WTA Individual Members

 

Most of our corporate members  – tour operators, eco-accommodations, wildlife parks etc. appear under the menu item “Tours/Accommodation”  and a couple of others are included under “Resources

Some of our individual members are :

  • Aise Kim (see committee page)
  • Angus M Robinson
  • Anup K C
  • Dinesha Rasanjali Senarathna
  • Elleke Leurs
  • Fagimba Camara
  • Erica Shedley
  • Georgette Leah Burns (see committee page)
  • Junko Oshima
  • Madura Thivanka Pathirana
  • Maree Treadwell-Kerr (see committee page)
  • Margarita Steinhardt
  • Margaret Weiss
  • Masakazu Kudaka
  • Noel Scott
  • Peet van der Merwe
  • Peter Wood
  • Rie Usui
  • Ronda Green (see committee page)
  • Sera Steves (see committee page)
  • Shannon Langford
  • Simin Maleknia(see committee page)
  • Sonya McGuire
  • Steve Noakes
  • Thomas Jones
  • Urmila Parajuli
  • William Spence

See under Tours/Accom for business and NGO members

 

 

Angus M Robinson

AngusMRobinsonLeisure Solutions® was established in 1993 and became an early member of Ecotourism Australia Ltd. Managing Partner Angus M Robinson and his wife Jeanette are leaders in the growing ecotourism and geotourism sectors, introducing ecotourism operators to the concept of philanthropy as a key element of ecotourism and enabling travellers enjoying ecotourism products to be able to contribute to the work of wildlife conservation. As sponsors of The Conservation Ecology Centre at Cape Otway in Victoria, they have an ongoing commitment to conservation of wildlife and their habitats. Leisure Solutions® has previously funded wildlife conservation projects (Eastern Quolls and Koalas) managed by the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife of which Angus is currently a Governor.

CONTACT: Angus M Robinson, Managing Partner, Leisure Solutions®, PO Box 638, STRAWBERRY HILLS NSW 2012 Australia, tel: +61 (0) 418 488 340, email: angus@leisuresolutions.com.au

Twitter: angusmrobinson, countrychrmtour, Skype: angusmrobinson  All other contact and business details: https://www.referralkey.com/leisuresolutions and https://www.linkedin.com/in/angusmrobinson/

Anup K C

I am Anup K C, an Environmental Science Lecturer at the Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Currently, I am a doctorate student and graduate teaching assistant at Clemson University, United States. I am planning to conduct my Ph.D. dissertation on ecotourism and wildlife conservation in Nepal. In the past, I have done my MA Economics thesis on “Climate change, tourism, and livelihood in the Manaslu conservation area of Nepal”. Also, I have worked in community forestry management of Nepal for my MSc Environmental Science thesis. I have a future interest to work and conduct studies on ecotourism and biodiversity conservation.

Contact: Email: kcanup04@gmail.com

 

Dinesha Rasanjali Senarathna

I am Dinesha Senarathna, a Geography Lecturer at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student at the Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. My Doctoral thesis topic is “Managing wildlife tourism for sustainable economic development: the case of Yala national park, Sri Lanka.” Apart from this Ph.D. research, I am working as a Research Assistant at the New Zealand Tourism Research Institute (NZTRI) and Cassual Lecturer at the School of Hospitality in the Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand.

My previous research projects for Postgraduate Diploma was on “Impact of community forest management for rural development in Kandahena, Sri Lanka” and Master’s Degree was on “Responsible nature based tourism: Rotorua Canopy Tours in New Zealand.” Nature, forest and wildlife consumption for tourism activities and related benefits for the local community is my favorite area of research. After completion of my doctoral degree, I wish to serve back to my country by teaching and guiding my students to research on wildlife tourism and its sustainability.

 

Elleke Leurs 

Elleke Leurs completed her Bachelor of Business with First Class Honours at the University of Tasmania. She is currently the Coordinator of the Tourism Research and Education Network (TRENd).

