Wildlife conservancy and Wild Bush Luxury property, Arkaba, has been announced as one of three finalists in the ‘Conserving the Natural World’ category in the esteemed National Geographic World Legacy Awards.
Recognising the important conservation efforts Arkaba continues to make, the World Legacy Awards, a partnership between the National Geographic Society and ITB Berlin, showcase the leading travel and tourism companies, organisations and destinations driving the sustainable tourism transformation of the travel industry based on National Geographic’s eco-love ethos. The Conserving the Natural World category recognises outstanding support in the preservation of nature, restoring natural habitat and protecting rare and endangered species, both on land and in the ocean.
After adding Arkaba to its portfolio of luxury tourism destinations in 2009, Wild Bush Luxury has systematically restored the 25,800 hectare former sheep station into a thriving wildlife conservancy. Sharing its scientific monitoring of the area’s biodiversity with its guests, conservation groups and community members, Wild Bush Luxury strives to prove that eco-tourism can be a vehicle for nature conservation and rural economic growth.
Some of the key initiatives Wild Bush Luxury has and continues to implement at Arkaba include the removal of feral herbivores such as goats and rabbits to remove the competitive grazing pressure; removal of feral predators, such as foxes and cats; weed control and anti-erosion measures; and both staff and guest education.
Owner and manager of Wild Bush Luxury, Charles Carlow, is deeply passionate about the conservation efforts at his properties and is delighted to be made a finalist for such a prestigious award.
“Blending our tourism with conservation is such an important focus of Wild Bush Luxury’s properties and to be recognised amongst some of the world’s leaders in this area is really humbling,” Mr Carlow said. “In the space of just four years, we are seeing the results of our feral management programs and destocking: the return of bird and mammal species to the property; a general increase in existing wildlife populations; a revival of natural springs; and regrowth in River Red gums to name a few.”
He continues, “By ensuring we have the best conservation processes in place, we are also able to offer a wildlife experience that not only prevents leaving a negative footprint on the earth, but actually has a positive effect on the environment. While we derive great satisfaction from our conservation work, these awards provide true recognition of the work that our team has put in to creating the Arkaba conservancy.”
Winners will be announced at the World Legacy Awards ceremony on 10th March, 2016, during ITB Berlin. Both finalists and winners will be featured in National Geographic Traveler magazine and assorted National Geographic media.
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