One percent is more than you think

Maple Leaf Adventures is one of many Wilderness Tourism Association members who gave one percent of revenue to environmental causes last year as part of 1% for the Planet. The tall masted schooner tour operator, pictured at right, belongs to the environmental non profit created by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and Craig Matthews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies. 1% For The Planet verifies donations and evaluates recipient organizations to ensure donations are truly going to benefit nature.

Subscriber businesses can pick what organizations they want to donate to. In Maple Leaf’s case it was the Wilderness Tourism Association and Raincoast Conservation Foundation, a conservation organization on the B.C. central coast.

Raincoast used the 2009 donation to publish their annual Tracking Raincoast, a compilation of the year's scientific research and findings, conservation work and plans for the future. In 2008, Raincoast used Maple Leaf's donation to assist with spring and fall monitoring of their 24,000 sq km guide-outfitting territory. The organization bought the license for hunting grizzlies in the tenure and patrol to watch for illegal hunting and other activities that negatively impact grizzlies. 

The WTA used the money to fund its advocacy and education work to enhance the wilderness tourism experience in B.C.

Maple Leaf captain and owner Kevin J. Smith says donating money to causes like 1% for the Planet are part of a long term vision needed to make a difference in wild places. “I’m talking about the governments that created parks and protected areas, and all the people that proposed those to the governments. Also the people that worked so hard to make hunting whales illegal. Now humpback whales are delighting our guests all along the coast. That’s investment in nature coming to fruition on many fronts.” 

Kumsheen River Rafting wins best business to work for award

Happy staff makes a good company. So making BC Business Magazine's Best Company to Work For: Under 100 Employees is very telling for Kumsheen River Rafting. In the brief article about the company in the December issue of the magazine is a anonymous quote collected as part of the survey: “Most organized company I’ve worked for. All employees here are amazing people. We’re all family. After-work activities are endless."

 The 55-person, Lytton based company is the only tourism related company that made the magazine's annual Best Company awards, which result from nominations and surveys. It's a family run operation, started 1973 by Bernie Fandrich. His son Braden now runs it, continuing the tradition of offering day and overnight trips down the big, rough waters of the Thompson and Fraser rivers from their comfy base in B.C.'s arid southeastern interior.

I chatted with Braden a year or so ago about the family operation for a stewardship story. It's a great company that works to protect the rivers, land and air that they operate around and obviously treats their staff equally well.

Congrats Kumsheen