Elleke follows her passions by combining wildlife and tourism as a PhD Candidate at the University of Tasmania. The focus of her research is on the interagency between tourists and roadkill in Tasmania.

 

Erica Shedley

Southern Flora offers one to three day personal guided bird and wildflower tours across a wide range of landscapes in the south-west of Western Australia. The new owner-operated small business, managed by Dr Erica Shedley, is based in Bridgetown about 3 hours drive south of Perth. Southern Flora bird tours provide interesting ecological and botanical information about the habitats in which the birds live, based on years of living and working closely with the local environment. Erica also works as a local bird guide for Australia Naturally Travel and Birding South West in the south-west for international tourists.

 

Fagimba Camara

Senior Research officer (since 2008),  The West African Bird Study Association (WABSA),  C/O Department of Parks and wildlife Management (DPWM),  Abuko Nature reserve,  Sere kunda,  PMB 676, the Gambia

WABSA has been a protected community bird sanctuary and community forest to protected the remain flora and fauna. One the of the community bird sanctuaries is Brufut wood, an easily accessible birding location managed by WABSA since 1998, in collaboration with community of Brufut, a habitat for different animals, birds and plants species including an endemic butterfly, antelopes, pythons, cobra,Green Vervet Monkey, the rare yellow billed coucal and critically endangered Red colobus monkey.  WABSA and the local communities have been managing the area through eco-tourism promotion and other livelihood activities like beekeeping and   promoting bird watching, which bears fruitful economic benefits to the village who always got the LION share at the end of every tourism season.  Every year the area attracts world renown birdwatching tour companies which includes Bird seekers, Adventure tours, the popular BBC naturalist Chris Packam who visits the area every year in February.  The Gambian young birdwatchers who act as guides also contribute to the promotion of the area including the local resident ecoguides of the Brufut bird sanctuary.

Fagimba.camara@yahoo.com Telephone 00220 7455085

 

Georgette Leah Burns

Dr Leah Burns is a Senior lecturer at Griffith University, Queensland: an Environmental Anthropologist who specialises in human interactions with nature. Se WTA committee

 

Jessie Panazzolo

Heroic Tourism is the brainchild of Jessie Panazzolo following her research of two Black Lemur populations in the rainforests of  Nosy Be island and Nosy Komba Lemur Park, Madagascar.

Compared to the wild lemurs, the tourist exposed lemurs were obese, diabetic, aggressive and had patches of missing fur. Their diet consisted mainly of sugar rich bananas and they constantly came into contact with people wearing insect repellent and suffering various illnesses.The other side of the story is that 90% of Madagascar’s rainforests had been destroyed by the establishment of agricultural plantations, leaving  wildlife tourism ventures such as those involving lemurs as the only reason for protecting the remaining forest. Tourists were coming from far and wide to see Madagascar’s unique forests and the wildlife that lives within them, but at the same time, tourism was harming Madagascan flora and fauna. Jessie believed that ethical tourism practices and informed travellers could; contribute to a global conservation effort carried out by tourists to protect natural environments and wildlife, place positive pressure on tourism ventures in order to mainstream ethical practices and phase out unethical tourism ventures through reduced demand. From these ideologies, Heroic Tourism was born.

Contact
 

John Steley

 I thoroughly enjoy being in wilderness and get immense joy from it.I am a good spotter.I enjoy learning about plants and animals and advocate for them.We have to find a way to leave ample room for abundant, diverse wildlife.I joined this organisation because of my interest in convening a World Animal Day event on Oct 4.

jpsteley@yahoo.com.au  Phone: 0417 171 151

 

Junko Oshima

Associate Professor, Dept of Tourism Sciences, University of Ruykyu, Okinawa, Japan

 

Madura Thivanka Pathirana

Madura Thivanka Pathirana is a senior lecturer in strategic management aspects in Tourism Management in Sri Lanka and South East Asia. Research interests are, studying the economic and social aspects of wildlife tourism in Sri Lanka for long term sustainability. 
Moreover, he is a freelance travel writer and photographer that publishes in self owned blogs.Madura is a founder and the Managing director for the Honeybee Holidays, destinations management company which specializes in leisure, wildlife and adventure travel packages in Sri Lanka. 
Looking forward to writing for a Phd in Social sustainability in Sri Lankan tourism. 

