Over the last 30 years at Tomjachu Bush Retreat we have strived to rehabilitate the area’s natural ecosystems through careful land management, and the reintroduction of various species to provide a haven of conservation for indigenous plants, birds, mammals and other wildlife.
TOMJACHU
CARING FOR NATURE
WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT
- Travel and the enrichment that it brings through new experiences
and connections - Our local ecology, an environment to be enjoyed but in great need
of protection - Wildlife and adventure activities, which embody exploration & adventure
- Education as a force for self-improvement and greater understanding, and a movement towards improved protection of fragile environments
- Responsible and ethical business, and creating value beyond profit
- Acting as a catalyst for change to promote conservation-focused participation for travellers and locals
TIES outlines a philosophy to which ecotourism enterprises should commit:
Ecotourism is about uniting conservation, communities, and sustainable travel. This means that those who implement, participate in and market ecotourism activities should adopt the following ecotourism principles:
- Minimize physical, social, behavioural, and psychological impacts
- Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect
- Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts
- Provide direct financial benefits for conservation
- Generate financial benefits for both local people and private industry
- Deliver memorable interpretative experiences to visitors that help raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climates
- Design, construct and operate low-impact facilities
philosophy
Through various initiatives we strive to fulfil this philosophy
- We recycle up to 60% of our waste. All food waste is converted to compost, and all recyclable plastic & tin is sorted on site and transported to Nelspruit to be recycled.
- We educate our staff about the process of waste disposal and recycling, and why we must reduce waste to limit its effects on both our local and global environment.
- Reuse and upcycling is encouraged, and our staff have begun to make artwork from used materials to be sold in our shop
- We are highly aware of water consumption and wastage and have a number of water-saving systems in place – we encourage our guests to be sparing to help us conserve water.
- We have some, and are introducing more, effective systems to recycle grey water, particularly from our laundry, and to capture rain water.
- We ask guests to help us save energy by turning off all lights when not in rooms
- We have nearly completed converting all of our lights to energy-saving light bulbs or LED
- Planning for introduction of solar energy is well underway, and we hope to introduce a complete grid-tie solar system in 2019
- We provide positive wildlife experiences for our guests, whether they are keen to enjoy the wonderful unspoilt mountain bushveld views, our 265 species of bird, or our hundreds of mammal, plant, insect and tree species.
- We focus on providing guest experiences with as little impact on the surrounding ecology as possible with the aim of educating and informing about the wonder and fragility of our surroundings, and the need to protect it.
- Road and trail maintenance – Many miles of roads and trails are prepared and maintained, including the historical Voortrekker road, to allow our guests to enjoy our natural surroundings with minimum impact on the environment.
- Damage caused caused by boots and tyres and can take many years to recover!
- Most of the company profits are reinvested in the property in order to improve our conservation efforts. This includes the careful management of the delicate ecosystems on the property through controlled burning, invasive species control, synthesised migration and breeding of indigenous game, and many other wildlife and land management activities.
- Protection of bird and animal species – Tomjachu boasts over 265 species of birds and a variety of other small and large indigenous animals. We work hard to protect and maintain their natural habitats, which helps to ensure that migrant species return each year.
- Many of the buildings on the property were originally farm buildings, barns and stores which have been reimagined and redesigned.
- In any new buildings, renovations or improvements we aim to use and reuse as much locally sourced and renewable material as possible, including stone, reeds, thatching grass, sand and gravel from the property itself.
Trees for Travel
Donate trees to be planted to offset your carbon emissions
Greenpop plant trees through urban greening and reforestation projects, spread environmental awareness, and activate people through green festivals and workshops across Southern Africa.
Follow the direct link where you can donate trees, and it allows us to track how many trees have been planted by Tomjachu guests.