Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett, in conjunction with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services and the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, is offering one lucky family a chance to win a VIP behind-the-scenes turtle tour at the world-class Mon Repos Conservation Park.
The VIP family tour will include a meet and greet with park rangers and research scientists working at Mon Repos during the 2014/15 turtle season, as well as a ranger guided tour of the turtle information centre, turtle hatchery, heritage-listed Kanaka-built stone walks and nesting beaches to view laying female loggerhead turtles.
Mr Bennett said the VIP tour also includes a behind-the-scenes science tour of the Mon Repos Research Station, where the winning family will meet scientists from the Queensland Turtle Research Program – one of the longest running turtle research programs in the world.
He said the once-in-a-lifetime experience would offer the lucky family a chance to learn more about turtles, scientists and the worldwide significance of Mon Repos Conservation Park.
“It’s a unique eco-tourism experience to learn how scientists are working to conserve turtle populations, how they collect data, and the technologies used to track turtles across state and national boundaries,” Mr Bennett said.
“As the largest loggerhead turtle rookery in the South Pacific, Mon Repos provides visitors with an unrivalled opportunity to see the most significant concentration of nesting marine turtles on Australia’s east coast.
“We’re giving one family the opportunity to get even more up-close and personal and see the science behind turtle conservation.
“It’s not every day that you get to go behind-the-scenes and see how our experienced rangers and scientists work to help protect our sea turtles.
“The Mon Repos Research Station is closed to the public and access for scientists is usually limited, so this truly is an exciting opportunity.”
For your chance to win this unique turtle tour experience, all you have to do is estimate how many turtles laid at Mon Repos last year – the closest answer will win!
Contact the Burnett Electorate Office on 415
9 1988 or email [email protected] with your answer by midday, Thursday, December 18, 2014.
[ENDS] 11 December 2014 Media Contact: 4159 1988