Hartford House is part of a collective 7,000 hectare nature conservancy and the Summerhill enclave is a renowned organic farm, where the use of anything but natural product is forbidden in its farming and animal husbandry practice. It’s home to a population of more than 500 people, all of whom are keenly attuned to the need to ensure the lightest of footprints. Already, besides and extensive programme of recycling and composting, it has implemented a regimen involving the preservation of its wild places and its wild friends as well as water, and it is increasingly moving towards the use of solar heating and responsible waste management.

In the collective Hartford House and Summerhill entities, no fewer than 32 international scholarships have been awarded to its previously disadvantaged staff members, including two of the Hartford young chefs, who have represented South Africa at world culinary exhibitions abroad. The end of September witnesses the departure of another 45 members of a dance troupe for the USA, where they will be looking to improve upon their second and third placings in Tokyo and Hong Kong.

&Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve conserves seven distinct habitats and offers a luxurious, exclusive Big 5 Game experience. Phinda has pioneered great advances in conservation through numerous research projects conducted on the reserve, including, amongst others: lion reintroduction, elephant population control research, leopard monitoring and participation in the endangered black rhino range expansion project.

Phinda, together with their social development partner, Africa Foundation have greatly impacted the neighbouring communities through numerous education, skills development and health care initiatives. They have facilitated the building of 90 classrooms and have provided more than 91 tertiary education bursaries. Together with NOAH, Africa Foundation has opened the Ark at Nkomo, providing orphaned and vulnerable children with nutritional support and an aftercare facility.

Fordoun is situated on a working farm within 5 minutes of the national highway in the KZN Midlands. The property has donated some 150 hectares of it’s natural veld and wetlands to the Crane Foundation. A major project which is supported by Fordoun is The Wattled Crane Recovery Program. Wattled Crane eggs are incubated, chicks are reared and rehabilitated to the wild. The current population of Wattled Cranes is endangered (240 in KwaZulu Natal) so this program will play a major role in reversing the decline of the species.

With Traditional doctor Elliot Ndlovu, Fordoun has a subsidiary company which propagates and researches traditional indigenous healing plants. Many of these plants are endangered due to non sustainable harvesting from the wild. At Fordoun there is an indigenous garden with over 140 different species on display. Promising plants with economical potential are slipped and planted out on the farm agricultural lands. These plants are used as key ingredients in the Ndlovu range of Spa and retail products. Other plants are processed into teas, coffee and herbs on the restaurant menu. The project has exciting prospects in plants which have been identified as having high potential essential oil qualities and yields. 90% of water at Fordoun is recycled. The hotel and spa are 30% solar powered (installed 2009) and this initiative will expand yearly.