Sustainability at Baghvan
At every &Beyond lodge we seek out small (and sometimes not so small) but meaningful ways of putting our values into action every day. Each lodge supports the conservation of wildlife and contributes to its neighbouring communities in one way or another. In addition, we seek to limit our impact in terms of fossil fuels, the use of renewable energy, water and waste management, and recycling.
Current Sustainability projects at Baghvan
Baghvan Goes Green…
The enthusiastic Baghvan/Pench Green Team recently completed their inaugural lodge and area clean-up, spending 3 hours collecting bottles, separating garbage, and rehabilitating the surroundings. All lodge staff were present (with some unexpected visitors) and completely committed to the Green Team effort. This clean-up will be performed weekly and will soon be extended to the surrounding local communities.
Baghvan Guests Create Bright Futures
Many guests visiting our lodges would like to play a part in making a difference, no matter how small. The Baghvan team has come up with a creative way for our guests to play a part in what we do, through the sale of school stationery kits in the Safari Shop. Each kit sells for just USD 10 (cost price), and once purchased, they are donated to the children of the nearby Avargaani Government Primary School. Guests can purchase for a single child, or an entire class, and they can also visit the school to deliver their gift in person. Each kit consists of four notebooks, coloured pencils and a geometry box all stored in a handy school bag. This has been a great help to the children, as the schools only provide textbooks, and the children must provide their own stationery. Recently, Italian guests Luca & Barbara purchased 10 school bags, enough to supply an entire class.
Guests Try Their Hand at Indian Pottery
Guests staying at Baghvan, bordering Pench National Park, can delight in an afternoon visit to Pachdhaar, the nearby potter’s village. After an exhilarating morning jungle drive followed by a leisurely lunch at the lodge, guests can enjoy a 45-minute scenic journey through winding village roads to Pachdhaar. Here, they can interact with the community members, learn about local customs and even try their hand at the potter’s wheel. All of Baghvan’s beautiful planter pots, clay ashtrays and incense stands are supplied by the Pachdhaar community.
Jai Hind … ‘We salute India’
15 August marked India’s Independence Day, and our Baghvan and Pashan Garh families celebrated with the local communities. The Baghvan team awoke at 04h00 to prepare healthy snacks for 150 community members. They spent the day at Awargani School, where the children sang patriotic songs and performed traditional dances in brightly coloured Indian attire. Over at Panna National Park, the Pashan Garh family gathered with the building team to proudly hoist the Indian flag. As a gesture of thanks to the builders for all of their hard work on the lodge construction, the Pashan Garh team served 300 breakfast packs of poori (fried wheat bread) and aloo subji (a potato dish seasoned with ginger and aniseed and tempered with curry leaves and chillies).
