Les Hutchins, the company’s founder, had a lifelong interest and involvement in conservation in Fiordland National Park. His contribution to this special part of New Zealand continues through the Leslie Hutchins Conservation Foundation established in 1994.

Fiordland Crested Penguin

• Assist at risk or less advantaged groups or individuals to attend outdoor education camps and/or experience New Zealand’s southern National Parks and conservation areas. 
• Assist in the establishment and running of outdoor education facilities.
• Assist conservation projects in Southland, including Fiordland National Park, Stewart Island and the South Antarctica Islands (within New Zealand’s economic zone). 

Some of the recent activities or projects to receive contributions from the Leslie Hutchins Conservation Foundation include:

• Little spotted kiwi transfer
• Sponsorship of school groups and special needs groups to attend outdoor education programmes at Deep Cove
• Donations to conservation projects – dolphin research, endangered bird protection, wilding pine eradication.
• Donations to other projects – tracks and signage development, the Ulva Island facilities upgrade project

• In Milford Sound, Real Journeys employees check and maintain lines of stoat and rat traps and monitoring of endangered local bird populations. The success of this operation has seen bird numbers increase. 

Through its Doubtful Sound operation, Real Journeys contributes over $50,000 per year to conservation via the Leslie Hutchins Conservation Foundation.  

The foundation fulfils two of Les Hutchins wishes – that as many people as possible experience the magnificent Fiordland wilderness and that the wildlife and environment are protected for future generations to enjoy.