Our Environmental Policy
4 Nature Tours are committed to providing a genuine Ecotour. Our principle business drivers are:
· To bring fee paying customers to two of Otago’s predominantly volunteer run nature protection projects the Orokonui Ecosanctuary and Katiki Point Penguin Trust (Penguin Rescue).
· To increase awareness of New Zealand’s unique flora and fauna and the threats that it faces.
We use good environmental practices in all our commercial activities and on a personal level we are working towards sustainable living. Some examples of our sustainable practices and initiatives are:
· Our standard full day tours include approximately 1.5 hours of vehicle travel, the remainder being on foot.
· We provide freshly ground fair trade coffee on our tours and use Fair Trade chocolate to make our much loved chocolate chip cookies.
· We use and promote EconoDrive driving techniques and vehicle maintenance to ensure our vehicles operate at maximum efficiency.
· Our highly insulated premises are powered by the only New Zealand electricity provider that uses 100% renewable energy sources.
· Power and water saving devices and practices are used at our offices.
· We are actively involved in the Waitati Energy Project which is seeking to build the country’s first community owned wind generator and the Blueskin Solar project which is working to bring solar power to over 40 premises in the area.
· We collect roof water for all our water needs, process all our grey water on site and use Ecostore products for our cleaning and vehicle preparation to reduce contamination of our stunning water ways.
· We have planted over 120 native trees and bushes on our property and are involved in volunteer planting at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary.
· We grow native seedlings which we donate to Orokonui Ecosanctuary for planting or for sale in their shop.
· We compost, recycle, grow many of our own vegetable, and produce our own lamb, turkeys and free range eggs.
· We make our own cheese, bread, biscuits, preserves and cakes.
· We are actively involved in Sustainable Port (S’PORT) having run courses on cheese making and raising chickens in addition to attending other workshops and community days (e.g. rubbish collection).
If you would like to know more about sustainable living please ask, we are happy to share our knowledge. If you would like to enjoy a lifestyle similar to our own as part of your New Zealand experience why not visit World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.
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