands, Rusape, Zimbabwe.

 Responsible Travel  -  Corporate Social Responsiblity  -  Community and Environmental Policy  -  Research & Conservation  -  Charitable Contirubtions & Donations  ReefCheck

Committed to Nature