Great Plains Conservation is a luxury safari and conservation company founded in 2006 by Dereck and Beverly Joubert, the National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence and award-winning wildlife filmmakers. The Jouberts have produced over 30 wildlife films and authored 12 books, and they founded the company with the specific goal of using luxury tourism revenue to fund large-scale conservation projects in Africa.
The company operates a portfolio of luxury camps and lodges across Botswana, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. In Botswana, Great Plains manages concessions in the Okavango Delta and the Selinda Reserve, a 320,000-acre private concession in northern Botswana. The company acquired the Selinda concession and converted it from a hunting reserve to a photographic wildlife area. In Kenya, Great Plains operates in the Mara ecosystem, including ol Donyo Lodge on the Maasai-owned Mbirikani Group Ranch with views of Kilimanjaro.
Great Plains' conservation projects have included the relocation of 23 elephants from areas of human-wildlife conflict to the Selinda Reserve in 2023, one of the largest elephant translocation efforts in Botswana's history. The company also runs the Rhinos Without Borders initiative, a joint project with &Beyond that has translocated rhinos from high-risk poaching areas in South Africa to safer habitats in Botswana.
Camps are designed with minimal environmental footprint, using solar power and sustainable construction materials. Rates at Great Plains properties typically start at approximately $1,200 per person per night on an all-inclusive basis and can exceed $3,000 per night at flagship camps during peak season. The company is headquartered in Maun, Botswana.