Ila Eco Lodge

Construction crew taking a break

Ila Safari Lodge - A True Eco Lodge in the Making

What does it mean to be an ‘eco lodge’? This rather vague term came to light around the 1990s and has been touted by all manner of establishments worldwide. But what does it actually mean? And what must you do to claim it? An ‘eco lodge’ would be defined by its method of construction and operation. In line with these methods the lodge would deem itself ‘eco’ based on its treatment of the natural, built and social environments. Unfortunately there are no clearcut guidelines of what you ‘have’ to achieve in order to make an ‘eco’ claim. For us at Green Safaris what it boils down to is harmony, respect and honesty. Our first lodge, Ila Safari Lodge, is based in the pristine Kafue National Park. For Ila, we don’t just want to make the ‘eco lodge’ claim, we want to live and breathe this ideology. Let’s get specific. What are Green Safaris actually doing?

We are using an eco friendly sandbag building method combining ecobeams and excavated earth for our main boma area. By inference this means we use a minimum amount of concrete and avoid the transportation of building materials to site. Beyond this we are also using locally sourced hardwood where possible because of its beneficial carbon dioxide absorption properties as compared to soft wood. During construction we build around the local flora, and wherever possible, incorporate it into our finished product. Where impossible, we’ve uprooted small trees and plants to repot them. They are stored in our greenhouse ready to be replanted.

Ila Safari Lodge runs on 100% solar power (we do have a back up generator for emergencies). Our biogas plant is under construction and will be operational on opening. We’ll be running our own water treatment plant on site for both grey and black water recycling, as well as using eco friendly amenities and cleaning products throughout the lodge. Our black water recycling captures methane produced when human organic waste is broken down. Biogas production reduces the need for bottled gas to be transported into the lodge. We’re the proud owners of Zambia’s very first electronic Land Rover (eLandy) and our electronic boat (eBoat) is on its way to us. Using these modes of transport our guests will be able to experience emission free ‘silent safaris’. Further to this we have a commitment to be Carbon Neutral. Refuse is sorted on site and returned to Lusaka for responsible disposal. Biodegradable waste is composted and redistributed. All of our appliances are A-rated for energy efficiency and we’re in-

Internal workings of the eLandy Our greenhouse enthusiast

Thatching grass from Kaoma Our first 8 solar panels - 135 more to go

stalling LED lighting throughout the lodge. Even our beds incorporate recycled scrap metal for their springs! To keep our plastic consumption in check we will be supplying each of our guests with an aluminum water bottle, which they can refill, from our water machine. The machine purifies river water, meaning we don’t transport bottled water into the lodge.

Green Safaris are in the process of setting up a community farm that will provide further local employment and training opportunities. We will purchase our fresh produce as much as possible from the farm and hope other lodges will follow suit. We support local businesses for the sourcing of materials and interiors, from thatching to furniture, via décor and curio shop stock. We also support local conservation initiatives such as GRI and international initiatives such as Pack for a Purpose. As much as possible all of our workforce will be employed from our immediately surrounding communities. We run a comprehensive in-house training programme in conjunction with Lobster Ink, an internationally recognized hospitality-training platform. Lobster training develops individuals and teaches skills for life. Does this all sound too good to be true? We considered this and decided that it is not good enough to just make these claims and expect everyone to take our word for it. In light of this, we are bringing in external third parties to audit our ‘eco’ efforts. We want an official stamp of approval. Ila Safari Lodge is soon to be visited by Heritage, an environmental management company specialising in the independent recognition, review and certification of environmental performance across the services sector. We are also due a visit by members of the Dutch government who have provided us with a grant to be invested into an ‘eco’ lodge. They want to ensure that Green Safaris has invested their money in line with their ‘eco’ requirements and we look forward to hosting them. With the construction of Ila Safari Lodge, Green Safaris have put our money and passion where our mouth is. We are going to shout loud, clear and with confidence - ILA SAFARI LODGE IS A TRUE ECO LODGE. Come safari with us. Experience the wilderness of Kafue National Park and our own brand of warm Zambian hospitality any time from our opening date of May 1st, 2016. Let us not only delight you as our guests in the bush but also show you our ‘eco’ credentials. Get in touch for our special opening season rates.

Article by Laura Waite of Green Safaris Contact details: +260 976 366 054 welcome@greensafaris.com