SINCE 2012 THE NAMIBRAND NATURE RESERVE HAS HELD THE ACCOLADE OF BEING AFRICA ’ S FIRST – AND ONLY – INTERNATIONAL DARK-SKY RESERVE
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SINCE 2012 THE NAMIBRAND NATURE RESERVE HAS HELD THE ACCOLADE OF BEING AFRICA ’ S FIRST – AND ONLY – INTERNATIONAL DARK-SKY RESERVE
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Right and far right : The landscape around Sossusvlei makes for a spectacular escape , day or night .
sustain them forever , and in 1984 the idea of a conservancy was born . The sheep were trucked off to greener pastures , fences were torn down and farmhouses locked up for the last time . The land was returned to wilderness and today the NamibRand Nature Reserve is one of the largest privately owned conservancies in southern Africa , protecting more than 200 000 hectares of land .
It ’ s a place where free-roaming cheetah hunt on the grassy plains and leopards watch from the crags . The plains are dotted with skittish antelope and sturdy zebra , while oryx seek out shade in thickets of euphorbia and quiver trees . In rocky overhangs , ancient rock art paintings are an echo of the days when the indigenous San hunted here .
It ’ s certainly a land that will mesmerise in the bright light of day , but it ’ s also made a name for itself as a destination to visit under the cover of darkness . Since 2012 the NamibRand Nature Reserve has held the accolade of being Africa ’ s first – and only – International Dark-Sky Reserve ( IDSR ).
The network of International Dark-Sky Reserves – of which there are 11 worldwide – is an initiative of the US-based International Dark-Sky Association , a non-profit organisation that works to minimise light pollution and protect the night skies for present and future generations . They define a Dark-Sky Reserve as “ a public or private land possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific , natural , educational , cultural , heritage and / or public enjoyment .”
The NamibRand was awarded Gold Tier status , the highest certification , reserved for nighttime environments that are minimally or not at all impacted by artificial light pollution . Hardly surprising , as aside from the handful of boutique lodges dotted across the reserve , the nearest human settlement is 140 kilometres away , meaning stargazing visitors enjoy some of the most unpolluted skies in Africa .
“ Viewing the pristine night sky over the NamibRand is an unforgettable experience ,” says Dr George Tucker , a US-based physicist and astronomer who first identified the NamibRand as a potential Dark-Sky Reserve and led the certification effort .
“ The night sky over the NamibRand Nature Reserve is exceptional , as are the efforts the Reserve has taken to modify its lighting for the sake of its wildlife and visitors ,” adds Bob Parks , Executive Director of the International
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Dark-Sky Association at the time of the NamibRand ’ s Gold Tier certification .
For while the NamibRand ’ s upscale lodges and camps take enormous care to conserve the landscape , they ’ re equally conscious of diluting those dark skies with artificial light , and go to great lengths to reduce light pollution . This includes limiting the use of vehicles after dark , shielding and reducing the strength of exterior lights and conducting an annual audit of the impact their lighting has on the environment . And it ’ s working : glance up at the skies from the deck of your private suite amid the dunes and it ’ s not hard to see why the reserve is fêted for the quality of its night skies . Compared to the dullness of the city , here the heavens sparkle . Amid the starry swathe of the Milky Way you ’ ll discover star clusters and galaxies , southern constellations and distant planets .
During the searing hot days the NamibRand may well be Thesiger ’ s “ cruel land ”, but come nightfall the skies cast a
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