Ruttman said many outdoor activities fit completely or partially under the ecotourism heading, including fishing tournaments.

“We have signed a letter of intent with BASS/ESPN to hold their elite series bass fishing tournament at Three Forks Harbor in 2010,” she said.

How to help

To get more involved with the teaching gardens and butterfly sanctuary at Honor Heights Park, call Matthew Weatherbee at 682-9276.

Ecotourism growing

The International Ecotourism Society says the American public has a rising interest in ecotourism, whether they know what the word means or not. Some of the information the IES has published includes:

• In the United States, LOHAS (“Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability”) estimates that ecotourism (including eco-travel networks, green tourism, eco-volunteering trips, active sports trip programming, and environmentally responsible tourism) are among the fastest growing travel trends, and are estimated to be a $77 billion market.

• Over 55 million U.S. travelers are classified as “geo-tourists” or interested in nature, culture and heritage tourism.

• In the U.S. on federal lands alone, there are an estimated 900 million visits per year to national forests, parks, monuments, historic sites, recreation areas, protected areas, wildlife refuges, reserves, and management areas—most of these visits include sightseeing, hiking, wildlife observation, swimming, snorkeling or other forms of ecotourism.

Source: International Ecotourism Society