Today, the Colorado Historical Foundation and History Colorado released The Economic Power of Heritage and Place: How Historic Preservation is Building a Sustainable Future in Colorado, which was conducted by Clarion Associations.

HISTORY COLORADO GEORGETOWN LOOP Report Finds Historic Preservation Practices Aid Colorado's Economy - Georgetown Loop Historic Mining & Railroad Park(R) is ideal example of Heritage Tourism.

The effort to gather information about the impacts of historic preservation practices in Coloradobegan in 1981. The report examines historic preservation activities that took place from 2005 to 2011 in the context of the 31-year research period. The report found that historic preservation practices continues to generate jobs and economic impacts, as well as highlights the beneficial ties between historic preservation and environmental sustainability practices.

Key findings include:

• Since 1981, historic preservation projects in Colorado have created nearly 35,000 jobs and generated approximately $2.5 billion in direct and indirect economic impacts to Colorado’s economy.
• Every $1 million spent on the preservation of buildings in Colorado generates approximately 32 new jobs.
• Historic preservation projects help to enhance cultural vitality and identity, which in turn works to attract tourists and inspire community-based volunteerism.
• Environmental sustainability goals can be incorporated into historic preservation practices.

“The study found that historic preservation projects tend to be more labor-intensive than new building projects, requiring the services of more specialized architects, engineers, construction workers, suppliers and support staff,” said Matt Goebel, Director of Clarion Associates and lead researcher for the report.

“This report was commissioned so that we could better understand the important role of historic preservation in the economy overall and an area’s economic health and well-being — from the neighborhood and community levels to the state as a whole,” said Lane Ittelson, Executive Director of the Colorado Historical Foundation.

“This report not only highlights the impact historic preservation has on Colorado’s economy, but also why historic preservation helps boost the vitality of a community through strengthening its sense of identity, opportunities for environmental sustainability and for heritage tourism,” said Ed Nichols, Colorado’s State Historic Preservation Officer.

Formed in 2007, the Bintan Conservation Lab acts as a platform for Banyan Tree Bintan and Angsana Bintan to drive CSR initiatives among local communities, raising international awareness and increased preservation efforts of the natural environment in Bintan. Much of the work is achieved through joint collaborations with valued partners such as key scientists and researchers from various tertiary institutions and zoological parks.

In 2012, the Bintan Conservation Lab, located near the beach at Angsana Bintan, will continue to engage with students from local universities in Java to further the facility’s mission as a research base for the marine ecosystem, terrestrial ecosystem and organic agriculture.  This year, the team will begin a new collaboration with Raja Ali Haji University, a new university in Bintan, to support and develop their students in the fields of marine and environmental research.

Laguna Bintan, the integrated resort comprising Banyan Tree Bintan, Angsana Bintan and Laguna Bintan Golf Club, will also continue to engage with the community using various channels.  This year, Laguna Bintan will continue its partnership with Bintan Resorts Cakrawala (BRC), the owning company of Bintan Resorts, for their yearly event, “Hari Kasih Sayang”. Translated into “Affection Day” in English, over one hundred students from Bintan will make an excursion to the resorts with the objective of increasing their familiarity with the hospitality industry and planting the seed for potentially considering a career with this focus.

During “Kasih Sayang”, students have the chance to meet the General Manager, Mr. Herman Buspa, and other senior associates from different departments, receive instruction on resume writing and gain insight into preparing for job interviews. The visit is capped by a site inspection of the Bintan Conservation Lab where Henry Singer, the lab’s Environment Naturalist, leads a presentation on the various initiatives he oversees to protect the natural environment in Bintan.

Other projects include Banyan Tree Group’s Seedlings programme, begun in 2007 to enhance the long term prosperity of communities by building the capacities of young people. Laguna Bintan has mentored 14 students from disadvantaged backgrounds since the programme’s debut and in 2012, is planning to recruit four more students to the programme, offering opportunities to fulfill their potential through mentorship, scholarships and internships.

