A brainstorming session was held on the second day at the Canon Lodge. A substantial amount of Gondwana's funding is generated from a bed levy paid by visitors to the Canyon Lodge and the Canyon Roadhouse. Bed levies are transferred directly into the Gondwana Canon Park Fund. Each visitor to these establishments thus contributes to the principle of giving back to nature what belongs to nature. The park area falls in the southern Namib Desert towards the dryer side of the 50 - 100 mm mean annual rainfall belt.
Rainfall is unpredictable and highly variable, and falls during both summer and winter months.
The landscape varies from mountainous escarpment to plateau country with foothills and slopes and grassy plains. Species found in the park and surrounding areas in relatively large numbers are klipspringer, rock hyrax, and chacma baboon, as well as healthy albeit small populations of kudu, gemsbok, springbok, ostrich and mountain zebra. Smaller antelope are gradually relocating in the area, and leopard have been sighted. A total of 14 species known to have occurred here in earlier times include spotted hyaena, lion, elephant, black rhino, Burchell's zebra, giraffe, red hartebeest and buffalo. Sixty-five bird species have been identified in the park and surroundings.