When you arrive at one of the Governors’ Camp Collection properties, either Governors’ Camp or Il Moran in the Masai Mara, Governors’ Mugie in Laikipia, or Loldia House in the Great Rift Valley, you’re stepping into more than a safari camp. These are places where conservation is a way of life, integrated into daily operations, guest experience, and long-term commitments to people and nature. Your visit here is part of that story. By making some simple choices, you can be an active participant in contributing to the well-being of East Africa’s ecosystems. From tree planting to responsible waste reduction, your visit can make a positive legacy.
Staff plant trees at Il Moran
The query on everyone’s lips, though, is what is eco tourism, and how do I get involved? Essentially, eco-tourism is experiencing nature responsibly and giving back actively for its conservation. At Governors’ Camp Collection, that translates to responsible, hands-on involvement in meaningful conservation practices for our visitors.
The landscape surrounding our camps is rich with history and wildlife, but also vulnerable to deforestation, erosion, and climate change. Elephants knock down trees as they feed naturally, and floods on the Mara River have swept away vast tracts of riverine woodland. In response, our teams have launched long-term tree planting programmes to restore habitats and support biodiversity.
At Governors’ Camp and Il Moran, hundreds of native trees have already been planted, ranging from sausage trees and wild figs to the threatened East African greenheart. Guests are welcome to participate in these tree planting activities by assisting our gardeners in preparing seedlings or commemorating a special event by planting a sapling of their own. For many, it is one of the highlights and most memorable aspects of their stay.
Conservation in Laikipia includes the preservation of species like the reticulated giraffe and Grevy’s zebra. But reforestation is also central here, and your assistance makes these threatened ecosystems all the stronger. Not only is it symbolic to plant a tree, it also helps contribute to long-term landscape resilience where wildlife and people coexist. Learn more in our Reforestation Efforts & the Mugie Five update.
If you’ve ever wondered how guests at camps can plant trees, it’s simple: join us in the nursery, learn how seedlings are protected from browsing herbivores, and plant one during your stay. It’s an act of environmental stewardship that directly offsets your travel footprint.
Tree planting is only one element of the sustainability quotient. Equally important is what we do with waste. At Governors’ Camp Collection, we have adopted sustainable camp practices that reduce single-use plastics and promote the responsible use of resources.
Each of our properties has eliminated single-use plastics
Every visitor is supplied with a reusable water bottle, and filtered water stations are strategically located throughout camp. This simple change already cuts thousands of plastic bottles each year. Gardeners reuse milk cartons as containers for tree seedlings, breathing new life into everyday items. And in the kitchen, organic waste is composted responsibly, closing the loop between camp operations and the outdoors. For those looking for waste reduction tips, our team is always happy to share.
Milk cartons are re-used to plant seedlings
Seedling protection designed by our workshop
For a simple but effective guide, think of it as your eco-friendly safari checklist: refill, reuse, recycle, respect. These habits are easy to adopt during your stay and can continue long after your safari.
What might seem like a small action – a seedling planted, a water bottle filled – has a ripple effect. Decades down the road, the thousands of trees that have been planted will help reforest these unique, degraded habitats, provide shade, stabilise soils, and feed wildlife. So too, recycling and composting prevent waste from harming irreplaceable ecosystems. This is green hospitality in action, luxury that is as concerned with tomorrow as with today.
Mugie schoolchildren pre-sort glass bottles for recycling
Our philosophy goes beyond reducing harm. It’s about creating regenerative benefits. By joining us, you’re not just a visitor, you’re a partner in conservation. This shared responsibility defines sustainable safaris, where everyone plays a role in preserving the beauty we’ve come to enjoy.
The strength of Governors’ Camp Collection has always been its ability to marry first-class safari experiences with leadership in conservation and community. Every visit subsidises conservation education classes and camps for local children, birds of prey rehabilitation, and the re-establishment of habitats. Guest interaction, however, makes all these programs even more robust.
Eco clubs are facilitated by Governors’ Camp
If you’re looking for eco-conscious safari providers, start with us. Plant a tree to celebrate your anniversary. Help water seedlings in the nursery. Refill your bottle instead of consuming bottled water in single-use plastics. Share your experiences with fellow travellers, inspiring them to follow your lead. By increasing guest involvement in conservation efforts that transform individual choices into collective change, the Governors’ Camp team empowers visitors to leave a tangible legacy.
We are often requested to share waste management ideas, and we are pleased to explain how composting, recycling, planting and gentle sorting make big differences. We also share zero-waste camping tips that you can apply when back home, making your safari learning last many times longer than your time in Kenya.
We grow many vegetables onsite at each of camps
In the end, these acts are not an obligation, they’re an invitation to slow down, look more closely, and feel the pleasure of giving.
A Governors’ Camp Collection safari is about so much more than game drives and breathtaking landscapes. It’s about becoming part of a dynamic conservation movement. Trees you plant today will continue to flourish for decades hence, offering sanctuary to birds and other wildlife. The habits you develop regarding waste will influence your family, friends, and communities.
Forest habitats are crucial for critically endangered raptors and other birds of prey
Fundamentally, this is eco tourism at its purest. It allows for viewing, involvement, restoration, and giving something back. With in-camp sustainability practices, such as tree planting, waste reduction and banning single-use plastics, our ongoing efforts help shape the fate of the Masai Mara, Laikipia, and the Great Rift Valley.
We invite you to participate in this position with confidence and enthusiasm. Together, we can ensure that Kenya’s stunning wildlife and landscapes thrive for generations to come.
