top of page
CONSERVATION IN THE MARA

A Community-Led Model

The Maasai Mara of Kenya is one of the most spectacular wildlife regions of the world, and the Maasai people have coexisted with wildlife here for millennia. And yet, challenges to conservation are escalating with population growth, human-wildlife conflict, poaching, and climate change all taking a toll. For conservation to be successful in the long term, solutions need to come from people who live with the wildlife. We collaborate with grassroots partners here on a community approach to preserving this treasure.

Engaging Young Hearts & Minds

When it comes to the next generation... our aim is to inspire young people to become environmental leaders: by supporting conservation clubs at schools, developing wildlife libraries and learning resources, and sponsoring field trips so students can witness wildlife firsthand. Without these opportunities, many young people would not have this deep knowledge and direct experience, as wildlife is not part of their "modern" curriculum. We began this initiative in 2017 by working with a group of conservationists in Talek, and we held a Gala for Conservation in California to purchase a vehicle and educational supplies for them.

 

Since then, we've been working with public schools alongside the Maasai Mara National Reserve, Mara Girls Leadership School in Talek, and the Mara Discovery Community Empowerment Centre in Aitong, with conservation part of our broader educational initiatives. The children of today will determine the fate of entire ecosystems tomorrow.

Conservation Led by Community

We believe community hubs can be the backbone of conservation, as a place for learning resources and a platform for students, educators, conservationists, visitors, and community to come together. In 2020, we funded the renovation of the tree nursery, recycling facility, wildlife library, and meeting space at Mara Discovery Community Center in support of their conservation programs. Mara Discovery is an especially important site, as the only such center in the Aitong / Mara North area. In fact, local community-owned conservancies including the Mara North Conservancy were founded through community meetings here.

elephants.jpeg

"Amos, tell us about conservation today in the Maasai Mara"

 

An interview with Amos Kipeen, Oliveseed Kenya

by Mohcine El-alji, Morocco Library Project

Why This Area Is Strategic for Conservation

The Maasai Mara ecosystem is home to 25% of Kenya's wildlife, with over 90 mammal species and 470 species of birds. Many of the world's most endangered and iconic species live here, including lions, cheetahs, savannah elephants, wild dogs, black rhinoceros, and Maasai giraffes. This is also the seat of the Great Migration, when from July to October each year over a million animals — wildebeests, zebras, elands,Thompson's gazelles — travel from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Mara and back.

The villages of Talek and Aitong, and the space between them, are right at the center of this wildlife-rich area, a stone's throw from the Maasai Mara National Reserve and the wildlife conservancies owned by local communities. 70% of the wildlife lives outside the National Reserve in conservancy lands. Keeping this larger ecosystem intact, open, and fenceless is vital for the survival of these wildlife populations.

 

bottom of page