Rainbow Springs Goes Gold

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rainbow Springs Goes Gold

There were accolades aplenty when Qualmark today announced that Rainbow Springs Nature Park in Rotorua had achieved a Qualmark Enviro-Gold rating during its recent assessment. This means that Rainbow Springs joins a very small group of accommodation and tourism attractions in the country to reach this level, and recognises the business' excellence in environmental sustainability.

This rating award joins a long list of achievements for the conservation focussed business and demonstrates Rainbow Springs' commitment to the highest level in environmental practices.

"This achievement is testament to how each of these properties has fully integrated environmental sustainability into a quality tourism product. This Enviro-Gold logo is evidence that Rainbow Springs has achieved the pinnacle of responsible tourism processes within their operation," said Geoff Penrose, CEO of Qualmark.

The Qualmark Enviro logo recognises businesses that are actively participating in waste management, energy efficiency, conservation initiatives, community activities, and water conservation and for visitors it means that the Qualmark® represents environmental and social commitment as well as general quality indicators.

Regional General Manager for Rainbow Springs, Stewart Brown says the key to the success of the business is the passion that the staff bring to work each day. "Our team is 100% behind our sustainable business ethic and are constantly looking for ideas that we can introduce into the business to make improvements," says Stewart.

About Rainbow Springs Kiwi Wildlife Park

Rainbow Springs Nature Park in Rotorua is uniquely New Zealand. It is a 76 year old award winning "attraction" with strong conservation values. Rainbow Springs has been hugely successful with breeding programs for kiwi and other endangered NZ birds and animals. The park includes over 1.5km of easy walking track in natural bush surroundings, spring fed pools house numerous trout, and native and introduced animals are cared for by a dedicated team. In the past few years, here are just a few of the examples of Rainbow Springs' achievements in the area of conservation and sustainable business practices:-

• planted over 750 native trees (with the help of local community groups and schools)
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• Retired over 360 cubic metres of rubbish from landfill with the implementation of recycling programs in the park.
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• Installed a selection of energy efficient appliances and lighting throughout the park
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• All brochures and stationery are printed using vegetable based inks on papers sourced from sustainably managed forests and paper mills.
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• All green waste from the park is recycled through industrial worm farms that chew through tonnes of waste every year while creating fertiliser for our organic vegetable garden.
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ENDS

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