Phone: +94772368801 

 

Margarita Steinhart

Margarita Steinhardt is a freelance travel writer and photographer. Her background is in wildlife conservation and her writing focuses on wildlife watching experiences and destinations.    Margarita’s stories and images appeared in the Sunday Telegraph, the Sun Herald, Unearth Women Magazine, Matador Network, Frommer’s and other publications.  Margarita’s blog, The Wildlife Diaries is a collection of travel stories, field notes, trip reports and images that promote ethical wildlife tourism in Australia and abroad.Contact details:

 

Margaret Weiss

I am a Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife and have enjoyed work immensely.  I am also a wildlife photographer and felt that I would make a change from human health to wildlife health, so embarked on studying for my Master of Wildlife Health and Conservation at Murdoch University, Perth.  I live in Sydney and am doing my studies by distance education.  I am currently writing my 9000 word literature review on the impact of tourism/ecotourism on wildlife. I hope to contribute as a volunteer with research and or education and making a difference for wildlife.

 

Masakazu Kudaka

Nature photographer and environmental counsellor, Okinawa, Japan

 

Noel Scott

Dr Noel Scott is Adjunct Professor of Tourism Management in the Sustainability Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast. His research interests include the study of wildlife tourism, tourism experiences, destination management and marketing, and stakeholder organization. He has over 300 academic articles published including 16 books. He is on the Editorial Board of 10 journals, a Fellow of the Council of Australian University Tourism and Hospitality Educators, and a member of the International Association of China Tourism Scholars

 

Peet van der Merwe

Prof van der Merwe is currently a professor and researcher at the School of Tourism Management, at the Faculty of Economic Management Sciences. He also forms part of the research unit TREES (Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society), at the faculty which is the only research unit in South Africa with a focus on tourism relates aspects. His main area of specialisation lies with natural-area tourism, which includes ecotourism, wildlife tourism, adventure tourism, marine ecotourism and sustainable tourism development. Prof van der Merwe has done numerous research project for different organisations such as South African National Parks, North West Parks Board, South African Predator Association (SAPA), Wildlife Ranching South Africa, Namibia Wildlife Ranching, SA Hunters, Confederation of Hunters Associations of South Africa (CHASA), Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA), Northern Cape Tourism and Anglo Gold. Prof van der Merwe is nationally and internationally known for his research on consumptive wildlife tourism and game farm tourism. He has done numerous studies regarding the importance of consumptive wildlife tourism to South Africa. Prof van der Merwe is an NRF-rated researcher (National Research Foundation) with various research outputs: Peer-reviewed publications (65), Popular articles (44), Projects (48), Research reports (38), Books (4), Chapters in books (5), post graduate students (PhD and Masters – 27), conferences attendance (International and National – 60) and International guest lectures.

 

Peter Wood

Peter_clapsticks.JPG

Dr Peter Wood has (at different times) been Wildlife Tourism Australia’s secretary and treasurer, and has represented WTA at events in FNQ.He was also very involved insetting upper wildlife research network, and co-authored a chapter on same with our chair Ronda Green  in an international book on Science Tourism

 

Rie Usui

Rie UsuiMy name is Rie Usui. I am a doctoral student at Hiroshima University in Japan. I conduct research at Miyajima Island, a tourism site where free-ranging Japanese sika deer have close associations with humans. My research interests are studying human and non-human animal (NHA) interrelationships as well as wildlife conservation, management and welfare. For my current research at Miyajima, I conduct behavioral observations of the deer and tourists. Also, I analyze historical records related to human and deer relationships in order to establish effective management strategies. I received a M.S. in Primate Behavior and Ecology from Central Washington University. For my master’s thesis, I conducted research at a monkey park in China and studied the roles of park rangers in regulating tourist behaviors and management of the monkeys.

