The vision of Lafarge Eco Systems is to create paradise from wastelands. They invented the wheel when it comes to rehabilitation of quarries in Kenya. They have been taking exhausted, barren limestone quarries, and turning them into premier attractions for over three decades.
Quarries that they have restored have won international acclaim for best practice. Their parent company has won awards for its stewardship of the environment and Dr Rene Haller, their founder, won recognition from the UN for his outstanding work.
After thirty years of experience and repeated successes behind them, they realize it is time to pass on the lessons. They aim to become an internationally recognized reference in tropical ecosystem restoration and the sustainable management of restored landscapes. They are already at the forefront of this cutting edge science and will continue to develop and improve in order to stay there.
Lafarge is committed to environmental and social responsibility. Central to its success in the cement business, is an unequivocal understanding that Lafarge’s capacity to repair the damage caused by its mining activities is its license to operate. Lafarge cannot turn its neighbors against it, it cannot soil its own nests, for then Lafarge would have no future.
The new ecosystems must be enduring; it would be no good planting trees only for them to die in a few years due to ecosystem weaknesses or financial constraints. Lafarge Eco Systems operates with a keen awareness of the “bottom line”; they must be both environmentally and economically sustainable.
They seek to not only to repair the land, but also to improve it, make it better than it was before quarrying begun. The result is more than just a green space, it is a living laboratory that is rich with diversity and shows us much about the way ecosystems function. They are reservoirs of endangered species in a region where biodiversity is shrinking quickly. They are open classrooms, inspiring young and old alike to take an interest in nature and the value of the environment. And they are paradise for the hundreds of thousands of visitors seeking refuge from the chaos of a post-industrial world.
Nature Trails
In restoring the land after quarrying is completed, Lafarge Eco Systems has managed to create a safe haven for the biodiversity from within and around Mombasa. Today, the biggest problem facing any species is the fast loss of habitat due to many reasons, population growth being forefront.
Lafarge Eco Systems' Nature Trails serve three purposes. Firstly, they provide a secure location that allows many and different species to thrive without the threats that otherwise face them outside this sanctuary. Secondly, they allow residents and visitors to Mombasa a space away from the fast growing and extremely busy town to relax. Thirdly, the Forest Trails allow visitors to see the present wildlife and flora thus allowing them appreciate the importance of rehabilitation work Lafarge Eco Systems carries out.
Facilities
Lafarge Eco Systems has developed a number of facilities specially designed to fit the specific needs of a wide variety of individuals, from those seeking a unique location for that special one time, such as weddings to those who want to host parties that will leave a lasting impressions on all those present.
The Baobab Pavilion is a national class lecture and film centre for training courses and education on sustainable development and wildlife conservation. Other facilities include a world class conference centre among many others.
Education
Rehabilitating land that has been used so extensively is never easy. The successes we have experienced have come through much dedication and plenty of hard work. When put together, all these facts lead to many lessons, and indeed, Lafarge Eco Systems has learnt many lessons. In a bid to share all the information they have gathered over the past thirty years, they have published a number of books and booklets packed with the lessons learnt.
They have condensed much of what is in our books to create this section. Here, you will also learn about all the fauna and flora at the Forest Trails. The aim of this section is to give you a brief overview of everything you are likely to see when you are the forest trails.
They go the extra mile by giving you (absolutely free!) extra biological information on the animals on their Forest Trails. It is designed to be a resource for students at all levels of education, from primary to university.
Fun & Freebies
Ring Tones: To down load these successfully to your phone, you must first ensure that your phone is polyphonic, that you have the pc software for your phone and a data cable for your phone (unless you have a laptop). Then you may down load the "*".midi files to the relevant tones folder on your phone.
News Letter: Their newsletter is absolutely free. It gives you updates constantly about your favorite park, such as giving you the full story when we undertake a translocation. You may subscribe and unsubscribe to it absolutely free whenever your wish by logging onto this page.
Children’s Nature Trail: This is a fun and interactive online game for (guided) younger children, at the end of which they can register for a free ticket using the name of an adult.
Other freebies include a multimedia Lafarge Eco Systems screen saver and free (non-commercial purposes only) access to their photo-library.
For more information on Creating Paradise from Wastelands, please CLICK HERE.
