andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge

Conservation is integral to the success of Africa’s wildlife lodges. Because of andBeyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge’s location on the western side of Serengeti National Park, resident lion prides abound. andBeyond invested US$50,000 as a founding member of the Lionscape Coalition, a joint initiative between the Lion Recovery Fund and the ecotourism industry to protect the animals and the lands where they live. In addition, andBeyond partners with Wild Impact to present Echo environmental education classes and field trips for students from rural communities to visit nearby preservation areas and learn about careers in conservation.

In the redesign of the lodge, strong emphasis was placed on the inclusion of sustainability elements. Lightweight steel structure, natural canvas and sustainably-sourced local hardwood were utilised throughout. All back-of-house roof space was used for solar panels, enabling the lodge to run on 80% renewable energy. Careful water management includes the recycling of grey water from the laundry and rainwater harvesting. A special metre within the lodge's borehole monitors capacity, supporting a reference point for park authorities to inform and guide future lodge developments.

andBeyond and Wild Impact have worked together with Serengeti partner communities for over 25 years. There is a notable shortage of educational facilities within this region. In collaboration with Lukungu community leadership, key education projects have included the development of the Lukungu Primary School and Antony Mtaka Secondary School to support scholars from the surrounding area. In the past year, four young people have had learning opportunities through in-lodge internships and teaching steward positions within the Echo environmental education programme.