It all began almost three decades ago when Nic Cooper’s parents opened up a guesthouse in their family home. From that day on, Nic’s life was filled with tourism, travel stories, and countless adventures in the local countryside.
Over the following years, Nic travelled around the world to 75 countries and counting, learning many lessons about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the tourism industry.
A new chapter started when Nic and his wife, Shanti, moved to the Mornington Peninsula and turned a lifelong dream into reality by founding Wild Adventures Melbourne (WAM), an eco-adventure company.
To celebrate WAM’s recent certification, we sat down with Founder & Adventurer Nic Cooper to learn more about how they are tackling the negative impacts of tourism and working to be a purpose-driven tourism business that aims to lead by example and be a force for good.
Image: Wild Adventures Melbourne
Eco-adventures and doing good for the planet – sounds like a great combination! Can you tell us more about what your B Corp does?
Wild Adventures Melbourne (WAM) designs and delivers unique eco-adventure tours on the Mornington Peninsula, located just one hour from Melbourne, Victoria.
We take small groups on a journey of discovery to explore the highlights and hidden gems of the Peninsula on human-powered and minimal-footprint outdoor adventures, including stand up paddleboarding (SUP), bushwalking, cycling and snorkelling. WAM offers fully guided and self-guided adventure day tours, SUP lessons, private group tours and adventure picnics.
Our experiences are created to enhance mental, physical and emotional wellbeing with an ideal balance of active adventure, fresh local produce and nature. Our guests can paddle majestic waterways, bushwalk along breathtaking coastlines, soak in magical rock pools and hot pools, and enjoy delicious food and wine.
Image: Wild Adventures Melbourne
Why did you want to certify as a B Corp?
After two decades working in tourism, I encountered first-hand the good, the bad and the ugly of tourism. So I set out to develop a tour company that connects people with nature in a healthy, fun and respectful way while also tackling the negative impacts of tourism and acting as a progressive, regenerative small business that has a positive impact on its customers, the local environment and community.
As a micro owner-operator business, the most impactful way for WAM to inspire positive change in the industry is to lead by example, and becoming a B Corp was one of the best ways to do that!
Image: Wild Adventures Melbourne
What makes WAM unique as a business? Tell us some of the areas where you have the biggest impact, or some of the little changes you’ve made to make a difference.
At WAM, we do tourism differently!
Our goal is to have environmental and social practices that also enhance the customer experience.
For example, we operate all our tours with a sub-zero waste policy by providing our guests with WAM eco-packs for the day. These packs have been curated to contain reusable items from local, conscious businesses, including a reusable drinking bottle & coffee cup, bamboo straw, eco towel service and reef-safe sunscreen. This eliminates the need for our customers to purchase any single-use plastic bottles, disposable coffee cups, or wear sunscreen that’s harmful to marine life.
B Corps want to help transform our economy to one that is inclusive, sustainable, and regenerative. What business practice do you want to see become the norm?
Waste is such a massive issue in the tourism industry. We would love to see the industry eliminate plastic, particularly single-use, from their operations and ultimately operate at zero waste. We also hope to see more initiatives to clean up locations, upcycle waste and have a net-positive impact.
Was there a B Corp that inspired you to certify, or one that you look to for inspiration?
Certainly! There are some beautiful local companies we are connected with who are also B Corps such as Zorali, Great Wrap, Will & Bear, Regen Projects and Red Gum BBQ, to name a few.
Do you have any tips for aspiring B Corps about the certification process?
Don’t wait until you have everything perfect to start your B Corp journey.
Becoming a B Corp and being regenerative is about continuous progress and improvement, not perfection!
A big thank you and congratulations to Wild Adventures Melbourne on their recent B Corp certification and thank you to Nic Cooper for having a chat with us. To find out more about their work, please visit: wildadventuresmelbourne.com
