Wellington's award-winning ZEALANDIA eco-sanctuary has been selected by UK broadsheet The Guardian as one of the top 75 green tourism companies in the world.

The Guardian Green Travel List 2010 is the inaugural list of 75 companies worldwide that have shown evidence of commitment to community, place and the environment, and published in association with greentraveller.co.uk and supported by Forum for the Future. ZEALANDIA was one of only two companies in New Zealand to be listed (the other was Wilderness Lodges, luxury eco-lodge accommodation in the South Island). "We're absolutely thrilled to have made the list," said ZEALANDIA CEO Nancy McIntosh-Ward "It's a great recognition of ZEALANDIA's international reputation as a model eco-tourism attraction, and the groundbreaking work we have done to bring many of New Zealand's rarest species back to the mainland. Being not-for-profit, every single visitor we get makes a real, tangible contribution to New Zealand's natural heritage. Hopefully they also take away a deeper appreciation of our impact on the natural environment." Richard Hammond, founder of greentraveller.co.uk, visited ZEALANDIA and Wilderness Lodges last year while researching for his book The Rough Guide to Clean Breaks. He had the following to say in response to ZEALANDIA's inclusion on the list: "There's an ancient Chinese proverb that says: 'Tell me and I will forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I will understand.'

This ethos is what ZEALANDIA is all about. It's much more than a showcase of a few iconic wildlife, it's an experience, an involvement in the natural world. And what's great is that it's just minutes from downtown Wellington, it shows what you can do to create a green space in the heart of an urban jungle if you put your mind to it."

Next month the 15 year-old conservation attraction, which is just five minutes from the centre of New Zealand's capital city, opens a major new permanent exhibition showcasing New Zealand's unique natural history and the story of of our world-renowned conservation movement.

"ZEALANDIA: The Exhibition is an exciting new step in our 500-year journey," said Ms McIntosh-Ward.

"If we are to truly realise our vision, and restore this corner of New Zealand to the way it was 1,000 years ago, we need to get the next 25 generations on board! The exhibition puts what we are doing here at ZEALANDIA into context and makes our conservation story accessible to everyone."