Eco Rating Tembo Kijani

Eco Rating Tembo Kijani

• Do you have a written environmental or social sustainability policy?     YES

If yes, please attach.

• Do you have a written environmental management system?              YES

If yes, please attach.

• Describe the property – aim, size, facilities, amount of land owned and leased  (150 words max)

The property consists of around 6 acres of bushy land, includes 110m of white sandy beach front. The lodge consists of 4 small bandas and 3 bungalows and restaurant and bar – all nestled in the bush and designed to blend in with the nature around. Tembo Kijani wants to provide a beach vacation with privacy, seclusion and nature. Safaris to the nearby Saadani National Park, excursions to the ecosystems around (like Mangroves and reefs) are provided as well. Getting to know the nature and to keep it is our goal.

• Describe the location, including distance to nearest town and size of town (100 words max)

Tembo Kijani is located around 35km south of Pangani and 20km north of the Saadani National Park, right on the coast. Pangani, the nearest town, has a population of 8000; the villages close by range from 100 inhabitants to around 2000.

• Describe WHY you made the decision to develop an eco resort (100 word max)

Being Eco in the Western world can be quite easy, you just need to find the right stores. Our goal was to develop and create an ecolodge with western standards by using the materials and resources available and to show that with creativity, some knowledge and endurance it is possible to create a great place that is not missing anything, but being eco. This, we hope, will show our guests, that being eco is possible and teach our local staff how they can benefit from it.
Introduction to the Butterfly Club’s Eco Rating
The Butterfly Club Eco Rating has five equally-weighted categories:

• Energy;
• Water;
• Recycling and waste;
• Land and nature conservation; and
• Community.

Each category has five levels, designated by one to five butterflies.  Through self assessment, resort operators completing this rating will determine their own levels within each category based on their responses to items listed below.
Two categories – energy and water – have similar rating systems with Levels 1 and 2 addressing conservation of existing resources, and Levels 3, 4 and 5 addressing creation of renewable energy or capturing water.
Level five in every category also requires written sustainability policies or environmental management systems to: (1) monitor and record consumption; (2) test and apply additional conservation methods; and (3) work towards specific targets.   We require a copy of your policies if you achieve level 5 in any category.

Eco Rating Tembo Kijani Energy

Levels 1 and 2 – conservation: Check all that apply:
_X_  use natural air circulation and fans, not air conditioners
_X_  use natural light during the day
_X_  minimize use of fossil-fuel powered vehicles, machines and equipment
_X_  use “on demand” or solar heating for hot water
_X_  air dry clothes/linens
_X_  wash dishes by hand
_X_  use energy efficient appliances and electronics
_X_  use low wattage fluorescent light bulbs
_X_  change linens, tablecloths, napkins upon request
_X_  switch off lights when not used
Other energy conservation activities? Please list:

• Using solar heated water for washing machine
• Switch off appliances when not needed (e.g. drink refrigerators during the night)
• Use of solar torches for watchmen

Level 1 = four or fewer energy conservation activities
Level 2 = five or more energy conservation activities
Levels 3, 4 and 5 – renewable energy: Indicate proportion (%) of energy from each source:
80%  solar
20%  wind
___  hydro
___  generator (only back up for bad days)
___  public utility
Other energy sources? Please list:None
100% TOTAL
How were these proportions developed?
Since Tembo Kijani is an off-grid facility – the next electricity line is around 10km away – renewable energy was the only solution. After calculating our demand and seeing that sun is more available (and more reliable) than wind, we decided on solar as our main energy source. The wind is the addition to keep the batteries up during the night. All the guest units are an island-system and have a solar charge controller that shows the guests the state of the battery and how much energy was produced and used during their stay.
Level 3 = renewable energy is employed and is less than 1/3 of all energy
Level 4 = renewable energy constitutes 1/3 – 2/3 of all energy
Level 5 = renewable energy constitutes 2/3 or more of all energy.  In addition, there are written sustainability policies or environmental management systems to: (1) monitor and record energy consumption; (2) test and apply additional energy conservation methods; and (3) work towards specific energy targets.
Attach a copy of your policies if you achieve Energy Level 5 (required).
Your Energy Level (select 1 – 5) =   5

Eco Rating Tembo Kijani Water

Levels 1 and 2 – conservation: Check all that apply:
_X  low flow faucets and showerheads
_X  low water use toilets
_X  change linens, towels, tablecloths, and napkins upon request
_X_use table mats that can be wiped and not laundered
_X  use biodegradable laundry detergent, dish soap and hand soap
_n/a  treat swimming pool with chlorine-free processes
Other water conservation activities?  Please list.

• Watering the gardens/bush to keep the lodge green even in the hot seasons, is accomplished by spreading the water from the septic tanks through the bush from where it sinks down through the sand.

