Navigate Expeditions is dedicated to creating a positive impact on the environment, community, and culture. Through immersive and nature-based experiences, we aim to offer regenerative travel opportunities that leave a lasting, positive mark on the places we explore.
As human impact touches every corner of the world, our mission is to tread lightly and give back to the natural environments we visit. We strive to provide environmentally-conscious travelers with transformative experiences, allowing them to leave with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment, knowing they’ve made a difference during their journey. Join us on our expeditions to discover new ways of experiencing the outdoors while contributing positively to the planet and local communities.
Navigate Expeditions have achieved advanced ecotourism certification and climate action business certification with Ecotourism Australia. The ECO Certification program certifies tourism products with a primary focus on nature. It assures travellers that certified products are backed by a strong, well managed commitment to sustainable practices and provides high quality nature-based tourism experiences.
ADVANCED ECOTOURISM
Australia’s leading and most innovative ecotourism products that operate with minimal impact on the environment and provide opportunities to learn about the environment with operators who are committed to achieving best practice, using resources wisely, contributing to conserving the environment and helping local communities.
CLIMATE ACTION BUSINESS
Businesses that have undertaken a set of adaptation and emissions reduction actions and are measuring and tracking their carbon footprint.
Climate change refers to changes in the Earth’s climate, including those directly influenced by human activities. Global warming, on the other hand, specifically pertains to the increase in the Earth’s atmospheric temperature due to the release of carbon emissions and the Greenhouse Effect.
While climate change and global warming are often associated with rising temperatures, their impacts extend beyond mere heat. They contribute to a host of extreme and unpredictable weather events, which are directly affecting our planet, its wildlife, and human populations.
The Earth’s atmosphere contains greenhouse gases that function like the glass in a greenhouse, allowing sunlight to pass through from the outside while trapping heat inside, thereby maintaining a relatively constant temperature. While some greenhouse gases are naturally occurring, human activity over the last century has led to a rapid increase in their release, making it more challenging for solar radiation to escape and causing temperatures to rise steadily.
Activities such as burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas), industrial processes like agriculture, and deforestation contribute significantly to climate change. Scientists widely agree that the observed increase in global temperatures and the occurrence of extreme weather events in the last century align with the rise in greenhouse gases associated with human activity.
Since the late 19th century, the global average temperature has risen by 0.2°C to 0.6°C, leading to significant effects such as increased air and ocean temperatures, rising sea levels, and reduced snow and ice cover. These changes bring about extreme weather events like droughts, floods, heatwaves, and bushfires, with further temperature and sea level increases threatening delicate ecosystems.
Over the past 5 years, our region in the far South Coast of NSW has endured devastating bushfires and floods, directly linked to climate change. As a signatory to the Paris Agreement (2015), Australia aims to limit the average temperature increase well below 2°C and strive to keep warming below 1.5°C.
If you wish to calculate, reduce, and offset your carbon emissions, consider using ecologi.com for guidance on your sustainability journey.
The United Nations established the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These goals were created to address global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, and social justice, with the aim of creating a more sustainable and equitable world for all by the year 2030.
Navigate Expeditions aligns with several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through its commitment to sustainable and responsible tourism practices. Here are some ways in which Navigate Expeditions contributes to the SDGs:
We recognise that achieving sustainability requires a holistic approach, and its initiatives are designed to positively impact both the environment and local communities. By aligning its practices with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we strive to be a responsible and exemplary player in the tourism industry, contributing to a more sustainable and equitable future.
Tourism is responsible for roughly 8% of the world’s carbon emissions (Nature Climate Change 2018). We believe that we need to calculate, reduce, and offset our emissions. We have adopted the following strategies and are on a continuous journey to find even more avenues for offsetting our emissions.
If you are interested in calculating, reducing and offsetting your own carbon emissions we recommend ecologi.com to help you on your journey.
Utilise electric vehicles, charged with green power from NRMA, whenever possible to reduce carbon emissions.
Plant Australian native trees for guests on multi-day tours and offer tree purchase options for day tours to enhance carbon sequestration.
Opt for local products with minimal single use plastic to minimise transport emissions and support regional sustainability.
Employ local staff sharing our climate values, reducing work-related commuting emissions.
Real Factoryl is a major supplier of products to the ship building industry. We provide wide range of products in this industry.
Promote citizen science, collaborating with Atlas of Life and using iNaturalist to record regional biodiversity and track climate-related impacts..
Track emissions monthly and conduct annual assessments to reduce and offset our carbon footprint.
Regularly seek feedback from staff and customers to enhance emission reduction strategies.
Prioritise kayaking, walking, and mountain biking to minimise carbon footprint while enjoying sustainable outdoor experiences.
Encourage guests to carry reusable drink bottles, and provide water for refilling during tours.
Prioritise reusable packaging and avoid single-use materials, committing to sustainable dining practices throughout the tours.
Collaborate with like-minded businesses, prioritizing those with Ecotourism Australia accreditation to promote shared values of sustainability.
Actively volunteer with Atlas of Life and participate in local clubs, business chambers, tourism associations, and conservation groups.
Purchase from bulk whole food stores to minimise plastic packaging, compost organic waste, and recycle while reducing plastic waste.
Collaborate with Tathra Landcare Conservation Group to advocate for conservation and environmental stewardship.
$5 from every direct Tathra MTB Tour booking will be split and donated to both the Tathra MTB Club and the Bega Local Aboriginal Lands Council.
$5 from every direct Bega River Kayak Tour booking will be donated to the Bega Local Aboriginal Lands Council
$5 from every direct Lake Curalo Bike Tour booking will be spent in collaboration with the Clean Curalo Project.
$2 from every guest on the Pambula River Kayak and Kayak and Shuck tour will be donated to the South Coast Wilderness Oysters Association. To support the conservation, preservation, and rehabilitation of rivers in our region.
$5 from every Bermagui Kayak Tour guest and 5 hour Eden Tour guest will be donated to the Wildlife Rescue South Coast. To support the rehabilitation, transportation, equipment provision, and training of volunteers dedicated to rescuing wildlife in our region.
$5 from every guest of the Aboriginal Cultural Tour will be donated to the Twofold Aboriginal Corporation .To support the education, preservation, and celebration of the Aboriginal culture in our region.
$1 from every guest on our 2 hour Highlights of Eden Tour will be donated to ‘Take 3 for the Sea‘. We encourage both our guides and guests to collect litter during all our tours.