On 1st of June, Nature Discovery participated in a cleaning up of the mountain. This was initiated by KINAPA (Kilimanjaro National Park) where they asked the climbing companies for help in removing trash as we know Mount Kilimanjaro receives more than 30,000 visitors a year. Unfortunately, there is a lot of waste produced and it is not always put in the right places.
20 climbing companies participated and supplied 248 mountain crew, with KINAPA rangers assisting.
Nature Discovery provided 8 porters for the cleanup event. We funded everything from food, transport, tents and salaries for these porters to work for 4 days. Our porters were able to collect 115kg of waste in 4 days on the route we were given by KINAPA. This is all trash left behind by previous climbers and staff.
We participate in this event every year, as we want to ensure that our lovely mountain remains in pristine condition for years to come while KINAPA looks for a long-term solution. The only immediate solution is for every team, climber and staff member to leave the area as they found it and remove all their trash.
Nature Discovery is committed to making a positive impact on Kilimanjaro’s environmental legacy. We do this by using local resources sustainably and by practising Leave No Trace environmental ethics in order to minimize our environmental impacts.
Leave No Trace Training
The porters that we selected to attend the cleanup event are some of the porters that received Leave No Trace training. On 17 May, we trained more than 50 porters in 2 classes. This season, we expect to have 2 porters who will be trained further and will be able to teach other porters how to clean and leave their environment clean. Furthermore, all of our head guides and assistant guides have received previous training and have the best knowledge of Leave No Trace principles.
This means that we will be able to sustain the environment for future generations.
