New Year, New Look

A whole new nature-based experience and education tour programme will debut in 2019 with paid opportunities for guides and fresh new experiences for everyone to enjoy.

For the past nine years, locals and visitors have experienced the wonders of some of our region’s best-kept natural secrets on Coffs Ambassadors Tours led by inspirational volunteer guides who have shared their knowledge of our headlands, beaches, rock pools, rainforests, estuaries, shipwrecks and places of deep cultural significance right across the area.

The founding vision of Coffs Ambassadors Tours was to increase awareness of the biodiversity of our unique local environment and help people learn how to change their daily habits to help protect and enhance that environment through enjoyable mini adventures.  Since it began in 2010, 22 volunteer Coffs Ambassador Tour Guides have taken over 4,800 people of all ages on interpretive tours, helping both residents and visitors deepen their connection to nature and to live more sustainably.

“The Coffs Ambassador Tours programme has been an incredible success driven by inspiring, passionate and knowledgeable volunteers, coordinators and supporters,” said Coffs Harbour Deputy Mayor, Councillor Tegan Swan, who led the thanks at a celebration last week for all the current and former guides and Council staff behind the initiative.

“It’s been an amazing example of achieving great things by working together and is a prime example of what we can do when Council partners with passionate members of our community to deliver real environmental outcomes for locals and visitors.”

After nine  years,  it is clear that community appetite for nature-based education remains strong. The refreshed new programme will see a move from a volunteer format to one delivered by Council employees and contractors with paid opportunities for future facilitators and guides.

The new programme format will enable greater flexibility in how it is delivered and increase the reach of its environmental education messages to a wider audience. Participants, delivery formats and tour times will be diversified and group bookings from schools and various other groups will be accommodated in the exciting new schedule on offer when the new programme launches in the first half of 2019.

To keep abreast of the launch of the new programme and other innovative, sustainable living ideas and initiatives visit: www.ourlivingcoast.com.au

Image: Left to Right: Uncle Mark Flanders (NPWS), volunteer guide Echah Wright and volunteer guide Karla Gillies