In an effort to maintain the awareness of global warming and social responsibility, Cybele Forest Lodge and Health Spa has committed to the following:

Staff at Cybele:
We source all our staff from the local area in Mpumalanga and we conduct quality training, social awareness and environmental consciousness in all the relevant divisions.

Energy Management:
Use of energy saving light bulbs, timers on the outside lights and pool pumps.

Water Management:
Reduction of water consumption by using low flush options in our toilets, and the use rain water tanks for garden irrigation.

Management of Solid Waste:
Solid waste is reduced by buying loose goods reducing packaging and the recycling of cans, bottles and any paper and carton boxes.

Buying policy:
The purchase of fruit, vegetables, eggs, meat, and any other locally produced products from local suppliers only, and always concentrate on buying environmentally friendly and organic products only, especially since Cybele serves the freshest ingredients to the guests at all times.

. Cybele goes organic...
Cybele is committed to protecting the environment with the help of a newly planned Organic Earthworm Farming project. Work has started on the Organic vegetable and herb garden at the lodge using natural methods for controlling pests such as planting other plants that keep pests away as well as using home made mixtures that are non toxic. "We will practice companion planting as well as crop rotation and have started producing our own compost from the kitchen, the garden and horse waste. This greatly reduces our impact on the environment and is cost effective as compost can be very expensive." Says Stephan Vlaanderen – General Manager for Cybele. Inspired by a process seen on one of our current affairs programmes in South Africa, Cybele will be investigating a sustainable earthworm farming project in conjunction with the above organic gardening methodology. This will start as a pilot project for now as there are plenty of ideas that still need to be refined before this becomes a formal sustainable programme for Cybele. The plan is to produce enough organic vegetables, herbs and other organically produced local food to supply the kitchen with as much as is possible and with minimal impact to the environment.