7 minute read
AFRICAN DREAM
Protecting the iconic wilderness and wildlife of Africa is a way of life for Beverly and Dereck Joubert, award-winning filmmakers, conservationists and founders of ecotourism company Great Plains. They tell Wildflower what drives them to create sublime African safari experiences that allow guests to support their valuable work while enjoying an unforgettable holiday
words by gabrielle nathan
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Afew minutes in the company of the Jouberts is all you need to be convinced of one thing: their dedication for conserving the wild places of Africa, and to protect the creatures that depend on them, is matched only by their love for one another. As the couple recounts how they met at high school before dating, and explains how their common interest in wildlife led them first to a successful career in filmmaking then to acclaimed wildlife protection work, it is clear that their shared commitment to the continent of their birth is binding and enduring. As former Botswana President Ian Khama said, “Theirs is a lifelong passion; for each other, for big cats, for Africa…they are true ‘children of Africa.’”
Since the start of their joint career in filmmaking in the 1980s, the intrepid South African pair has put wildlife conservation at the centre of everything they do. Their more than 40 films, including Eternal Enemies: Lions and Hyenas and Eye of the Leopard, have been viewed by billions of people, won 8 Emmy awards, and helped draw attention to the survival struggles of Africa’s most iconic species.
Alongside filmmaking, the couple has published 12 books, written half a dozen scientific papers and produced many articles for National Geographic in their capacity as explorers-in-residence for the publication, all exploring the various and serious threats to Africa’s landscape and animal inhabitants.
After several years, it became apparent that researching and documenting the demise of these magnificent creatures was not going to be enough to save them. “We needed to secure African landscapes on a scale large enough to also protect its resident and seasonal wildlife populations,” explains Dereck. So, the Jouberts established Great Plains Conservation to make a lasting, sustainable di erence to the world’s iconic wildlife and wilderness, by striking a careful balance between conservation, communities and commerce.
“The overarching theory is that without large, protected landscapes where migration routes are maintained, wildlife will not stand a chance of survival. Small islands of conservation are simply not adequate for sustaining viable breeding populations of most species,” Dereck states. “We identify and select key areas that are under threat, often next to national parks and reserves, and acquire the rights to convert that land to protected areas with economic benefits. For example, we convert hunting or agricultural land to wildlife conservation supported by photographic tourism.”
With this in mind, Great Plains Conservation set about opening a series of sustainable safari camps on some of these strategic pieces of land, which covers a million and a half acres across three countries. Sensitively designed, solar-powered and single-use plastic-free, the 13 safari camps are shining examples of responsible tourism. Selinda Camp, Selinda Explorers Camp and Zarafa Camp have all achieved the Botswana Tourism Organisation’s highest rating, while the Selinda Reserve has been named one of the world’s Top 100 Sustainable Destinations.
SAFARI OF DREAMS: GREAT PLAINS MARA NYIKA CAMP IN THE MASAI MARA REGION
GOING FOR A DRIVE: BEVERLY AND DERECK JOUBERT IN THE FIELD
Just as impressive as their eco-credentials are the camps’ amenities and comfort. “Great Plains Conservation was founded on the refusal to make any trade-o s between luxury and sustainability,” states Beverly, and it’s clear from the soughtafter accreditation by Relais & Château of six of their safari camps that this uncompromising approach has paid o . There are cavernous tents, plunge pools, wine cellars, in-room massages and thoughtful touches such as a professional-quality camera and binoculars to use throughout a stay. At a handful of camps, two-bedroom suites come with a private game drive vehicle, guide, chef and sta , and are ideal for families or groups of friends after both privacy and exclusivity.
