Some conservation and sustainability-led initiatives adopted by these hotels on World Earth Day
Saving the Corals in the Maldives: Gili Lankanfushi Maldives Coral Lines Project
Sustainability is at the heart of Gili Lankanfushi’s vision, with an emphasis on preserving the natural environment, protecting the fragile marine ecosystem and leaving only footprints behind. Thanks to the island’s Coral Lines project, guests can now get involved in the island’s sustainability initiatives during their stay.
The Coral Lines project provides a nursery environment for new corals to grow, bolstering the house reef and monitoring health and survival types across coral genotypes. Guests can participate in the famed conservation project, where they will learn about coral reef restoration and rehabilitation, visit the nursing coral on ropes and can even adopt a coral.
Conservation is taken seriously at Gili Lankanfushi, with the island regularly hosting visiting scientists and academics studying the coral reef ecosystem. The island’s dedicated marine biology team monitor the health and biodiversity of the surrounding coral reef ecosystems, measuring light intensity and sea surface temperature, identifying and tracking manta ray and turtle populations, removing invasive Crown of Thorns starfish, and educating guests about the underwater world through lectures and guided snorkelling trips. Gili Lankanfushi Maldives was recently awarded with a gold certificate of recognition from Earth Check for the island’s sustainability practices and commitment to eco-tourism.
About Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives
This award-winning eco-resort comprises 45 sumptuous overwater villas, including seven Crusoe Residences and The Private Reserve, one of the most exclusive and largest overwater villas in the world. Following the 2019 refurbishment, gazing out at the crystal-clear blue waters of the Indian Ocean from this private island has never been so luxurious. All categories of villas and residences come with a dedicated Mr/s Friday butler service, catering for your every need. Rustic eco-design, unparalleled service, stunning natural surroundings and a laid-back luxury ‘no news, no shoes’ philosophy have guests returning for more of this sustainable paradise. Gili Lankanfushi has a hard-to-rival location: an unspoiled island in a large lagoon in the North Malé atoll, which is a 20-minute speedboat ride from Malé. This iconic Maldivian island is perfectly suited for couples, families, solo travellers and groups who are bound to “arrive as guests, leave as friends and return as family,” per the Gili philosophy.
Elephant Research and Conservation in Sri Lanka:
Katharina Raaben, is the Head Naturalist at Uga Ulagalla and she is responsible for overseeing the resort’s conservation efforts and spearheads the high-impact Elephant Research Centre (ERC) at the 58-acre estate in Sri Lanka’s Anuradhapura which started during Covid. Katharina and her colleagues at the ERC have discovered major findings about elephant migration patterns in the area locally, on the property and are also educating locals about elephant behaviour and ways in which elephants and humans can co-exist more peacefully in Sri Lanka, which has had an ongoing human conflict relationship with elephants. I have shared her bio below, as well as background information on Uga Ulagalla. She is a real powerhouse making a huge impact and we would love to shine a light on her work with Uga Ulagalla and the ERC if you were interested in interviewing her or including her work.
Katharina Raaben, Head Naturalist at Uga Ulagalla
In her role at Uga Ulagalla, near the ancient city of Anuradhapura, in Sri Lanka’s famous cultural triangle, she is responsible for overseeing the resort’s conservation efforts, observing and monitoring the local wildlife and educating guests and the team on the importance of protecting these native species and their habitat.
In 2020, she set up the award-winning Elephant Research Centre (ERC) at Uga Ulagalla. Established in an effort to conserve the elephant population in Sri Lanka while also helping to resolve the human elephant conflict abundant in and around the Anuradhapura area, the centre is run by a well-trained team of individuals led by Katharina as Sustainability Coordinator, in-house guides and members of the local community. Guests of the resort can visit the centre to learn about Sri Lankan elephants and the research work of the ERC.
Prior to her Sri Lankan move and joining the Uga family, Katharina worked in South Africa as a Safari Guide for Return Africa, completing just shy of 500 hours of on-foot guiding within dangerous game areas of Kruger National Park. During this time, she achieved a number of guiding and wildlife qualifications, including certifications in tracking and signing, firearm rifle proficiency, wilderness first aid, birding, trail guiding and more.
Sustainability at Uga
A commitment to sustainability and the local community lies at the heart of each Uga property, and a dedicated sustainability team works hard to ensure all hotels meet and surpass the Global Sustainable Tourism guidelines. From a drive to train and hire resort staff as locally as possible and growing much of each property’s produce on site, to installing solar panels, wildlife conservation, reducing water waste and a ban on single-use plastics, guests can enjoy a stay with Uga safe in the knowledge that they are playing their part in protecting people and planet.
Recent community projects include the building of facilities and donation of supplies to local schools, investment in local infrastructure including the donation of water tanks to local villages, house building and much more.