When I first visited Morocco in 1993 I had no idea that nine years later I would give up my career of 25 years as a university lecturer to run a Moroccan eco-tourism business. I had gone to find an area in which to give my undergraduate students an insight into Third World sustainability issues. My partner and I were also pursuing research on tortoise conservation and its relationship with environmental degra-dation and tourism. Finding ourselves in the south, in the Western High Atlas, the Souss Valley and the Anti Atlas Mountains, we soon fell in love with the environment, the culture and the Berbers - the most hospitable and welcoming people I have ever met.

We were astounded by the biodiversity, in particular by the argan forest. The argan is an endemic tree which survives in an area which would otherwise be desert, providing a livelihood for the Berber people by yielding a superb orange-coloured oil, grazing for livestock and fuel. In recognition of this unique area, The Souss Massa National Park and the Argan Forest Biosphere Reserve were designated in the 1990s.

By chance we met a charming young man, Said, who became a great asset as our field assistant, thanks to his passion for and in-depth knowledge of local wildlife.

Three years later we had set up a project in the beautiful traditional walled town of Taroudant (known as "Little Marrakech"). From there we offer tourists and students an insight into the local environment and culture, employing five Moroccan Berber staff (including, of course, Said).

Much thought went into ensuring that our activities would benefit the local community as much as possible. The experiences we offer support traditional ways of life: clients walk, use horse-drawn taxis, bicycles, donkeys and mules in preference to motorised transport, and our itineraries involve only short journeys by road (unlike those of most other operators). We employ only local staff and services; we buy local produce and promote local crafts. Clients receive detailed guidance on cultural and environmental issues before and during their trips, and are urged not to buy products such as tortoiseshell bellows, the manufacture of which is devastating wildlife. We give "appropriate" gifts and payments to villagers (for example, by contributing to the school rather than donating "Western" presents).

Unlike the High Atlas Mountains near Marrakech, the area near our centre in Taroudant is little visited. In the distance rise the lofty peaks of the massif, snow-capped for much of the winter. In the foothills, where our clients walk, beautifully contorted rock formations give great variety to the landscape. The vegetation changes with altitude and geology. In the valleys, intensely green terraced plots produce a wide variety of crops, including barley, which makes a wonderful chewy bread served freshly-baked with all meals, accompanied by oils from the olive and argan trees. The latter is painstakingly produced by the women each day. Fruit and nut trees shade the fields: orange (with wonderfully scented blossoms), almond, walnut, date palm and pomegranate.

Berber architecture is enchanting - agadirs (ruined castles on hilltop sites) and flat-roofed houses built into the hillside as if they are part of it. Best of all is entering these houses to discover passages, courtyards and the warmth and generosity of their inhabitants. Unable to converse without the help of your Berber guide (Arabic is rare, let alone English or French), you often resort to communication by smiling and hand gestures.

The accommodation is wonderfully simple and always spotless - walls whitewashed or painted with soil pigments, the earthen floor covered by mats or rugs, a few cushions against the walls. This is easily converted from a living room to a dining room by the addition of a low table from which a communal dish is shared, or to a bedroom with the arrival of blankets at night.

The first welcoming event for visitors is always the serving of mint tea, ceremoniously poured from a great height and accompanied by snacks. Intoxicating smells soon seep from the kitchen, where a tajine is prepared for dinner in a terracotta dish with a distinctive conical lid. The meal comprises delicious combinations of eggs, nuts, vegetables, dried fruit and meat, mildly spiced. I always leave feeling grateful for having seen how much joy the simple things in life can create, and wondering how we Westerners could integrate some of that into our own lives.

Some of the less palatable aspects of Western "civilisation", such as the products of the multinationals or pesticides banned in the developed world, have clearly reached this part of Morocco, but the further you penetrate the mountains, the less society is affected. However, young people the world over are attracted by the urban lifestyle, and many migrate leaving the villagers without the labour necessary to maintain their terraces. We feel glad that the visitors we bring will make a small contribution to sustaining the traditional economy.

Our aim is to provide clients, some of whom are students, with ample opportunities to understand local cultural and environmental issues through hands-on experience and our library and extensive displays. We have set up a charity to assist projects such as Britain's Darwin Initiative (which promotes the survival of species). Under the auspices of the Initiative we helped experts compile an exciting proposal to survey the biodiversity of the argan forest, to work with local communities to help them earn their livelihoods in a sustainable manner and to promote education in sustainability at community, school and university level.

By publicising this area's biodiversity and culture, arguably Morocco's richest, we hope we can help to protect both.