Contact details: 
Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences at Hiroshima University
Email: leahrieusui@hiroshima-u.ac.jp

 

Shannon Langford

Shannon has always been drawn to the natural environment. As a child she spent her weekends and holidays camping with her family, talking to animals, admiring the distinctive Australian botany, and dreaming of the animals she would find in her family’s wildlife encyclopedia. Shannon has a Diploma in Travel and Tourism Management and is currently in her second year of a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Wildlife Biology with the goal of working as a Park Ranger or another role in conservation.  She has travelled, worked and volunteered in numerous places around the globe, including the Galapagos Islands, the Peruvian Amazon, India and the Louisiade Islands of Papua New Guinea. Shannon has an intermediate level of proficiency in Spanish, and would like to learn a third language after she completes her undergraduate studies. She is passionate about creating awareness of the UN SDGs and influencing positive change towards a more sustainable future. Shannon currently volunteers with 2 wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organisations, and is excited to be developing further skills and knowledge under the guidance of her mentor Ronda Green and the members of Wildlife Tourism Australia. 

 

Sonya McGuire

https://www.wildlifetourism.org.au/individual-members/

As part of celebrating 30 years as an entrepreneur Sonya McGuire is combining her passion for education and entertainment in creation of a new documentary of wildlife conservation episode. As an vocational education provider of www.acit.edu.au ACIT & IFTV College since 1995 in Gold Coast Queensland Australia, she has provided education to Australians and international students from over 38 countries in Business, Information technology & media courses. Sonya is developing a screenplay in cooperation with wildlife industry to bring awareness about the environment and wildlife conservation. “Educational content delivered online around the globe has the potential to change the animal welfare and enrich lives.” 

 Sonya McGuire is the writer, presenter and executive producer of “Empowering women – Essence of France”( a short film 2019-2020) www.sonyamcguireempoweringwomen.com

Travelling globally as a member of trade delegations and as an exporter of Australian education, Sonya has the opportunity to see first-hand the role women play in the conservation movement. “From small projects to large eco-tourism enterprise, women are leading the way.” Sonya holds a Law degree (Masters of International business and Finance Law, Bond University), and is committed to using her education, experience and passion to bring about positive change for women and the environment. 

 

Steve Noakes

Director of Ecolodges Indonesia, owner/operator of lodges located near protected areas in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Flores which contribute to a range of wildlife conservation, rehabilitation and responsible presentation activities.  Director of Binna Burra Lodge and Lamington Natural History Association in the Lamington National Park, Australia. Director of Pacific Asia Tourism which undertakes a variety of sustainable tourism projects involving wildlife interactions across Asia and the Pacific.

 

 

 

Thomas Jones

Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), Japan. Email 110054tj@apu.ac.jp

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tom is Associate Professor of Environment & Development Studies at APU in Kyushu, Japan. His research interests include Nature-Based Tourism, Protected Area Management and Environmental Policy. After completing his PhD at the University of Tokyo, he conducted visitor surveys on Mount Fuji and in the Japan Alps. A new arrival in the Wildlife Tourism camp thanks to a recent research project related to Inbound Tourism at the Snow Monkeys and Taksakiyama, one of Japan’s first monkey mountain

 

Urmila Parajuli

I am Urmila Parajuli, currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Community Forestry at Institute of Forestry, Pokhara, Nepal. I have completed my bachelor’s thesis on the topic of “Assessment of opportunities for developing ecotourism in Kamalpokhari watershed area, Pokhara, Nepal”. Research interest includes ecotourism, biodiversity conservation, and climate change.

Contact Email: urmilaparajuli2@gmail.co

 

 

Bill Spence

Bill Spence has a degree in Geography and a post graduate diploma in Environmental Management.

He works for the State Government in Perth WA and is a Member of the Board of the Jaycees Community Foundation. The latter runs the Historic Whaling Station at Discovery Bay in Albany WA. This major tourist and education facility also operates a biodiversity park and Australian wildlife park.