Banyan Tree Bintan and its sister resort Angsana Bintan are likewise committed to their natural environment through Banyan Tree’s Greening Communities initiative aimed at raising awareness about climate change.  They have planted a combined total of 24,332trees thus far, and in 2011 alone, planted 6,020 trees by end October 2011, exceeding their annual target of 4,000 trees.

On 8 January this year, Laguna Bintan planted 2,000 mangrove saplings which involved more than 120 associates from various departments. The participants include 50 students from Raja Ali Haji University, the head of the environmental agency in Tanjung Pinang (a major town in Bintan), hotel associates including management and guests from the two resorts.

Every year during the monsoon season from March to August, sea turtles lay eggs on Tanjung Said Beach, where Angsana Bintan is located. Doing its part to increase the population of the endangered sea turtle population, the Bintan Conservation Lab relocates the eggs to keep them safe from predators such as monitor lizards. In 2011, three clutches of eggs were found and a total of 118 hatchlings released into the sea in ceremonies attended by guests of Angsana Bintan and Banyan Tree Bintan.

The 14-hour delivery flight of the airline’s newest and most efficient long haul aircraft was operated using a combination of traditional jet fuel and plant-based jet fuel, which is fully certified for use as commercial jet fuel.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “This flight marks a significant milestone in our efforts to  support and drive the commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel in Abu Dhabi, the region, and globally.

“However, the use of a presently available biofuel is just one part of a more comprehensive long-term biofuel strategy to ensure that we are able to use biofuels to decarbonise substantially an entire industry sector in the long term.”

SkyNRG, an Amsterdam-based sustainable jet fuel provider, supplied the fuel, which is based on recycled vegetable cooking oil. As a plant-based source that has been used already for cooking purposes, it qualifies as a bio-based waste stream with a high sustainability value.

Dirk Kronemeijer, SkyNRG’s Managing Director, said: “We think the Middle East has great potential to give a critical boost towards making a market for sustainable jet fuel that is affordable.  With this flight Etihad Airways has taken a fantastic step, particularly in increasing awareness within the region. There is a lot more to come in this continent and we are determined to be there when that happens.”

Boeing also supported this initiative by supplying their ‘fly-away’ fuel, provided for every new delivery, as a biofuel blend.

Sustainability is a key aspect of the biofuel production process. Etihad Airways, as a member of the global Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group, has committed to a stringent set of sustainability principles when looking at opportunities for biofuel development and use. This includes ensuring that feedstock is non-competitive with food sources and does not jeopardise drinking water supplies.

As part of this commitment and in helping to drive the development of potential feedstock in Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways is also one of the founding members of the Masdar Institute’s Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC) in Abu Dhabi. This innovative five-year program, backed by over USD 2 million of financial and other support from the airline, supports research into the use of salt water tolerant plants as the basis for alternative aviation fuels.

With new regulations now being imposed on aviation carbon emissions, the commercial viability of biofuel is gaining even more importance. Starting this year, the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) will require all airlines to pay for emissions and this is likely to lead to other such schemes around the world. Biofuel is considered  ‘carbon neutral’ as the plant biomass takes in carbon as it grows and releases it again during the combustion process, and this means that the use of biofuel as part of the EU ETS would be considered exempt.

The seabird looked to be taking in the view of the vessels at the wharf and marks the start of penguin moulting season that takes place every year from mid-January to early March.

Penguins are unusual in that they are one of the few bird species that moult all their feathers simultaneously.  The moulting takes about two weeks and is very stressful to the birds – they cannot enter the sea during the moult because they have no waterproof, insulating coat. This means they do not feed and so lose up to half of their body weight during moulting. This leaves them highly vulnerable to predators at this time.

Douglas Keith, Southern Discoveries Milford Sound manager says the seabirds also visit in early spring when they come to the fiords for the nesting season, delighting visitors and nature guides aboard Encounter Cruises operated by Southern Discoveries.

“The Tawaki are an icon of Fiordland and one of the rarest penguins in the world.  They come to moult at this time of year returning to the sea with new coats when they’re strong enough, then return to breed later in the year.

