Wilderness Eco-Adventures
Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association
www.bpba.ca
$53,100 (over 1 year)
Grant Stream: Prosperous Greenbelt
Date Approved: June 28, 2018
Building on their pilot project, over the past year the Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association fully launched, promoted, and delivered a four season program of guided eco-tours that seamlessly intertwined ecological learning with hiking, snowshoeing, and bicycling adventures in the northern Bruce Peninsula, at the tip of the Greenbelt. Pilot eco-adventures were hosted in May 2017 and based on a comprehensive business plan and lessons learned from 18 beta-tested trips. A website (www.myecoadventures.ca) has been created, and social media and targeted print campaigns have been conducted to promote the project.
Year-round, guided outdoor adventures on the Bruce Peninsula support environmental education, the local economy, and rural vitality.
The project responds to recommendations outlined in a local Sustainable Tourism Management Plan, developed to address the impacts of increased visitor traffic on the Peninsula’s iconic natural spaces. The local county and regional tourism organizations support the project and have provided seed-funding for the new tourism initiative, which will create jobs and economic opportunities for local businesses. The EcoAdventures that were created, as part of this project, include 'Snowshoe to the Grotto,' cross country skiing under the Cliff Edge, and series of off-track Saturday adventures, featuring locations at their seasonal peak (e.g. when mushrooms or spring flowers are most apparent). Over 90 eco-adventures were delivered (650 people participated). All Trip Advisor reviews are five star. In just two years, BPBA eco-tour is ranked as the Top 5th Attraction in the region. The project was also one of three selected by Bruce County Tourism to feature in a video production (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T6GDfX5lxM). According to BPBA’s final report, the project has contributed approximately $600,000 to the local economy.