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As a socially responsible business, Banyan Tree was founded with the core value of driving sustainable development. With the call to arms of embracing the environment and empowering the people, we seek to continue being an agent of social and economic development through responsible tourism. Our triple bottom line (economy, society and environment) help direct our sustainable development by inspiring associates, guests, and partners to take a wider consideration encompassing a long term view when making business decisions.
Greening Communities
Against this backdrop and reflecting our guiding ecological philosophy, Banyan Tree increased its commitment to tackle the issues of climate change by launching Greening Communities in 2007. Banyan Tree’s group wide environmental initiative targeting climate change, Greening Communities challenges our resorts to plant 2,000 new trees per year for the next 10 years. While the initiative will offset a small amount of the globally produced atmospheric carbon dioxide, the main goal is to drive greater awareness of climate change among our communities, associates, and guests.
During construction of Asanga Velavaru, we were particularly careful in transferring building materials in small boats and barges that navigated the reefs without threatening the delicate marine life.
Banyan Tree Maldives Marine Lab
In late 2006, the second Banyan Tree Maldives Marine Lab was established in Velavaru, aiming to understand and safeguard the diverse Maldivian reefs and ocean.
Our resorts in the Maldives are known turtle nesting sites, with both critically endangered Hawksbill and globally endangered Green Sea Turtles nesting on the islands. Conservation of nesting sites is vital to the future of both species; furthermore it is a high profile event which is of great interest to all guests. Sea turtles are a key stone species, as they are vulnerable to a wide range of destructive human activities they are important in raising awareness of multiple conservation issues. The Marine Lab team is surveying and safeguarding all nests, ensuring that the beach is as suitable for nesting as possible and that all nests enjoy maximum success.
Surveys are done under consultation with the Banyan Tree Marine Lab team, this is important in ascertaining information about the breeding population.
Since its founding, the Maldives Marine Lab has hosted groups of school children from local communities for hands on marine conservation sessions. As children from the local schools are the future guardians of the local marine environment, it is vital to arouse awareness and interest in conservation.
Extremely popular with recreational divers because of their exquisite beauty but generally uncommon in the Maldives, soft corals (Octocorallia, Alcyonacea) are among components of a reef communitites. In March 2007, the Marine Lab on Velavaru tested soft coral transplantation, a technique proven successful in Indonesia. This testing will help raise awareness for coral issues as well as testing new options to take coral regrowth to a new level in the Maldives.
PADI's Project Aware
Banyan Tree aims to create a better understanding of marine life amongst divers. For this reason, we have designed our diving courses with an environmental module that follows PADI's Project Aware and the expert advice of our marine biologists.
By finishing the Open Water course and receiving a Banyan Tree diving license, you will automatically become a certified Project Aware participant trained in environmental awareness. In recognition of our green sea turtle research, Project Aware has generously presented us with a scholarship fund.
Community Pre School
Feydhoo pre-school – In collaboration with the Feydhoo Island Women’s Committee, Banyan Tree helped establish and develop a pre-school on Feydhoo island. By building to the specifications of the local community and educational board requirements, Banyan Tree was able to provide a model facility to support education on Feydhoo. After building the school, Banyan Tree also provided necessary teaching and school administrative equipment
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
