Drakensberg Sun Lifestyle Resort - an environmental success story

Source: www.responsibletraveller.co.za

Being situated on the boundaries of uKhahlamba-Drakensberg UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Africa, it stands to reason the Drakensberg Sun Lifestyle Resort would be compelled to be environmentally conscious, and they have done an excellent job, being led not by legislation, but by complete passion. Spend an hour or two with Erno, Warren and the ‘Green Team’ and you’ll be tossing your obnoxious chemicals, and planning your own wormery and recycling centre with just as much enthusiasm and understand why they recently achieved a Platinum rating through the Heritage Environmental Management Company.

We started our morning with a hearty buffet breakfast at the hotel restaurant overlooking the resort’s private lake – the country-style buffet is a wonderful way to interact with the staff, who are always happy to share a story or two with their guests. ‘Cheffie’ (a.k.a. Warren Bell – the executive chef with a passion for the environment) took us through the inner workings of the hotel, and it became very evident that great care is taken to educate staff on environmental issues. The on-site registered Environmental Trainer ensures all staff are trained on environmental issues & policies, for example: the S.O.S (switch off something) Programme, a communication program aimed at raising awareness to the importance of energy conservation, and how it impacts our environment; and the Environmental Awareness programme, a visual awareness program aimed to raise awareness of the environment and our impact, and to re-emphasise the waste policy.

To ensure that environmental policies are upheld and practiced, a ‘Green Team’ has been formulated, consisting of the majority of the HOD’s, who meets on a monthly basis. “We are trying to educate our current suppliers and affiliate ourselves with eco friendly suppliers and contractors, in a bid to make our property more green. In the process, we are trying to raise awareness of environmental challenges,” says Warren, Chairman of the ‘Green Team’. The kitchen and in-house laundry switched over to eco friendly chemicals resulting in less consumption, and less harmful elements reaching the environment. On arrival all guests are given an in-house welcome newspaper (printed on recycled paper) that includes relevant information on Drakensberg Sun’s environmental practices, as well as relevant information on the hotel’s general operations.

Roland Luke, a Green Team member, has been appointed as Honorary Officer for Parks Board, and is also involved in conservancy of rock arts in the area as well as the establishment of the Raptor Restaurant. Endemic birds of prey are encouraged back into the area by placing carcasses in a dedicated area where the Cape vultures feed 3 – 4 times per week. There may be between 60 – 150 vultures at any feeding time, which includes a breeding pair of Bearded vultures. In 1991/1992 an epidemic obliterated the dassie population in the Cathkin Valley area. Roland recently started the Dassie rehabilitation programme to re-introduce dassies back into the property in an area which used to be their natural habitat. This will result in the return of the Black Eagle, as dassies form part of their staple diet. As a registered conservancy the feasibility of erecting game fencing, and the possible introduction of certain game (bulk grazers, which will reduce the fire break burning requirements) on the property is under consideration.

Walking through the extensive grounds it is evident that great care and commitment is taken to eradicate alien vegetation and replant with indigenous trees and shrubs. A small indigenous nursery has been established to replace the felled alien trees and eradicated plants, and although in its early stages, has more then 1800 trees, including Dias Cotinifolio (pom-pom trees), Celtis Africana (White Stinkwood), Cussonia Peniculata (Cabbage Tree) and Diospyroi Fyciodes (Blue Bush).

To create an awareness of the environment a few leisure packages have been designed such as a ‘Hike & Picnic’ package and a ‘Presidential Honeymoon’ package, giving honeymooners the opportunity to plant a tree in one of the designated forest areas, for which they receive a certificate. The tree planting information is entered into the Legacy Journal, which is a record of who the trees were planted for and when they were planted.

Our tree, a Natal Yellow Wood, planted on the banks of Lake Nkwakwi in the Cathkin Park Forest, will one day stand tall, hopefully one of many as others who share our passion for the environment take this opportunity to plant a tree and leave a living heritage for our children as well as help alleviate our carbon footprint.

RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARDS:

IMVELO 2008: Overall winner 2008

IMVELO 2008: Winner Best Single Resource – Waste management

IMVELO 2008: Finalist in best overall management system

IMVELO 2009: Finalist - Best Single Resource Management System – Waste

IMVELO 2009: Finalist - Best Single Resource Management System – Water

IMVELO 2009: Finalist - Best Single Resource Management System – Energy

IMVELO 2009: Finalist - Best Environmental Management System

Recently received Platinum rating in Heritage Environmental Programme. Drakensberg Sun Lifestyle Resort is the first hospitality-orientated business that has joined Green Globe International.

THE SUCCESS STORY:

Energy conservation

• 70 % of the hotel is equipped with energy saving lamps to reduce energy consumption. They have a MAC1 (programmable logic controller) that limits the consumption of power in peak periods in the boiler room, laundry, and chalet geysers, without affecting the hotel’s efficiency.

• A full BMS (Building Management System) is currently being installed, which will be linked to air-conditioning plants, fridges & freezers and boilers, resulting in better controls of energy consumption.

Waste plant

• They do their own garbage separation, and employ three local people to assist in the separation area. An external waste company collects the sorted waste, from where it gets sorted further. The waste company employees are certified safe waste disposal technicians.

• All organic waste is fed to the worms at their on-site wormery. The worms create worm tea, which is used in the production of natural fertilizer.

• On site compost heaps comprising of natural vegetation are used to fertilize all their gardening requirements.

• 75 % of all waste created by the hotel is recycled, limiting the amount of waste going to landfill.

• Old kitchen oil is donated to a local farmer (who is their vegetable supplier) for use in the production of bio diesel, which is used to run his delivery trucks.

• Used paper is donated to local schools in their bid to recycle.

Sewerage plant

• The Sewerage Treatment plant at the Drakensberg Sun Lifestyle Resort has gone totally green since May 2009. No chemicals are used, and a state of the art UV light system has been installed. The raw sewage passes through a bar screen splitter which removes solids like paper and plastic and foreign objects, it then goes into air ration tanks where all the nitrates and ammonias are removed.

• Then it goes to another tank where samples are taken and if unsatisfactory, can be pumped back into the air ration tanks for further churning. If the tests are satisfactory the water then goes into drainage beds that separate any further solids that may exist. These solids are placed in tightly sealed drums and removed from the property by a certified hazardous waste removal company.

• The water then gets gravity fed into a baffle clarifier system where any sludge is allowed to settle to the bottom and then be pumped back to the starting point. The distilled water passes under a bank of ten UV lights for sterilisation before it goes to the final tank for testing then it is gravity fed into our settlement dams.

• The water that is discharged back into the natural source (from the settlement dams then back into the natural water table) is cleaner than the original river water.

Water plant

• The water plant is totally environmentally friendly – no chlorine or harmful chemicals are used. Activated carbon filters and UV lights are used for sterilisation, and a natural flock agent to remove the iron content from the water.