Farm 215 - A Sustainable Operation
Farm 215, located in the southernmost region of Africa between Stanford and Cape Agulhas, aims to be a pioneer in the sustainable hospitality industry in South Africa.
The 800 ha reserve is a rare sanctuary for hundreds of common, endemic and endangered plant species, an important local catchment area and an essential meeting place of different vegetation types. The primary purpose of farm 215 is the conservation of a unique piece of the Cape Floral Kingdom on the basis of a small-scale guesthouse.
Around the old homestead, the new guesthouse infrastructure has been designed to be compatible with the surrounding nature, to minimise the use of non-renewable energy and to have a 'soft' footprint on the land. The new guest units, the dining area and the 25 m lap-pool depend for their energy (both electricity and heating) predominantly on solar-power. The water is sourced from the reserve itself and, after use, routed back to the stream where it originated from. No harmful chemicals are used and waste is separated and recycled.
Several fynbos vegetation types are represented in the reserve, including the ultra-endemic Elim-fynbos and vast tracts of transitional fynbos. The importance of the reserve is acknowledged by Cape Nature, which has entered into a conservation-agreement with farm 215. Farm 215 is the winner of the Cape Fox 2007, awarded by the Western Cape Conservation and Stewardship Association (WCCSA) for good stewardship of the land and sustainable operations.
Large-scale operations to clear infested areas from alien vegetation have taken place. Streams changed from a trickle to a steady flow, even in mid-summer. The cleared areas have been rehabilitated with fynbos and indigenous forest. Wetlands have been restored and wildlife has returned to the recreated habitats. Conservation-policies with regards to fire-managent, flower-harvesting and human impact in general are rigidly applied.
Sustainable hospitality is a business as well as an ideal, this is a constant effort. Architecture and infrastructure aspire to harmonise with nature, but it is the use of it by human beings that does the job.
