Durrell Wildlife Camp
Work began on the Durrell Wildlife Camp in earnest in early 2012. The wooded copse to the west of Les Augres Manor, bordering on the 'Lemur Lake' enclosure housing a mixed population of ring-tailed lemurs, black and white ruffed lemurs and red-fronted brown lemurs to the southwest, has been extensively landscaped to provide a gentle slope with a nine-metre-square level wooden deck roughly every seven metres. These decks will house twelve geodesic dome-shaped 'pods' – semi permanent tent structures - and a separate shower and toilet cubicle for each. A further two platforms will house the 'Lemur Lodge' communal structure and a 'pamper pod' for holistic health and beauty treatments.
Each pod contains a wood-burning stove and sleeps two adults and two children. Additional tipi-styled tents can be added to the platform, to sleep a further two children. Two of the pods will be designed with disabled access in mind, featuring hand rails, entry ramps and specially equipped WC, and placed on the most accessible part of the site.
The facility will be eco-friendly in keeping with Durrell's policy on conservation; solar lamps will be used where possible, grey water recycled for use by the Trust's landscaping team, and all organic waste will be composted and re-used on the on-site organic farm.
Durrell Wildlife Camp is described as a 'glamorous camping' or glamping resort, owing to the individual toilet and running water, private cooking facilities and decked, semi-permanent 'pod' accommodation. The whole site has high-speed WiFi coverage, and each pod has a hard wired electrical feed for running AC 240 V appliances. This sets it outside the remit of camping despite the use of tents as opposed to permanent buildings.
The camp is a further vehicle for fundraising in support of the Trust's international conservation programmes. In combination with Durrell Wildlife Park and its associated restaurants and new visitor centre retail area, the Trust hopes to attract more tourists to Jersey, as the decline in tourism to the island over the last few years has affected the potential visitors numbers to the wildlife park. By offering a new and unique holiday option for non-residents, it is hoped the small increase in visitor numbers to Jersey in 2011, will be further supported, having a positive effect on the fund-raising ability of the wildlife park itself.
Read more about this topic: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
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