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… in the media - article on South African Travel Portfolio Blog
02 February 2009
“…..getting back to basics, healing ourselves and our planet.” Touching the Earth Lightly (TEL) reduces the impacts of people on the planet by exploring and demonstrating alternative ways of living and building. It’s a new South African company driven on a love and passion for people and Mother Nature.
Stephen Lamb founded TEL last year after 15 years of hands-project management experience for various government, private and NGO funded projects. His most recent projects include design and development of the Table Mountain National Park Hoerikwaggo Trails and working for WWF in Cambodia designing and developing a 5-star eco-lodge in the remote protected forests of Mondulkiri.
Says Stephen “We have chosen the tourism industry as the platform on which to express green and innovative building ideas and new ways of approaching tourism management. We are constantly looking at ways in which we can soften and streamline the footprint of tourism by reducing the carbon footprint and impacts of humans within the tourism industry.
"Our clients showcase best practices and suggest alternative lifestyles to their visitors and holiday makers. Working with closely with them each step of the way, we encourage concepts like:
responsible green living
local job creation opportunities for social development and training wherever possible and
use of local skills and materials.”
“The principles of Touching the Earth Lightly go back to the roots of humanity where humans made logical decisions based on a relationship with Mother Nature. TEL seeks to re-connect that umbilical cord between people and the earth. We want to showcase unpretentious alternatives for people living in and loving, the great outdoors. Be in on a river trip, in an eco-lodge, a tented camp, a safari, or a hike we want to provide simple, positive ways in which people can respond to global issues. Holiday makers can ‘take these lessons home with them’ and share these concepts with others, so it’s not just a great holiday, but a real and relevant learning and sharing experience”
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| Completed lodge boma area | Stephen Lamb |
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| A finished product | Draft site development plan |
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| Work in progress | Bamboo roofing, Cambodia |
TEL works with conservation agencies (government and NGOs), lodge owners, tented camp owners, B&B’s, nature lodges, eco-tourism adventure operators and explores ways in which each operation can make simple meaningful contributions to reducing global warming, increasing reliance’s on renewable energy and exploiting resultant job creation opportunities
“We are an all-in package” says Stephen. “We manage projects of different sizes, from concept to hand-over of the finished product. We can also manage specific components of projects depending on the needs of the client. We pride ourselves in creating beautiful nature-inspired retreats in which people can rejuvenate, celebrate and revel in the wonders of the natural world. It’s about getting back to basics, healing ourselves and planet and understanding the simple relationship of things and our place within them –this as part of a magnificent and infinity beautiful world. A beauty we could never presume to fully comprehend.”
Having worked for government, NGO’s and the private sector for the last 15 year, Stephen has been able to build up a network of like-mined professionals around the world. “We hand-pick professional inputs and services on a needs-be basis depending on the project. Each job is new and each client has specific needs. This approach allows us to be creative, responsive, flexible and delivery orientated. The clients pay only for what they get and get only what they need. There are no middle men add-on fees as we work straight with suppliers. We are also able to give personal attention to each project thus ensuring it has our unique ‘fingerprint’.”
If you have a new or existing tourism operation that seeks to soften its footprint in the environment and play it part in the global green scene - be it a lodge, tented camp, safari camp, overnight facilities or outdoor adventure operation, contact Stephen by clicking here.
*Stephen recently received the National Kudu Awards from SANParks for his work in promoting the global principle of Touching the Earth lightly.
This article was published on the SA Portfolio Travel Blog website on 2 February 2009.