“They are a regular sight during the breeding season (July to November) but it’s always exciting for us to spot them and to know how rare and special they are.  It’s always a highlight of our trips for visitors when we seem them in their natural environment.”

“Southern Discoveries Kayaking and Encounter Cruise offer fantastic experiences where people can get really close to nature.  We’re very aware of our natural environment and work hard to make sure we gently view wildlife activity without disturbing it,” says Mr Keith.

Southern Discoveries is passionate about preserving Milford Sound’s beauty for future generations and works hard to ensure visitors leave with an understanding and respect for the wild environment.  The company is also a key partner in a major Sinbad Sanctuary conservation project in Milford Sound for which it recently won an environment award.

WWF called for an immediate moratorium on habitat conversion to secure a future for Sumatran elephants.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified the Sumatran elephant subspecies as critically endangered on its Red List of Threatened Species, the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. There are only about 2,400 to 2,800 of the animals remaining in the wild, a reduction of about 50 percent from the 1985 population estimate. Scientists say that if current trends continue, Sumatran elephants could be extinct in the wild in less than 30 years.

According to the IUCN Red List, “Although as a species Sumatran elephants are protected under Indonesia law, 85 percent of their habitats which are located outside of protected areas, are outside of the protection system and likely to be converted to agricultural and other purposes.”

Sumatra is thought to hold some of the most significant populations of Asian elephants outside of India and Sri Lanka. Yet within the Asian elephant’s range, Sumatra has experienced perhaps the most rapid deforestation rate. Sumatra has lost over two-thirds of its natural lowland forest in the past 25 years – the most suitable habitat for elephants – resulting in local extinctions of the elephant from many areas.

“The Sumatran elephant joins the Sumatran orangutan, the Javan and Sumatran rhinos and the Sumatran tiger on a growing list of species found in Indonesia that are critically endangered,” said Dr. Barney Long, Asian species expert at WWF. “Without urgent and effective action to save them, we could lose some of these animals from the wild forever.”

WWF is calling on the Indonesian government to prohibit all forest conversion in elephant habitats until a conservation strategy is determined for protecting the animals.

“It’s very important that the Government of Indonesia, conservation organizations and agro-forestry companies recognize the critical status of elephant and other wildlife in Sumatra and take effective steps to conserve them,” said Ajay Desai, Asian elephant advisor for WWF. “Indonesia must act now before it’s too late to protect Sumatra’s last remaining natural forests, especially elephant habitats.”

Elephant numbers have declined by more than 80 percent in less than 25 years in Sumatra’s Riau Province, where pulp and paper companies, like Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), and palm oil plantations are causing some of the world’s most rapid rates of deforestation. Habitat fragmentation has confined some herds to small forest patches, and these populations are not likely to survive in the long term.

WWF calls upon all stakeholders, including the Government of Indonesia, palm oil companies, members of the pulp and paper industry and conservation organizations, to work together to conserve Sumatran elephant habitat. Urgent measures are needed to protect Sumatra’s remaining natural forests so that future generations of Indonesians can inherit a natural heritage that includes wild elephants, tigers, orangutans and rhinos.

Green Globe Certification CEO Mr. Guido Bauer said: “Gorgonia Beach Resort is located next to some of the most pristine diving sites in the world today. Its rich marine biodiversity attracts travelers from around the world and it is impressive to see the resort taking a proactive step of becoming Green Globe certified. With their sustainability management plan in place, they will do well protecting the natural asset their guests enjoy so much.

“Is is also a testament to the ethos of Gorgonia Beach resort that twice a month they organize a beach clean-up day and invite their guest to be involved. This initiative is combined with snorkeling and other fun activities and together more than a 100 large garbage bags are removed, with the vast amount of the material coming from areas outside the resort.”

Gorgonia Beach Resort representative, Mr. Johannes Girardi, said: “Receiving Green Globe certification attests to the strict compliance to our 360-degree eco-sustainability approach, meaning all-round management.

“The Green Globe Standard provides our resort with a structured evaluation of our performance, as an eco-tourism company, in relation to contributions to the local economy, ecology, civil liability, and sourcing local goods and services.”

