Protecting our Nature, Culture & Future

WOW Wilderness continues to set a new standard in nature based tourism having implemented their ecotourism model that aims to actively contribute to the enhancement of Western Australia’s natural and cultural heritage. The eco tourism model that WOW Wilderness follows incorporates a number of EcoProjects that allows WOW to invest much of its time, funds and energy back into the environment, community and globe to achieve its objectives. These projects are divided into three core areas using ECO as a symbolic acronym:

E - Environmental projects enhancing and protecting Australian biodiversity values.

C - Local projects enhancing social value of Walpole and surrounding communities.

O - Global projects with an environmental and cultural perspective.

All passengers who join our EcoCruise help support our environmental, community and global projects with a percentage of the ticket sales being designated to support these projects.

As of 2024, our main environmental focus is on Pathogen Hygiene Stations. The purpose of these stations are to protect the future biodiversity of Australia's most protected natural areas from the devastating and irreversible impacts of pathogens, including Phytophthora Dieback.

Pathogen Hygiene Stations

Invasive species and disease-causing organisms can be carried in soil and detritus attached to footwear and vehicle tyres. Weeds and pathogens such as Phytophthora Dieback and the Frog Chytrid Fungus can harm native plants and animals in surrounding areas. The purpose of Pathogen Hygiene Stations are to aid in minimising the spread of pathogens potentially carried on footwear and tyres in order to assist the protection of our future biodiversity.

WOW Wilderness’ current main environmental focus is supplying Pathogen Hygiene Stations to a range of clients across Australia & New Zealand to target different pathogens and weeds. We supply several different models of Pathogen Stations depending on the targeted pathogen and location of installation. To learn more, click below:

EcoEducation

The WOW Wilderness Team help co-ordinate UR Walpole in conjunction with the Walpole Primary School. This is an award winning curriculum based education programme unifying the local community, teachers and students in EcoEducation.

The programme aims for local students, as community citizens, to foster a culture of stewardship for the region they call home. UR Walpole involves the community taking active roles in the education of the students, integrating the core learning areas of Science, Technology & Enterprise, Society & Environment and the Arts.

UR Walpole is based around three focus words: Nature, Culture and Future. The students are required to link a chosen theme with the natural environment, cultural heritage and future of the community. The programme comprises a series of sequential activities with the community providing students the opportunity to explore the core learning areas through real life experiences.

The theme for 2023 was FIRE. Our students worked with local community groups such as the Volunteer Fire & Rescue Service, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions (DBCA), the Police Department, the pizza shop (Flaming Hot Takeaway), past students and other influential community members. Through term 3, the students engaged in several activities and excursions with the support from the community in developing an understanding and appreciation for all things related to fire. The topic for 2024 is DIRT!

In addition to UR Walpole, WOW Wilderness regularly supports many schools who utilise the Walpole Wilderness in outdoor education. As part of their experience, the WOW team provides exclusive interpretive experiences, cruises and talks to students and leaders to help raise an awareness, understanding and appreciation for the natural world around us.

We take many groups of students, from schools across Australia, on cruises into the Walpole Wilderness and get them involved in an environmental project. Such projects include collecting micro plastics and rubbish from the local beaches and the removal of invasive species such as Senecio elegans, an invasive weed from southern Africa and Theba pisana, a small white snail commonly known as the Italian land snail.