Today we celebrate Earth Day; a global environmental movement whose mission is to build a healthy, sustainable environment, address climate change, and protect the Earth for future generations. From fairly humble beginnings in the USA in 1970, the event has grown to include more than 1 billion participants in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.
Today, 3 March 2016, marks UN World Wildlife Day, an event that celebrates and raises awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. This year’s theme, “The future of wildlife is in our hands”, echoes Singita’s practical approach to conservation, which seeks to protect and preserve Africa’s most vulnerable ecosystems for future generations.
Long before we reach the end of the dusty track, I can hear the barking. A cacophony of yelps; the excited shouts of dogs eager to run. And, perhaps more importantly, eager to work.
Singita’s commitment to conservation, development and community outreach come together in perfect harmony in the establishment of the Environmental Educational Centre (EEC) in Tanzania. The Centre serves to engage and educate the community’s next generation of leaders on the importance of a balanced, sustainable ecosystem. The EEC conducts approximately 25 week-long courses per year which are attended by 300 youth from the 26 secondary schools in the districts which border Singita Grumeti.
Caring for hundreds of thousands of acres of vast wilderness is Singita’s core vision; a commitment to preserve and protect these fragile ecosystems for future generations. The 12 lodges and camps in South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe support this vision by funding ongoing conservation projects and community development initiatives, and are a stunning example of sustainable tourism in action.
As part of its ongoing commitment to the surrounding communities, Singita Pamushana (Zimbabwe) partners with the Malilangwe Trust which runs regular courses in conservation education for pupils at local schools. The four-day courses are held at nearby Hakamela Camp for students in Grade 6 and 7 who come from eleven local schools.
It’s considered a very good day in the bush for most wildlife enthusiasts if they manage to spot a rare or elusive animal. It’s also very exciting to see babies in the wild, so to combine both into one sighting is a real highlight for our guides and guests.
For most safari travellers, the first image that’ll spring to mind when they think of Singita is a luxury lodge parachuted effortlessly into the wilderness. It could also be the smiling face of the guide that took them deep into the bushveld, and returned them safely home that night. Perhaps it’s the crackling fire and star-spangled sky during a memorable boma dinner.
In an age where the destruction of pristine wilderness continues to accelerate, Singita is making a profound difference in many parts of Africa. Orchestrating an interdependent relationship between communities, wildlife and tourism that ensures true sustainability, Singita is blazing a trail which is seldom achieved on this scale anywhere else on the continent.
For more than two decades, Singita has been a “place of miracles”, offering guests a unique and extraordinary safari experience. Our 12 lodges and camps have been the recipient of numerous awards and the number of guests who return year after year speaks for itself. And while we are extremely proud of this, Singita’s enduring purpose, which is to preserve and protect the miraculous places of which we are custodians, remains our primary focus.
