Kanha wildlife lodge, India
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
We are proud of not only having built a green lodge but also successfully operate in a sustainable manner, some of the highlights:
- The Lodge has been built using local materials almost all found close to the site minimising huge transportation pollution.
- Local manpower has been used in building in the lodge and many construction workers are part of the main lodge team now.
- Specially designed septic tanks – Shankar Balram have been used which minimise water and ground pollution. These tanks have received a President award in India.
- The waste makes way to compost pits and to rag vendors.
- The waste water is channelled to a water body which through natural filtering methods and grassing helps in recharging ground water.
- Use of bottled water is restricted and guests are encouraged to use safe drinking water provided by the lodge.
- Energy saving CFL bulbs and indicators have been used to keep a check on power usage.
- No trees have been cut during the construction and over 5000 trees and shrubs have been planted in the last 2 years, the natural habitat has been maintained and there is no artificial landscaping.
We realise how important a healthy wildlife habitat is for everyone. Our policy is to practise sustainable wildlife tourism under high standards. We are signatories of Tour Operators for Tigers (TOFT) and have generated our own lodge checklist to raise the awareness of conservation and sustainability for our lodge employees and all the local partners who engage with us on a day to day basis.
Choosing products of 'green purchasing' and 'energy conservation' can assist minimise habitat impacts. At all our lodges we try to use them and educate our staff on why we are using such products. With this we hope we can change the attitude of personnel working at our various lodges and build an institutional culture.
We provide regular updates and material to our lodge naturalists on wildlife and conservation related issues and also have a well stocked wildlife library at each of our lodges for ready reference. We are in the process of training our naturalists to record all wildlife observations seen during the jungle drives. This information will be used to update our guests and also produce a newsletter. We are supported by donations of responsible, passionate tourists and companies. 25% of sale proceeds from our Eco-shops go to the Conservation Cell for executing conservation programs.
On Going Programs
- A charitable school at Madla Village, Panna with over 100 students run by the lodge and volunteers.
- Wildlife corridor research between Panna and Bandhavgarh with a final objective of connecting the fragmented forests.
- Village kitchen garden(Baadi) project where with partnership with local villages fresh produce is grown at their homes and bought by the lodge.
Community
We are not an NGO or a non- profit organisation. We believe that conservation of wild habitats and wildlife in India is only possible if it has an economic incentive. Through our Conservation Cell we are developing programs that will directly involve the locals and benefit them. We believe that carefully developed natural resource based enterprise development programs involving the locals will reduce their direct dependence on the wild habitats. Thus we periodically introduce programs that will encourage the locals to conserve the nature for their own and their children's future.
We conduct an intensive annual training program for our lodge naturalists and staff during the off season monsoon period. The training includes wildlife observation skills, communication skills, recording and documenting observations, activities of the Conservation Cell and others. From this year onwards we plan to increase this effort to at least 2 training programs per year. Over and above this all the lodge staff participate in a monthly update and briefing session.
We try and encourage to employ and procure most of whatever is possible from locals only. By this we guarantee that the locals are also included into the emerging wildlife tourism sector and are directly benefited. We encourage locals to demonstrate and share with us and our guests their native skills, cultural practises and their way of life. We would like to help, save and appreciate both their social and cultural practises.
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