preserving our heritage
CONSERVATION
Establishing and maintaining basic standards that protect our environment and community is important to life at Kapama. Understanding the relationships between the reserve and its ecosystem help ensure that the natural functioning of the reserve is not disturbed.
anti-poaching unit
Kapama Private Game Reserve protects the biodiversity on the reserve through the established Anti-Poaching Unit (APU). Head of security and head of the APU, Albie Nel, and his dedicated team patrols the high-risk areas of the reserve daily and conducts foot patrols in search of wildlife traps and poachers. To combat poaching, the Kapama APU has been using tracking dogs as part of its anti-poaching initiative. There are currently two male bloodhounds that have been trained to track poachers. These tracking dogs traverse the Kapama Reserve and surrounding areas. Kapama also works closely with law enforcement and supports anti-poaching units on surrounding reserves in numerous ways. It also conducts occupational safety inspections regularly.
CARBON OFFSETTING
As a Private Game Reserve operating four lodges, Kapama understands the impact burning fossil fuels in our everyday operations has on the environment, contributing to an increase in greenhouse emissions.
Greenhouse gases trap heat and make the planet warmer. The largest source of greenhouse gas emissions is from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation for human consumption. These additional greenhouse gases are resulting in catastrophic climate changes across the globe.
Kapama is committed to implementing projects and installing energy-efficient equipment to reduce our emissions, as much as possible – such as renewable energy installations, solar panels and buildings to optimize energy.
With the extensive renovations to Kapama River Lodge’s suites, which began during the lockdown in June last year, one of the most significant aspects of the project was to ensure we lived up to our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint. We committed to installing low energy consuming inverter air-conditioners and a water heating system, to service the newly renovated rooms and reduce our energy consumption. The water heating system includes low-pressure solar water panels and a heating plant resulting in 80% less consumption than conventional heat pumps.
All our initiatives serve as a basis for Kapama to save water, improve recycling and waste management and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. If we all work together for the greater good of our planet and environment, we can all live healthy, happy lives within the resource limit of our beautiful world to help preserve and conserve nature for generations to come.
biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of plant and animal life in our world or a particular habitat that is considered to be important and desirable. All Earth’s species work together to survive and maintain their ecosystems. Much of the Earth’s biodiversity, however, is in jeopardy due to human consumption and other activities that disturb and even destroy ecosystems. Conservation efforts are necessary to preserve biodiversity and protect endangered species and their habitats. That is why Private Reserves, like Kapama, play a huge role in conserving and protecting our natural resources across multiple ecosystems.
As a big 5 game reserve in the Greater Kruger and Part of Conservation and Preservation we understand the importance of our Biodiversity.
We plan to protect it through . . . .
- Being an Educator. To educate our guests on the importance of not only National Parks and Game reserves but every single part of our environment and our existence in it.
- Being a Collaborator: A Park ecologist that can ensure the balance of the Plants, animals, insects and microorganisms and prevent the destruction of it. Kapama Private Game Reserve works closely with Agricultural Research Council (ARC) member, Dr Mike Peel, annually in aiding the Kapama management team with his dedicated research. Dr Peel has developed a research program that benefits the management of wildlife in private reserves. Kapama has an agreement with the Animal Production Institute of the Agricultural Research Council. Kapama must monitor the natural resources on the reserve, to ensure a safe and sustainable environment and to preserve the wildlife habitat including the biodiversity on the reserve; after all, it is one of South Africa’s greatest assets. (ARC).
- Being Ethical: We at Kapama have strict rules and regulations when it comes to nature. It is extremely important to be ethical and not place our interests above those of nature.
sustainability
Responsible tourism is tourism which: minimizes negative social, economic and environmental impacts. Kapama Private Game Reserve takes our responsibility to our environment, local communities, our guests, partners and our staff family very seriously. We constantly review our policies and strive to make improvements wherever possible.
- To at all times put people and our planet first, in all interactions with guests, partners, businesses, as well as with our staff
- To increase the positive impact of tourism on the Greater Kruger area
- To create truly ethical, memorable and exceptional travel experiences for our guests so that leave Kapama with a changed travel expectation
- We have a policy of always using local suppliers wherever we can, to bring as much income to the local area as possible
- We make use of small, owner-managed companies that are based in and around the Hoedspruit and surrounding area
- We also personally engage with these companies to establish where and how the communities they visit have been supported by their business
Single-use plastic: As a team, we’re constantly finding ways and working hard to eliminate plastics in our day-today-operations, particularly single-use plastics. This includes removing the use of plastic straws, removing single-use amenities in all the rooms and only using refill containers. We buy fresh produce like loose fruit and vegetables directly from the local farmers which are plastic-free, thereby reducing the amount of pre-packaging. Our on-site water recycling plant allows each Lodge to significantly reduce the number of plastic water bottles consumed. Not only have we removed plastic water bottles from rooms but in the dining halls as well. By supplying glass bottles of water that are filled from our water recycling plant we have reduced the number of plastic water bottles by over 10,000 a month . All our lunch packs are served in bio-degradable and environmentally friendly containers.
Recycling and composting: We recycle as many materials as possible including paper, glass, cardboard, cans, plastic.
Energy use: We make use of energy-saving light bulbs and our villas with private pools are heated via solar panels
Future Projects: Projects are in place to get Kapama River Lodge, our biggest Lodge close to 80% off the electricity grid with the use of solar panels by the end of 2021