Environment & Philanthropy

Conservation of the world's wilderness areas is integral to everything Sanctuary Retreats do - and our lodges and camps are no exception. The social, environmental and wildlife programmes we support through our African camps are extensive.

We try, wherever possible, to use local labour and sustainable materials in construction, and to employ and train local staff.  We work with local people to develop their businesses, and we support local community projects and orphanages. We have taken great care to site our camps and lodges in locations where they will cause no harm - close to wildlife but built and set in a way that will cause no distress. Whenever viable, solar power is used to provide lighting in our camps and lodges - where that is impossible, the latest and quietest generators are used. Wastewater is carefully managed to ensure that wells draw only the minimum required for the comfort of guests. Boreholes have safety switches to prevent over-utilisation. Detergents, soaps and cleaning materials used are biodegradable. All solid waste is sorted and removed, whilst scavenger proof cages are used for temporary waste storage.

The architecture of many of our properties incorporates the natural environment. Wood used is from commercially grown forests and the camps can be removed without leaving a trace. Sanctuary Baines' Camp, in Botswana's Okavango Delta, was built using recycled tin cans. The local community in Maun were invited to collect as many cans as they could - giving them an income as they received payment for every can that was collected and also educating them about the need for recycling. The cans were then incorporated into the camp buildings to form the structural backbone - they were stacked on top of one another and overlaid with wire mesh, hessian cloth and finally elephant dung cement. Using cans offered an opportunity to construct a 5 star camp in the delta, whilst being environmentally sensitive and less wasteful in terms of materials.

The Living with Elephants foundation, run by Doug and Sandi Groves, allows guests at Sanctuary Stanley's and Sanctuary Baines' camps in Botswana to take part in a very special learning adventure, a leisurely paced walk with a trio of semi-habituated elephants: Jabu, Thembi and Morula. The elephant interaction activity allows for a newfound appreciation of these gentle giants and provides a deeper and more personal understanding of elephants. Every year, Living with Elephants runs an Outreach Project in which children from neighbouring villages are afforded the opportunity to spend two days learning about, and interacting with, the elephants. Sanctuary is proud to sponsor Living with Elephants' work to improve human-elephant relationships - one child at a time.

As part of their commitment to the local community, the staff and management team at Sanctuary Swala in Tanzania initiated a pioneering community conservation project that included building the Gijedabung Primary School in the nearby village of Mamire, which borders Tarangire National Park. The camp organised the construction of classrooms and other facilities, employing local villagers to produce the concrete building blocks needed. Sanctuary Swala provides staples for a nutritious lunch each day, supplemented with vegetables from the school’s own garden. The camp also donated a 2000 litre water storage facility to provide clean drinking water. The school opened with 90 students ranging from 6 to 13 years old - and today there are more than 600. Guests at Sanctuary Swala are offered the opportunity to learn more about this project and become involved with the camp’s philanthropic efforts during their stay.