Tswalu Introduces Foundation
Tswalu Kalahari introduces the newly developed Tswalu Foundation
By Duncan MacFadyen & Lyrene Zimmerman
Tswalu Kalahari is South Africa’s largest private game reserve which spans over 1000 square kilometers and is owned by the well-known Oppenheimer family. Tswalu offers guests a luxury safari experiences but its primary aim is conservation and socio economic development in the region. The current conservation contribution and future conservation potential of this property is immeasurable.
Tswalu Kalahari aims to make a contribution to conservation through the development of the Tswalu Foundation, and through the restoration of the natural environment and ecological processes that define the Kalahari ecosystems, offering a safe haven to endangered species while also providing habitat for the protection of the region’s unique bio-diversity.
The Tswalu Foundation (TF) was created as a result of the forward thinking and great interest in the Kalahari by Mr Jonathan Oppenheimer in 2008. His founding vision for the Foundation was to developing a platform on which local and international visitors could contribute and involve themselves in community and environmental research on the Reserve. The Kalahari system is a unique, vast and understudied area, thus this Foundation assists in developing research programs and protocols and therefore assists in the development of a better understanding of its unique fauna and flora in a direct, hands-on manner. The establishment of the Foundation is fundamental in not only developing a greater appreciation for the beauty of the Kalahari and its abundant wildlife, but also provides encouragement and support to gain knowledge to better manage this unique part of Africa. In short the Foundation is structured to provide funding and support to all aspects of nature conservation and community development on reserve through the involvement of individuals and organizations interested in conserving and understanding this system.
The objective of the Tswalu Foundation is to support and promote research through funding, in order to facilitate the creation of knowledge, innovation and development in all fields of the natural and social sciences on Tswalu Kalahari Reserve. The Foundation is responsible for promoting and supporting, species, ecological and applied research as well as innovation, and upholds excellence in its investments in knowledge, people, products and infrastructure. The Foundation aims to provide services and grants to support environmental research and postgraduate research training, vital to the understanding and conservation of this system. It is the Foundations’ vision to be a key instrument in the creation of an innovative, knowledge-driven research programs and the implementation and management of specialized projects. The further development of eco and enviro conservation on the reserve aims to link people, fauna, flora and the environment in a way which ensures conservation and in some cases preservation of the Kalahari.
Visitors to Tswalu Kalahari and individuals interested in the Kalahari are encouraged to make a donation to enhance research projects on the reserve and the surrounding area. The opportunity exists to either make a contribution to research as a whole or to suggest and fund specific research into work that interests the funder. Funds will be used for research and community development projects only and will not be used to develop the reserve’s infrastructure in any way.
Visitors and individuals whom make a contribution to the Tswalu Foundation will be kept up to date with progress on projects supported. Through this interaction we envisages providing financial support to students and researchers to assist in development of long term research and monitoring programs on the reserve which will make a lasting contribution to the conservation and understanding of the Kalahari. The Foundation is meant to be interactive and provides the opportunity for anyone to be involved in research and community development. Funders will be acknowledged and through newsletters and electronic media will be updated on the research in questions progress. Funders will also be acknowledged in popular and scientific articles.
All activities on Tswalu are guided by Tswalu’s environmental and social responsibility philosophies, including architectural designs that minimise water and energy usage, extensive use of solar energy and an established practice of recycling most of our waste.
For further information and/or research/sponsorship E-mail: Duncan MacFadyen Duncan.MacFadyen@eoson.co.za or Lyrene Zimmerman Lyrene.Zimmerman@eoson.co.za
Lyrene Zimmerman is the head of Sales & Marketing at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, owned by the well known Oppenheimer family and offers exclusive and private accommodation in the Kalahari Desert in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa.
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