Selinda Canoe Trail is located in the 300,000 acre (125,000 hectare) Selinda Reserve, one of Botswana's premier wildlife havens and most unique ecosystems.

The Selinda Reserve lies in a fortunate location. It is the only reserve to straddle both the Okavango Delta (to the south) and the Linyanti ecosystems (to the east). This fortuitous position makes Selinda Reserve a haven for wildlife migrating between the two ecosystems, along the Selinda Spillway. The Selinda Spillway is the lifeline connecting the two ecosystems, and is a river with the unique characteristic of flowing in two directions. Water pushes 'up' from the Linyanti waterways and also 'down' from the south, fed by the rising floodwaters of the Okavango Delta.

Selinda Canoe Trail follows this lifeline east, from its southwestern orientation to the convergence of the Kwando and Linyanti systems in the northeast. The camps are 'fly camps', set up each night, very basic but comfortable, wherever we deem fit for an end to the day's exploration.

The Selinda Reserve offers all the privacy for which Botswana's private concessions are now known. With only 32 guests in 300,000 acres the Selinda Reserve offers a peaceful and private experience with exhilarating wildlife viewing. The wildlife is on par with that of the famous Chobe National Park but without the crowds or the restrictive rules and regulations accompanying areas of high tourist density. During the dry months, as many as 9,000 elephant have been counted in the Selinda Reserve.

RESEARCH AND THE SELINDA FOUNDATION
We are fortunate to be custodians of a vast wilderness, and it is responsibility we take seriously. We try to give back as much as possible to the place which gives us such peace and clarity. Each year, we compile a comprehensive 100-page research document detailing the ecology of the Reserve.

Through the Selinda Foundation, we sponsor or become involved in a variety of research projects. At present, Roger and Alison Heath in association with Kew Gardens (UK) are completing a botanical catalogue, including computerized and paper versions, of all the plants in the Reserve.

Game censuses are completed each month. The regular moonlight waterhole censuses and the quarterly aerial surveys contribute to Botswana's wildlife management plans, and Selinda Reserve's crucial position in conservation. Already, it is clear that the cessation of hunting has resulted in increased wildlife numbers, as species learn that Selinda Reserve is once again a safe haven.

The future of conservation and the Selinda Reserve rests with the citizens of Botswana. It is our belief that the future of all wildlife in Africa lies in the unique partnership between the private sector, guests, and the communities closest to the wildlife and its habitat. It is our belief that this can be done in a sustainable manner as opposed to agriculture, mining or hunting. As a commitment to the future, the Selinda Foundation sponsors an education program in the villages surrounding Kasane (our nearest town). There, we have helped establish a wildlife society which offers lectures and annually arranges for a select group of students to visit the Selinda Reserve and experience its country's wilderness first-hand.

Donations to the Selinda Foundation can be made at Selinda Canoe Trail.

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