Conservation Update - Environmental Education

The past month has been a busy one for MWCT's Conservation Program, which oversees multiple efforts to preserve and conserve the wilderness of the Kuku Group Ranch.  Our main aim is to show the Maasai that they can live in harmony with their surroundings, and that is is actually in their best interest to help craft sustainable, long-term conservation solutions.

Two of the beautiful elephants we're trying to restore to all parts of Kuku Group Ranch.

Accordingly, a large part of our mission revolves around education of the local Maasai on various environmental issues, and this month we had several outreach activities in the nearby village of Iltilal.  We first made a visit to Iltilal Primary School and gave a presentation to more than 250 children speaking about elephants and why they are important.  The next day we continued this theme by showing the environmental documentary Elephants: Wanted Dead or Alive to another 180 villagers in the town centre.  Later in the month we focused on lions, giving another presentation at the school to more than 300 students and showing an environmental education film about the lion trade to 45 Maasai at a local church.

Our Community Rangers bravely fight fires in the Chyulu Hills after they are set by herders but get out of control..

MWCT's Community Rangers have also been very active this month, responding to various poachings and kills around the ranch and turning several suspects into custody of the Kenya Wildlife Service and the local police.  In the picture above, one of the Community Rangers helps fight a fire on the Chyulu Hills, protecting grazing land for the Maasai herds as well as the extremely beautiful and valuable cloud forests.