Keynote Speakers Wildlife Tourism Conference 2022

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We’re delighted to have three such interesting keynote speakers with a wide range of experience:

  • Peter Gash
  • Brooke Squires
  • Hector Ceballos-Lascurain (the “father of ecotourism”)

Peter Gash,

Custodian and Managing Director, Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort & Seair Pacific

Peter Gash is the Custodian and Managing Director of Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort and Seair Pacific. Lady Elliot is a coral cay island located 80 kms north-east of Bundaberg, on the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. In his early twenties, Peter discovered the island and its amazing beauty, both above and below the water. Coincidentally, that’s where he and his now wife, Julie, became close friends and both shared passion for the natural environment and the fragile eco-system of the island.

Peter is a licenced pilot and has been flying tourists to the Great Barrier Reef for over 25 years. He started out operating regular scenic daytrips by seaplane from the Gold Coast to Lady Musgrave Island on the southern Great Barrier Reef. In the mid 90’s, Peter took the floats off the plane and began flying guests to nearby Lady Elliot Island. Lady Elliot Island is the only coral cay island on the Great Barrier Reef with an airstrip. Peter, his family and two business partners took over the lease of the island in 2005 and has been operating the 43 room eco resort since that time.

Peter’s main motivation is Education and the Environment – Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort operates on a ‘Four E’s’ Philosophy: To look after our Environment we need to be Efficient, Economically Sustainable and able to Educate Effectively. “We see ourselves as custodians of this wonderful little island – here to maintain both the Island and the reef in this pristine condition for future generations. To achieve these goals, we are constantly trying to improve standards and introduce new eco- initiatives to make the island a role model in best environmental practice”.

Peter’s personal mission, more now than ever before is to “Inspire & encourage other people, particularly the younger generation to follow their dreams to make a difference on the planet”. Lady Elliot Island is 100 kms from the coastline, we are very isolated and by location, must be self sufficient. We make our own power from a Solar Hybrid system all our water is desalinated via our own reverse osmosis desalination system and our wastewater is treated by our own wastewater treatment plant”.

In recognition of Peter’s 30 plus years in Queensland’s dynamic tourism industry and in particular his passion, dedication and leadership in sustainable ecotourism, Peter was awarded the Marie Watson-Blake award for ‘Outstanding Contribution by an Individual’ at the 30th annual QLD Tourism awards in November 2014. Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort was also awarded gold the Steve Irwin Award for Ecotourism in 2014, 2017 & 2019. In 2020 Peter was the recipient of an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in the General Division in the Australia Day Honours List for his service to eco-tourism and aviation.


Brooke Squires

Brooke Squires has worked in zoos, national parks and conservation areas around the world for over 25 years.  

During her 25 years working at Zoos Victoria in Australia, Brooke’s role was first as a rhino keeper and then developing the International Conservation and behaviour change projects at Zoos Victorias International conservation partnerships. Brooke has worked in Countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa.  Working in partnership with organisations such as the Jane Goodall Institute; Gorilla Doctors; and the Northern Rangelands Trust  as well as many local and grass roots organisations across east Africa, has fuelled Brooke’s passion to ensure that tourism benefits local people and actively conserves the wildlife of Africa while also ensuring that visitors become actively involved in conservation actions that make a meaningful difference. 

Brooke is currently working on a tourism strategy for central DR Congo that will alleviate income generated pressures on wildlife and provide sustainable  financial solutions for the community.

“ All the work I have been involved in throughout Africa has convinced me that the most sustainable way to save wildlife and support communities is through linked livelihoods such as community based eco tourism, while also ensuring that guests on safari can take action to alleviate threats that they may be driving from their home countries”.

Brooke holds a BSc in Biology and a Masters in International Community Development.Brooke Squires | Director – Raw Africa Eco-Tours

For more of Brooke’s background, activities and interests, visit: https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/blueprintforliving/ecotourism-in-africa—transcript/6424732


Hector Ceballos-Lascurain (presenting online)

Dr Hector Ceballos-Lascurain is a Mexican environmental architect and sustainable tourism consultant known worldwide as  the “father of ecotourism.” He is  Special Advisor on Ecotourism to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and to the United Nation’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and is the Director General of the Program of International Consultancy on Ecotourism (PICE). He has carried out consultancy work in 85 countries and territories around the world (including Australia). In 1983, he coined the term “ecotourism” and its preliminary definition. His modified version of this definition was officially adopted by IUCN in 1996 and  reads as follows: “Ecotourism is environmentally responsible travel and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy, study and appreciate nature (and any accompanying cultural features – both past and present), that promotes conservation, has low visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active and sustainable socio-economic involvement of local populations”.  In other words, ecotourism denotes nature tourism with a normative component.  

Hear part of a presentation by Dr Ceballos-Lascurain here .https://www.youtube.com/embed/OlI35J70pNU?feature=oembed, and read an interview here:

https://ecoclub.com/news/085.pdf