Environmental Ethics

Our approach to participating in a place where there are many users of the land for our livelihood is to run our operations thoughtfully. Enjoyment of our place during our days on the water is very important to us, particularly in doing so with as little footprint as possible. We are only a short walk to our boats on the docks, and our activity is powered by you! We emphasize paddling together with much consideration to other boaters sharing the area. We are inspired by our beautiful spot on the British Columbia coast and our role in the ecotourism trade that is enjoyed by people from down the street, down island, a few provinces over, or a different continent.

There is much wildlife to witness on Quadra Island and in this area of the Strait of Georgia. We are diligent in talking with our fellow paddlers about respecting their space. Bird’s nests, rocks with sunbathing seals, and intertidal creatures are topics of interpretation that we share our knowledge of and respect for. During our picnics at a variety of beaches we introduce our guests to our BIIZ bag, the Bathroom In Intertidal Zone kit which contains options for using the washroom when there is no outhouse, per say! The BIIZ kit has toilet paper and small bags for people to carry out their toilet paper.

We pack our snacks and lunches with consideration and it is a very pleasant culinary experience. Our foods are purchased at the locally owned grocery store only a short bike ride away and we pack our picnics with whole foods and some simple treats.

Off the water and in the Yak Shak we strive to reduce our consumption of electricity and recycle our paper, plastic, glass and cans. We’ve made the switch to compact fluorescent lightbulbs. And with the bonus of reducing our guest’s travel costs and in the name of carpooling, we pick up our paddlers off the ferry before the tour and return to the ferry after the tour. Quadra Island Kayakers will most certainly enjoy the thoughtful green activity while visiting us here on the enchanted Quadra Island.