Kafue National Park safari camp in Zambia
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Steve's promise for the environment is to work with the Zambia Wildlife Authority and local communities, to provide leadership and support through NPSC, that will encourage tourists and local communities to respect the park's ecology, eliminate paoching, control bush fires and preserve biodiversity. The two big challenges to the future of all the wildlife in the park are poaching and uncontrolled bush fires and both require NPSC's constant attention. It is known that for visitors the Park's unique selling point is that more antelope species (21) have been recorded there than in any other park. This amazing phenomenom is due to the variety of habitats that includes lakes and floodpalin grasslands, miombo and mopane woodlands, teak forests and thickets, hills and hot springs. NPSC collaborates as much as possible with ZAWA, the local communities that reside in the Game Management Areas on the parks boundary and with the camp guests and partners including The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Kafue Trust and the Kafue Park Operators Association. Steve works with them all to retain the unspoiled and pristine state of the ecosystem so that natural succession is able to take its course and so that environmental tranquility is achieved.
Steve's initiatives through NPSC include 1) direct contribution to bush fire and erosion control and he has facilitates partnership with the US Forest Service and TNC to support ZAWA's fire management programme; 2) provision of direct support for ZAWA's anti-poaching work; 3) professional preparation of an area development programme and introduction of a unique Kafue community empowerment project (KCEEP) for the direct commercial benefit of local people for which Steve and partners continue to seek funding.
All NPSC's holistic efforts are aimed at keeping NPSC as unobtrusive as possible, maintaining ecological integrity, reducing waste through economical house keeping, increasing the use of solar power and other forms of renewable energy, sustainable and selective use of local building materials and fastidious employment of local people. A Conservation Code of Practice is being developed by Steve in consultation with ZAWA, environmental advisors, traditional leaders and visitors. Guests at NPSC are encouraged to take NPSC's lead, to reduce their carbon footprint by conserving energy and water, by cutting down on waste wherever possible and re-cycling wherever possible, by avoiding any form of littering and by participating in casual or serious ecological research. After many years of depletion the NPSC area is recovering, poaching is reducing and a recent measure of success was sighting 33 species of mammals in three days with the NPSC are of operation.
Community
Steve recognised at the outset that in the face of the growing human population and resultant widespread pressure on natural resources, it would be imperative to involve local communities in natural resource conservation and responsible tourism management. He firmly believed that this neighbourly strategy would ultimately enhance livelihoods by reducing destructive practices and would restore environmental tranquillity and a return to sustainable use of natural resources that were being depleted at an alarming rate. There are three Game Management Areas that surround the southern part of KNP, within which about 50,000 people reside (most of whom live far below the national poverty line) and Steve has set out to work with these communities so that they grow to appreciate the value of wildlife and fire management; learn to reduce of waste and adopt sustainable use of forest resources and sustainable use of non-timber forest products such as game animals, honey and fish. His initiatives include employment of permanent and seasonal staff only from the diverse local communities of the Ila, Tonga, Lozi and Kaonde tribes in the chiefdoms of Shezongo, Siachitema, Chikanta and Moomba and inclusion of community representatives in development planning.
Steve ensures that his staff receive training that incorporates respect for the environment and better than average terms and conditions of work. He also provides opportunities for guests to visit local historic and cultural sites accompanied by local guides who have in depth knowledge of the traditional villages, the tribes that include cattle keepers, hunters, fisher folk and agriculturists. The guides understand the traditions, the customs and the sources of livelihood. He is currently engaged in promoting the KCEEP non-timber forest products project which he sees as a scheme that will foster responsible use of natural resources; it will empower the poor and will do much to strengthen relations with communities and will directly improve standards of living, poaching will decline and wildlife will recover. Steve and his staff foster tourism at all levels that is sensitive to and respects local culture and traditions and that engages actively with the park authorities and is at the same time appreciated by the communities. Steve’s works tirelessly to fulfil his ambition that NPSC will be a major contributor to the local and national economy and to helping KNP become a world-class national park in which local communities actively participate.
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