SOAK IN THE VIEWS: THE INTERIORS OF A LUXURY TENT AT GREAT PLAINS MARA NYIKA CAMP IN KENYA
The camps have been built to deliver breathtaking views: in Botswana, they are located in remote and pristine settings, some next to secret lagoons and rivers. From here, guests explore by jeep, boat or, in a particularly exciting safari experience, canoe. In Kenya, two camps are set in the exceptional Masai Mara game reserve while a third is in sight of Mount Kilimanjaro. They are exquisite bases from which to explore – in a hot air balloon, on horseback or on foot.
The Jouberts stress that “Great Plains is first and foremost a conservation organisation that uses ecotourism as a tool to sustain conservation programmes” and call what they do ‘Conservation Tourism.’ So, while Great Plains Conservation excels at matching guests with di erent experiences of safari – energetic, adventurous, artistic – its charitable arm, Great Plains Foundation, “strives to preserve and protect landscapes, wildlife, and the communities who rely on them in Africa,” say the Jouberts. “The Great Plains Foundation takes a holistic view of conservation and all of our projects, whether wildlife, landscape or community-focused, seek to restore, reinvigorate and protect these important wilderness areas.”
Initiatives include Rhinos Without Borders, relocating 87 rhinos from high poaching zones in South Africa to safe havens in Botswana, where they roam freely. “Positively, over 50 calves have been born to these rhinos and the relocation not only brought home rhinos to a land they once roamed, but also brought employment and training of the local rhino anti-poaching teams and monitors,” the Jouberts explain.
CONSERVING NATURE: SENSITIVELY DESIGNED, SOLAR-POWERED AND SINGLE-USE PLASTIC-FREE, THE 13 GREAT PLAINS SAFARI CAMPS ARE SHINING EXAMPLES OF RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
Dereck Joubert
Community-focused project Solar Lanterns involves safari guests donating solar lanterns to local families to use as a safe and economical alternative to dangerous para n lanterns or candles, which pose a fire hazard. This gave rise to an initiative particularly close to Dereck and Beverly’s hearts, The Solar Mamas programme, which saw the foundation take nine women from rural communities in Botswana to India for six months to undertake solar engineering training, enabling them to return home to set up solar plants and businesses in their communities. The foundation also runs Kids Conservation Camps, educating children from the surrounding communities about the ecosystems in which they live, the value of conservation and potential career opportunities in conservation tourism.
The Jouberts’ energy and enthusiasm for spearheading conservation projects is staggering. In 2009, the husband-and-wife team collaborated with the National Geographic Society to found the Big Cats Initiative in an e ort to halt the decline of big cats in the wild. Today, the Big Cats Initiative spans more than 100 on-the-ground projects in 28 countries and has helped save the lives of almost three thousand big cats, by removing 13 thousand life-threatening snares from their habitats.
Separately, Beverly is an acclaimed photographer, and her work appears in magazines, newspapers and exhibitions all over the world. The powerful prints have been on display at the fivestar Great Plains camps in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Kenya, and are also available to buy online in a collection called Art for Conservation. “Great Plains clientele around the world are now able to support our aims once they’ve returned from safari and showcase the spirit of Africa on their walls,” comments Beverly, who last November pledged half of the proceeds of sales of the striking images to Project Ranger, another of the foundation’s initiatives. This sponsorship programme, set up as a response to the pandemic, has so far raised $1 million to support the men and women on the frontline of vital conservation work.
“Our aim is to create flagship conservation programmes, seeking to ensure these initiatives become successful and are replicated across the continent because, if we get it right, we want to enable people to follow in our footsteps.” “Our aim is to create flagship conservation programmes, seeking to ensure these initiatives become successful and are replicated across the continent because, if we get it right, we want to enable people to follow in our footsteps”
CAMPING OUT: THE LUXURY TEMBO PLAINS CAMP IN THE PRIVATE SAPI RESERVE, ZIMBABWE
To book a Great Plains safari, visit greatplainsconservation.com or call 0203 150 1062. To read more about the work of Great Plains Foundation, visit greatplainsfoundation.com To purchase a print by Beverly Joubert, visit beverlyjoubert.com
