453 | SMILES - Divava Okavango Lodge

WELFARE, CONSERVATION & TOURISM

Boat cruise on the Okavango River

SMILES! When you come to Divava Okavango Lodge, this is what you encounter at the reception, in the restaurant and on the guided excursions.

Supplying organic food

Please keep the environment clean

But the lodge not only puts emphasis on friendliness, but also on organic food supply through its own garden, on supporting a clean environment and on supporting the local community.

Erastus Kambathi (local guide), Jeanetha Vries (receptionist) and Keafas Ndjago (assistant general manager and beverage and food manager) (from left to right)

Therefore BirdsConTour assigned three out of three penguins with a Welfare, Conservation and Tourism Support 2016 Award to the Divava Okavango Lodge

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452 | Deep respect for people and conservation - Hakusembe River Lodge

WELFARE, CONSERVATION & TOURISM

If there is one thing Namibia does really well, it's sustainable tourism - and Hakusembe River Lodge is no different.

Thanks to Joseph, the gardener of the Hakusembe self-sufficiency garden, the guests can marvel at the appetizing buffet with the large selection of fresh vegetables.

In the garden extra care has been taken for the bird life

Yvonne and Edison

The lodge of the Gondwana Collection on the banks of the Okavango River scored a three penguin-rated Welfare, Conservation and Tourism Support 2016 Award from BirdsConTour for social responsibility, conservation and sustainable tourism.

451 | Joy for biodiversity and guests - Vreugde Guestfarm

CONSERVATION & TOURISM

Guided drives are offered into the Etosha NP. and over the farm

The bird-friendly garden

Don't only consider a guided tour to the nearby Etosha National Park, but do participate on a tour over the farm to become familiar with cattle and sheep farming in Namibia and observe some of the indigenous wildlife, such as warthogs, steenbok, kudus and a great variety of bird species.

On farms, such as the 3300 hectare sized Vreugde Guestfarm, livestock is certainly necessary for stimulating grass growth through controlled grazing and simultaneously the livestock transfers fertility to plants around the farm through manure.

If controlled grazing practices together with the appropriate rest periods after grazing are applied the involvement of grassland and livestock on a farm is a sustainable system of organic production.

Since 1935 grassland and livestock farming is implemented on this farm and since 2001 guests can experience these interesting practices on Vreugde Guestfarm which earns the guestfarm a two penguin-rated Conservation and Tourism Support 2016 Award from BirdsConTour.

450 | Hard piece of work - Erongo Wilderness Lodge

CONSERVATION & TOURISM

Settled in the Erongo Mountains, at what seems like the very heart of Namibia's special species of wildlife, lies the 200 000 hectare Erongo Mountain Nature Conservancy.

Luxury tents with astounding views

Guests on a sundowner walk

Sharing this vast wilderness with 29 other landowners, Erongo Wilderness Lodge is perfectly located to offer all the raw, natural beauty of Namibia, without tourist crowds.

A birdbath offers water also for smaller animals. Erongo Wilderness Lodge is a paradise for birdwatchers.

Rosy-faced Lovebirds

Hartlaub's Spurfowl

Mike, second from left, and part of the team

For being a part of this hard piece of work to conserve endangered and rare animal species such as the Black Rhinoceros, Black-faced Impala, Leopard and Brown Hyena to mention just a few, BirdsConTour awarded the Erongo Wilderness Lodge with a two penguin-rated Conservation & Tourism Support 2016 Award.

449 | Supporting a good and healthy lifestyle while giving you thatextra comfortable feeling - Organic Square Guesthouse

CONSERVATION & TOURISM

Tourism in Namibia is a growing market and has a tremendously positive effect on the local population and conservation of nature and wildlife.

Little garden per room

Healthy organic breakfast

Located centrally in Namibia's seaside resort Swakopmund the guesthouse offers seven spacious rooms each with their own little garden and as one expects from the name, a healthy organic breakfast, with fresh homemade juices/smoothies, home-baked breads and much more is served either in the breakfast room or outside in the garden amongst freshly grown herbs. Organic means that food offered has been produced through practices fostering cycling of resources, promoting ecological balance, and conserving biodiversity.

Recycled desk

Recycled picture frames

When talking about recycling, Heidi showed her funky ideas of having upcycled wooden doors and similar into desks and picture frames when furnishing her Organic Square Guesthouse.

Acacia tree

Planting native plants in her garden, Heidi helps attract native birds, being a great source of entertainment for her guests, as well as an organic pest control solution.

Heidi (middle) and part of her team

This idea of supporting a good and healthy lifestyle in tourism earns the Organic Square Guesthouse a two penguin-rated Conservation & Tourism Support 2016 Award from BirdsConTour.

448 | Why to turn your garden into a private nature reserve, formingurban wildlife corridors

CONSERVATION

Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill at feeder

Dramatically fast growing Windhoek, capital of Namibia

While we cannot stop the urbanisation that is gradually pushing wildlife out of cities and other settlements, hopefully more and more citizens create a green infrastructure in the form of bird-friendly gardens, referred to as urban conservation.

Grey Go-away-bird at water table

Every garden is a nature reserve waiting to happen, offering not only bird life a refuge but such green spaces provide habitat for other wildlife.

Pale-winged Starling feeding chick with small snake

Many neighboring garden nature reserves function as biodiversity corridors and through being linked such corridors create interconnectivity. This again supports in the case of cities having only isolated green islands.

With the sale of a new wooden and handmade range of birdfeeders and other helpful bird products, blending in with the outdoors, BirdsConTour supports citizens in their endeavors to attract birds to their gardens, their private nature reserves.

Seed Feeder

Corn Feeder

Sunflower and Peanut Feeder

Fruit Feeder

Nectar Feeder

Suet Feeder

Porridge Feeder

Water Trough (hanging)

Water Table

Dust Bath

Nest Material Dispenser

Nest Box