Wadi el Gimal Marine Nature Park, home to Gorgonia Beach Resort, was established in 2003 with the aim of working with the local communities to preserve and develop the geological and landscape heritage of the area, its indigenous flora and wild fauna, and the Roman-Islamic-Ababda cultural mix.

This annual wildlife wonder began in November with approximately 80 green turtles coming ashore every night to nest on this beautiful Great Barrier Reef coral cay.

“Many of our guests come to the island specifically to see the turtles, so we have “hatched a partnership” with the Foundation that provides guests with a greater opportunity to understand and support these amazing creatures” said Michelle Kenna, Director of Marketing for DNC. “The partnership will help to support the endangered turtles of the Great Barrier Reef including up to 900 nesting turtles annually on Heron Island” explained Kenna.

“The partnership will be a phased approach that in its initial stages will see the Foundation personnel and trained Resort staff organising guided beach walks to watch the nesting and hatching,” commented Tim Harvey, a Director of the Sea Turtle Foundation. “In addition we will present information sessions and provide materials for the guests. These will also be incorporated into the Island’s already highly successful Junior Rangers program for the younger guests,” he continued.

The Foundation is even hoping to be able to buy a turtle stretcher for the Island this year which will help volunteers to move trapped or stranded turtles with minimal stress.

In future years the program hopes to set up live webcams which will follow the nesting and hatching real time online. An acoustic telemetry project is also in the early stages of discussion which will allow satellite trackers to be attached to selected turtles to follow their movements and log the data on their migration.

The Foundation and the Resort are hoping these projects will be supported by guest donations. Just a $10 optional contribution on check out will allow the Sea Turtle Foundation to ensure there are ‘turtles for tomorrow’.

Heron Island is a true coral cay that sits right on the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef and boasts amazing snorkelling and diving all year round, just minutes from the beach.

For reservations to visit during turtle season please call: 1300 233 432 or +61 3 9426 7540 www.heronisland.com

Madinah Mövenpick Hotel General Manager, Mr. Hassan Hassanein, said: “Green Globe certification is another milestone for us. I congratulate all the team members, as this award has been an entire team effort. I am happy to be part of such a dedicated and supportive staff.

“This certified status only helps us live the vision of our President and CEO Mr. Jean Gabriel Pérès, who has pledged that, ‘we are committing today to do the right thing for tomorrow,’” added Hassan Hassanein.

The Madinah Mövenpick offers views to Rowdha Al Sharif, the Green Dome, where the Prophet Muhammad, PBUH, rests. The hotel is also in easy reach of the Al Baquie Memorial, the burial ground of the Prophet’s companions, one of the most important religious sites in Madinah.

Green Globe Certification CEO Mr. Guido Bauer said: “Green Globe is proud to have certified the Madinah Mövenpick Hotel in Saudi Arabia. There were important cultural and religious observances that we and our auditing partner, Avireal Middle East LLC, needed to understand and work with in completing this certification.

“Within this busy urban hotel, maintaining a high level of sustainable operation will always be a challenge, and we know the management and staff of Madinah Mövenpick Hotel now have the tools to be able to set the benchmark for environmental and social stewardship,” added Mr. Bauer.

The turtle was released on Monday, January 16th at a ceremony attended by officials, conservationists, and local people.

A turtle’s send off: A Southern river terrapin–one of the most endangered turtles on Earth–makes its way into Cambodia’s Sre Ambel River, in the midst of an admiring crowd. PHOTO CREDIT: Eleanor Briggs/Wildlife Conservation Society

The female turtle, which weighs approximately 75 pounds (34 kilograms), is fixed with a satellite transmitter that will allow conservationists to track its whereabouts – the first-ever satellite monitoring study for this species.

Captured in the Sre Ambel River by local fishermen in April, 2011, the turtle is one of an estimated 200 adults remaining in the wilds of Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It was voluntarily turned it over to the WCS Cambodia turtle team instead of being sold into the black market trade where it would have been sent to food markets in China.