Level 1 = three or fewer water conservation activities
Level 2 = four or more water conservation activities
Levels 3, 4 and 5 – capture and treat fresh water and manage waste water. Capture water: Indicate proportion (%) of water from each source:
___  spring
___  river
100%  rain
___  reuse gray
___  public utility
Other water sources? Please list.
The rain water is not directly captured by us, but is captured between the sea water and the upper layers of the soil, draining through the sand. So our wells are using only purified rain water.
100% TOTAL
Fresh water treatment: how is captured fresh water treated?
_ _  naturally.  Indicate method: charcoal, ultraviolet light, other? List: not treated at all, only the drinking water is filtered through a ceramic filter (charcoal, silver and hay)
___  chemically.  List chemicals used:
Waste water management:
_X_  septic tanks
___  cesspools
___  other? List methods:
Level 3: Water is captured (from springs, rivers, rain or prior use) and constitutes less than 1/3 of water from all sources.  Water is treated chemically.  Water disposal does not minimize damage to coral reefs and rain forests
Level 4:  Captured water constitutes 1/3 to 2/3 of all water.  Water is treated naturally. Water disposal minimizes damage to coral reefs and rain forests
Level 5:  Captured water constitutes more than 2/3 of all water.  Water is treated naturally. Water disposal minimizes damage to coral reefs and rain forests.   In addition, there are written sustainability policies or environmental management systems to: (1) monitor and record water consumption; (2) test and apply additional water conservation methods; and (3) work towards specific water targets.
Attach a copy of your policies if you achieve Water Level 5 (required).
Your Water Level (select 1 – 5): 5

Eco Rating Tembo Kijani Recycling and waste

Check all that apply:
_X_   use durable service items, e.g. cups, glasses, dishes, tableware, storage items
_X_   buy fresh and local to reduce packaging and emissions from transportation
_X_   purchase in bulk to reduce packaging
_X_   recycle paper, glass, plastic, aluminum
_X_   minimize emissions from fossil-fuel powered vehicles, machines & equipment
___   zero waste in the kitchen
_X_   serve local water, not bottled water
___   cleaning products are biodegradable
_X_   compost organic matter
Other methods to recycle waste? Please list.

• We provide aluminum flasks to be filled up with filtered water for free so that our guests won’t have to buy bottled water

Level 1 = four or fewer recycling activities
Level 2 = five recycling activities
Level 3 = six recycling activities
Level 4 = seven recycling activities
Level 5 = eight or more recycling activities.  In addition, there are written sustainability policies or environmental management systems to: (1) monitor and record recycling and waste; (2) test and apply additional recycling and waste conservation methods; and (3) work towards specific recycling and waste targets.
Attach a copy of your policies if you achieve Recycling and Waste Level 5 (required).
Your Recycling and Waste Level (select 1 – 5):     4

Eco Rating Tembo Kijani Land and nature conservation

Check all that apply:
_X_   minimize tree removal when building
_X_   use only botanical (plant-based) herbicides & pesticides in garden & grounds – no use of pesticides at all
_X_   maintain organic gardens as food source for resort (if the use of the coconuts that grow here counts)
___   use biodegradable cleaning products
_X_   minimize external illumination
_X_   take additional specific actions to preserve the local habitat.  Please list actions and projects:

• Planting new trees and nourishing the exisiting fauna
• Leaving the property as untouched as possible to ensure that wildlife continues as usual (monkeys, gazelles, lizards)

Level 1: one or two land and nature conservation activities
Level 2: three land and nature conservation activities
Level 3: four land and nature conservation activities
Level 4: five land and nature conservation activities
Level 5: six or more land and nature conservation activities.  In addition, there are written sustainability policies or environmental management systems to: (1) monitor and record land and nature conservation activities; (2) test and apply additional land and nature conservation methods; and (3) work towards specific land and nature conservation targets.
Attach a copy of your policies if you achieve Land and Nature Conservation Level 5 (required).
Your Land and Nature Conservation Level (select 1 – 5): 4

Eco Rating Tembo Kijani Community

This category addresses policies and activities regarding staff, guests, suppliers and other members of the community.
Check all activities that apply:
_X_  hire staff residing near the resort          100% local nationals
_X_  use local suppliers                                95% purchased goods produced locally
___  re-invest resort income locally            ___% income re-invested locally
_X_  pay above local prevailing wage
_X_  pay into local social security
_X_  provide health insurance or coverage
_X_  use regular staff meetings to educate staff about sustainable processes throughout the resort, in the garden, with waste disposal, etc
___  provide educational awareness programs for staff, guests, suppliers and other members of the local community
_X_  provide sustainable transport to work for staff
___  take additional specific actions to support the local community. Please list actions and projects.
Level 1: one or two community activities
Level 2: three to five community activities
Level 3: six to seven community activities
Level 4: eight to nine community activities
Level 5: ten or more community activities.  In addition, there are written sustainability policies or environmental management systems to: (1) monitor and record community activities; (2) test and apply additional methods to support the community; and (3) work towards specific community targets.
Attach a copy of your policies if you achieve Community Level 5 (required).
Your Community Level (select 1 – 5):         3
YOUR OVERALL ECO SCORE (add your level for each category and divide by 5):     4.2
We have three final questions which are not part of the eco rating: 

• Please describe your single most important eco achievement:

Building the lodge with materials that are available locally and are recyclable; this meant getting to know the community around us, their way of living, their way of building, learning techniques, finding out which materials are there, because I think it is very easy to implement something eco if everything is available, but in a place like Tanzania without infrastructure, harsh import taxes and bad roads, building eco has its challenges of its own.

• Indicate additional sustainable practices that you plan to institute within the next 6 months.

We are intending to provide programs/excursions for our guests to the ecosystems around us, which are reefs, sandbanks, mangrove systems, National Park and to explain about it and how to preserve it and why it’s so important.

• Is there anything else you would like to add to this eco rating?

I think a big part of what I realized is while filling out the questionnaire, is that there are many things just not available around here and hence I cannot be eco in this, e.g. biodegradable dish soap or laundry detergent, is hard to find if at all. So for us this means that we would love to use different soaps, but just don’t because we don’t want to import them from Kenya or somewhere else. All in all “eco” is a lot about using to the best the materials/sources available.