Minimising the Ecological Footprint - Wilderness living at Limpopo Field Guiding Academy

Pictured above is the "donkey" system at our Wilderness camp at Limpopo Field Guiding Academy. LFGA is committed to a minimal impact philosophy in terms of our interaction with the ecosystems within which we conduct our training. This ethos is integrated into the student experience and we believe that our graduates take away a better understanding of the wilderness concept, ultimately resulting in better custodianship of our natural resources. 

For a full camp of 12 students and two staff, the donkey system is filled with 420 litres of water every second day. Said water is used for showering (in the riverbed below is a shower with hot and cold water on tap) - each person is allowed one quick shower per day. If 14 people use it each day, that is 15 liters available per person per day. The rules are to have the taps one quarter open (that is just enough - the pressure is very good from above) - maximum 5 minute shower. Another strategy is to have the taps open only initially to get wet, then lather at leisure with the taps closed, then rinse off again afterwards - not the ideal approach in winter! Typically individuals use about 10 liters per shower and we normally have some left over - or, with bigger groups, there is enough for 20 people to shower per day - that is with strict management of the procedures. 

In the pic above the vertical tank is the hot water source - a wood fire being lit in the internal cavity visible from frontal view. The horizontal tank is the cold water source. Water is driven in using a tank on a pick-up.

We also have a "long-drop" or pit latrine at our wilderness camp - this instead of a flushing toilet saves an untold amount of water - arguably Africa (and the world's) most precious resource. The lavatory is designed in such a manner as to have an external breather pipe and allows for air-flow through the entire system, thus preventing the build-up of unpleasant odours. Note: this only functions correctly if a number or user protocols are observed and followed!

It is common knowledge that some pit-latrines around the world do extreme damage to the natural system - the reason being the way in which they are managed - common problems being litter thrown down the pit, the use of harmful chemicals to neutralise odours and in extreme cases, killer agents such as "burnt lime" or gasoline being used in the pit to annihilate any organism in and around the pit. 

LFGA employ the most natural processes in our pit latrine - we add an active bacteria to the system once a week in the time that we are there. The bacteria feed on waste items in the pit and decompose organic material back into simple inorganic nutrients or minerals, which feed the natural ecosystem in and around the pit. Used effectively and in combination with the aforementioned user protocols, the bacteria serves as an efficient organic waste and odour management agent. 

LFGA uses the Wilderness camp for 2-week cycles at a time - giving the system a chance to recover from any impact we do have. In a 4-week phase, students would spend 2 weeks at a time at our conventional base-camp and also 2 weeks at a time in the Wilderness camp. Those cycles complete a 4-week "Phase" - allowing for a comfortable balance between academic learning with modern conveniences and our "bush-phase" - camping out and focusing on the fun and practical aspects of nature guiding. 

Our Wilderness camp also utilises other scarce natural resources such as fuelwood and fossil fuels (eg gas, petroleum) in the most minimalist manner possible. For example we are stocked with fuel-wood rations and the bulk of cooking is done over an open fire, using the minimal amount of wood. With clever rotation of coals and correct fire pots - food, hot water for dishes and heat for students (winter) all originate from the same small camp fire - not to mention the romantic ambience of sitting around a flickering camp fire in the heart of the African Wilderness!

In terms of the fossil fuels - we only conduct walking safaris in the wilderness area and vehicles are used for transport in and out only. Two small gas lamps are sparingly used between all all members in camp at night. 

No concrete, cement or any permanent building material has ever been used in our camp and the entire set-up can be dismantled in a few hours - leaving only pristine wilderness behind. 

Wilderness camping - just another way in which you can be a part of the LFGA Legacy - doing our part to save the planet!