The population in the Sre Ambel River is estimated at less than ten nesting females. Thus, this individual is extremely important for maintaining genetic diversity of this species that has already suffered drastic population declines.

WCS believes the population has an excellent chance of recovery as the coastal mangrove forests of Southeastern Cambodia are some of the largest and most pristine in Southeast Asia, spanning some 175 square miles (more than 45,000 hectares). These habitats are crucial to numerous aquatic and terrestrial animals and are vital nursery areas for marine fisheries.

Dr Brian D Horne, Turtle Coordinator for Wildlife Conservation Society, holds up the satellite transmitter against a juvenile Southern river terrapin that was bred at Singapore Zoo PHOTO CREDIT: Wildlife Reserves Singapore

Conservationists will monitor the turtle’s movements to see how it utilizes this region. Of particular interest is how the turtle navigates through commercial fishing grounds, as well as areas where it could be threatened by other factors such as habitat destruction by sand mining or conversion of mangrove forests into shrimp farming facilities.

WCS notes that numerous studies on similar long-lived species have shown that as little as a five percent increase in annual adult mortality can cause populations to go extinct.

“By reducing the adult mortality of the Southern River terrapin, even by fractions – as little as ten animals a year per population in this circumstance – we can have immediate and long-term positive impacts on the remaining wild populations of this critically endangered species” said Brian D. Horne of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Heng Sovannara, Deputy Director of Cambodia’s Fisheries Administration’s Conservation Department, is extremely hopeful that the release will enhance efforts to conserve the species. “By identifying areas that are most utilized by the turtles, we can pinpoint our efforts to reduce the turtles being caught as fishery by-catch as well as targeted hunting,” he said.

Dr. Sonja Luz, Deputy Director of Conservation & Research for Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said: “This project will contribute greatly to a much brighter future for this critically endangered terrapin. Hopefully, more public awareness and education opportunities will arise from this and allow us to create better protection tools and a safer environment for these amazing reptiles.”

In 2000, a small population of Southern River Terrapins, Batagur affinis, was found in the Sre Ambel after many years of being considered locally extinct.

The turtle was once considered solely the property of the King of Cambodia, but has been decimated by overhunting over the past two decades.

Following the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot regime, the Cambodian people were left in severe poverty, and with the growing international demand for turtles in China for human consumption, literally thousands of turtles were captured and sent to China for much needed income by the country’s impoverished people.

“We are thrilled to have this global recognition for the Australian ecotourism industry”, said Ms. Kym Cheatham, Chief Executive of Ecotourism Australia. “While Ecotourism Australia’s environmental certification was a world first 16 years ago, since then many other programs have been developed. This recognition shows that Australian ecotourism continues to lead the world in environmental best practice.” Ms. Kym said.

She further adds, “This is fantastic acknowledgment for the over 900 tourism experiences in Australia that have achieved Ecotourism or Advanced Ecotourism certification.”

To achieve this recognition, Ecotourism Australia went through a thorough review and authorization procedure. And as a result, Ecotourism and Advanced Ecotourism Certification are now considered equivalent to the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, which are the worldwide minimum requirements for tourism businesses of all size to approach sustainability.

Stage 2 will evaluate certification processes to ensure they are transparent, impartial and conducted by people with technical competence. The third and final stage will be full accreditation, and will begin implementation in December of 2014.

The other programs recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council are:

• Bundesministerium für Land – und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft (BMLFUW)‘s Austrian Ecolabel for Tourism (Österreichisches Umweltzeichen)

• Costa Rica Tourist Board (ICT)’s Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST)

• Ecotourism Ireland’s Ecotourism Ireland Label

• European Ecotourism Knowledge Network’s European Ecotourism Labelling Standard (EETLS)

• Fair Trade in Tourism for South Africa (FTTSA)

• Instituto de Turismo Responsable’s Biosphere Hotels

• Japan Ecolodge Association’s Environmentally sustainable accommodations standard

• Rainforest Alliance’s Standard for Tourism Operations

• Sustainable Travel International’s Sustainable Tourism Eco-Certification Program (STEP)

Written by: Kanchana Ganglani