Join a vital and urgent conservation mission whilst enjoying the
rare beauty of the Otways on a new ecotourism expedition run by the
Conservation Ecology Centre and the Great Ocean Ecolodge.
Visitors to the Great Ocean Ecolodge, a sustainable venture set
on a beautiful tract of land at Cape Otway, can help save spotted
Tiger Quolls from extinction on a new live-in conservation
experience.
Tiger Quolls are the largest remaining marsupial carnivore on
the Australian mainland but their survival is seriously endangered
due to habitat loss and introduced predators such as foxes. Even in
the lush Otway Ranges, an area once considered to have a thriving
population, quolls are increasingly rare.
Participants in the project assist the conservation team with
habitat restoration, DNA sample collection, as well as population,
biodiversity and vegetation surveys, whilst staying in the boutique
solar-powered, mud brick Ecolodge, complete with roaring
wood-burning stoves and meals prepared from the bountiful kitchen
garden.
Lizzie Corke, co-founder of the CEC and the affiliated Great
Ocean Ecolodge, said it was crucial to save the Tiger Quoll because
it had a flow-on effect to a wide range of other species that
depend on the habitats of the Otways.
"So much has been lost already that we need to make an urgent
and concerted effort to care for what we have left," she
said.
"Anyone who works with us on vital conservation projects like
these always comes away from the experience feeling like they have
really made a difference."
Participants can also get up close to the three resident quolls
at the CEC, who play an important role in educating visitors on the
plight of this amazing species while also helping the conservation
team improve their survey techniques. The quolls are also part of
the Australian Tiger Quoll Breeding Network, which aims to develop
a healthy and robust population of quolls in zoos and wildlife
centres around the country - which means you may even meet adorable
Tiger Quoll joeys!
The three- or six-day Tiger Quoll experience includes
accommodation at the Ecolodge, all meals, research and conservation
activities, and tuition and guiding. The six-day trip also includes
a guided tour along the Great Ocean Road or Great Ocean Walk. Tiger
Quoll fieldwork takes place during the breeding season, from May to
October, when the waterfalls cascade and whales can be seen from
the beaches of the Otway coast.
The Great Ocean Ecolodge is a social enterprise, established and
operated by the Conservation Ecology Centre. All profits are
invested into wildlife conservation and the Ecolodge is entirely
solar powered and ecologically responsible, resting gently in the
landscape.
More info: www.greatoceanecolodge.com