Greg Byron, owner and operator of Great Horned Owl Eco-Tours, is now offering unique daily tours that offer a visit to the desert, trip to Covert Farms in Oliver, which includes a lunch, and then a visit to three local wineries. He’s hoping the Complete Okanagan Experience Tour will be a hit with tourists and locals. Photo by Keith Lacey.
Greg Byron has come up with a unique business idea he believes will showcase the very best the Okanagan Valley has to offer.
The owner of Great Horned Owl Eco-Tours for the past four years is promoting the “Complete Okanagan Experience Tour”, a one-day excursion featuring an ecological tour, agricultural tour and wine tasting.
“I have always believed in delivering experiential tourism,” said Byron, who quit his job as a chartered accountant to pursue his dream of owning and operating his own eco-tourism business five years ago. “Instead of sitting on the beach and reading about hiking, my company is all about getting out there and experiencing a hike … it’s about getting out and smelling the flowers.
“My idea is to combine the best of what the Okanagan Valley has to offer and allow people to experience it during one very busy day.”
Those signing up for the Complete Okanagan Experience Tour will start their day with a walk through Canada’s only desert, the endangered Antelope Brush ecosystem. They will learn about the creatures that thrive in the area and see some of the 400 species of wildflowers that First Nations people have used for food and medicine, discover how the land was formed and shaped and explore issues surrounding water sustainability and environmentally-friendly gardening, said Byron.
During summer months, the tour will take place at the Desert Cultural Centre in Osoyoos, but will expand to various areas around Osoyoos once the fall begins, said Byron.
The second stop on the tour will take people on a private tour of Covert Farms, a 700-acre organic farm near Osoyoos that is owned and operated by Gene and Shelly Covert, who take customers on a tour of their property and operation in a 1952 Mercury half ton truck.
Those on the tour will be introduced to information on crop rotation, green manure, compost, biological pest control and issues surrounding food security, said Byron.
A tasty lunch will then be served at the Market Restaurant, which uses much of the food grown at Covert Farms.
The tour ends with a visit to three local wineries.
“The wineries we visit will be determined by the group on any given day,” he said. “It’s their day and I will allow my customers to select which wineries they might want to visit. I have a number of local wineries on board, so hopefully we’ll be visiting many of them once the tours begin.”
The full eight-hour tour will be offered for $139, taxes included.
“That includes transportation, water, snacks and the full lunch,” he said. “The only additional cost would be any wine tasting fees that are applied. I feel that’s a very reasonable price for a full eight-hour day that has so much to offer.
“We want to create a fun, educational tour that lets people relax while enjoying the serene natural beauty and the delicious wines being crafted from the surrounding land.”
While there are many competitors offering wine tours and eco-tours, Byron said his niche with the Complete Okanagan Experience Tour is to offer a unique day that showcases so much of what makes the Okanagan a wonderful place to live and visit.
“There are eco-tours and agricultural tours and wine tasting all over the valley, but there’s no one offering such a variety of experiences during one full day,” he said.
Byron is confident there is going to be solid demand for what he’s offering.
“I’ve tried to become an expert on the area since I moved here five years ago and I want to provide as much information to my clients as I possibly can,” he said. “There has been a steep learning curve, but I will try and provide information to my customers about the natural history of the region and the 400 species of wildflowers, 300 species of birds and 150 species of butterflies.
“As I’ve said before, this whole concept is about providing people with an experience they will remember and want to come back and enjoy a second or third time.”
Byron’s passion for the outdoors is obvious, not only as the owner of Great Horned Owl Eco-Tours, but he’s also a member of the Burke Mountain Naturalists, Oliver Naturalists, South Okanagan Rehabilitation Centre for Owls and the Osoyoos Desert Cultural Society.
Byron is hoping to kick off the Complete Okanagan Experience Tour sometime this week or early next week.
To sign up for a tour or for more information, visit the website at www.okanaganecotours.com or call toll-free at 1-877-495-0695.
