Environmental Initiatives

AdvanceD Eco-certified

We are an advanced ecotourism certified business; meaning we are one of Australia’s most leading and innovative ecotourism businesses. Among many things, we are committed to operate with minimal impact on the environment, provide opportunities to learn about the environment, use resources wisely, contribute to conserving the environment and help local communities, respect local culture and heritage

TOURISM EMISSIONS REDUCTION COMMITMENT

The Tourism Emission Reduction Commitment (TERC) program is a multi-stage initiative designed assist tourism businesses reduce their environmental impact by measuring and managing their carbon footprint. It provides businesses with tools and support to develop and implement emission reduction plans. 

How It Works:

Funds donated in relation to our emissions calculations are directed to Greenfleet to plant legally protected native forests. These trees are carefully calculated to match the volume of emissions we generate as a business, making our operations not just carbon neutral—but climate positive.

Our skippers & crew also actively participate in local tree-planting initiatives across regional South Australia. These efforts not only support our carbon offset goals but also contribute to the revegetation of local landscapes, improve biodiversity, and restore habitat for vulnerable native species.

Why We Choose Greenfleet?:

Greenfleet has:
🌳 Planted over 10.3 million native trees
🌿 Created more than 550 biodiverse forests
🌏 Offset 4.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions

That’s a serious step in the right direction for Australia’s climate and ecosystems.If you’d like to offset your own carbon footprint, you can do so directly at: 👉 greenfleet.com.au/offset-your-emissions

Together, we can protect the Coorong and beyond—one tree at a time.

🌿 Additional Initiatives

We invite our passengers to add a small $2 carbon offset contribution when booking online.
💯 100% of these donations go directly to Greenfleet to purchase additional carbon offsets—above and beyond our operational emissions.

In the 2024–2025 financial year, our amazing passengers have helped offset an extra 20 tonnes of CO₂ through 212 donations.

THE COORONG partnership

The Department of Environment and Water have undertaken an initiative called ‘Project Coorong’ and to further the success of this program a committee or/ Coorong Partnership has been established, to which we are proud to be a partner. This partnership aims to ‘provide local communities & groups with an unprecedented opportunity to help shape the work to be undertaken to restore the health, vitality and visitor experience of the Coorong’.

THE COORONG ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST

We are also a member of the newly established Trust.

SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT

We practice sustainable waste management & recycling methods on all our tours. Our coffee cups, bin liners, lunch packaging, cutlery is all compostable or/ recyclable. We then sort the items into the correct bins after each tour, minimizing plastic waste.

Get your own here, Items are all made from plants!

Our local Fleurieu Regional Waste Authority are able to commerical compost our food packaging items along with any food waste. We also recycle containers from our drinks range. Now all served in glass piccolo’s or aluminium containers (eliminating plastics).

cultural partnerships

Spirit of the Coorong works in partnership with Kool Tours and Mark Koolmatrie: We now have a Ngarrindjeri guide that joins us on our ‘Full Day Coroong Experience’ tour providing rich cultural interpretation and performance of a traditional smoking ceremony to welcome us all on to country. Throughout all our tours we give our guests insight into the significance of the Coorong to the Ngarrindjeri people and develop our own knowledge by gaining understanding and advice from Ngarrindjeri people.

Respecting Our Culture - Certified

We are committed to operating in ways that respect and reinforce Indigenous cultural heritage and the authenticity and integrity of living cultures of indigenous communities.

PELICAN & SEABIRD RESCUE

‘Spirit of the Coorong’ has an optinal donation feature through our online tour booking process & customers can opt to donate to the ‘Wildlife Welface Organisation’. This organisation was setup to assist with the ever growing number of sick & injured wildlife, pelicans & seabirds found on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Wildlife Welfare cares for over 800 wild animals every year & answers over 1500 phone calls on their 24/7 rescue hotline.

Orange-Bellied Parrot

The Orange-bellied parrot is one of the rarest birds in Australia, with around 50 individuals left in the wild, it’s one of three species of migratory parrots in the world! It lives in coastal areas and migrate’s every year, flying from their breeding grounds in Tasmania to as far west as the Gulf St Vincent. Most South Australian records are from the South-East and Coorong, however due to habitat loss, sightings have diminished significantly. There are multiple Orange-bellied Parrot Recovery Projects aimed to protect and restore foraging and roosting habitat through a range of on-ground management activities. Some of these activities include weed control, rabbit control, re-vegetation with foraging/roosting plants, and breeding them in captivity. In particular the The Orange Bellied Parrot (OBP) Tasmanian program focuses on captive breeding and since 2018 up to 50 birds have been released each summer. We have donated to this project to help the continual success and vitality of the program to ensure we increase populations Australia wide.

AWARDS & ACCREDITATIONS

VIDEOS

download infographics & factsheets here