Conservation Program Update - Rangeland Management Plan

The MWCT conservation team recently conducted a rangeland baseline survey in Kuku Group Ranch to assess grass cover.  Results of the survey showed that most of Kuku Group Ranch suffers from low grass cover and overgrazing.  MWCT will combat this problem by developing a participatory rangeland management plan in partnership with the local Maasai community.  This plan will aim to  prevent overgrazing, to reduce erosion, and to increase productivity of semi-arid land.

Rangeland baseline survey results: This map of Kuku Group Ranch shows the percentage of grass cover in the different rangeland survey plots. The number indicated above each pie chart is the measured percentage of grass cover in that specific plot.

Richard Hatfield and John Oitaos of Natural Capital East Africa are collaborating with MWCT to develop the rangeland management plan.  In mid-October, Richard, John, and the MWCT conservation team held a three-day workshop to lay out the details of the plan to the community.

John Oitaos from Natural Capital East Africa taught Kuku community members
about the different mechanisms of a holistic grazing management plan.

MWCT is also setting up a grass seed bank near the town of Kuku to reintroduce grass to an overgrazed area and to produce grass seed that can be sown in other areas.  A Maasai women’s group will be engaged to manage the area and to harvest and sell the seeds.  In this way, the project will empower local women, build their capacity in the community, and provide them with income through grass seed sales.  Because animal husbandry is essential to the Maasai way of life, MWCT is partnering with the community to improve rangeland management and to secure a healthy future for the pastoralist community.

The contrasting rangeland conditions on Kuku Group Ranch: Overgrazed rangeland in Samai (left)
and the healthy rangeland in the Chyulu Hills (right).

Health Program Update - Kuku Sports Tournament

The third annual Kuku Sports Tournament was a great success!  Hosted in Iltilal, the tournament brought together 285 youth and coaches from Kuku Group Ranch, Nairobi, and Magadi.  This fun-filled, community-building event promotes exercise and sportsmanship while nurturing local athletic talent.  It also provides an excellent platform for health education and advocacy.  The theme of this year’s tournament was “Improving Reproductive Heath, Hygiene, and Sanitation.”  When not on the field, participants learned about the prevention of HIV/AIDS and the eradication of female genital mutilation (FGM).  The tournament was jointly sponsored by the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, AMREF Health Africa, and Shokut Naretoi Community Project (a partner of Dorcas Aid International).

Twelve football (soccer) teams and six volleyball teams participated in the tournament, competing in a total of twenty-six football matches and fifteen volleyball matches.  In addition to the 285 participants, ten referees officiated and crowds of spectators gathered to watch.  The tournament began with a colorful opening ceremony and lasted for three days, with game play following a knock-out structure.

On the sidelines, a health station offered voluntary HIV testing and counseling services.  In the evenings, tournament participants attended health forums in their residential quarters.  One forum focused on female genital mutilation, while the other focused on responsible sexual behavior.

At the end of the tournament, organizers crowned first, second, and third place winners for both football and soccer.  All teams that placed received a trophy.  In the end, however, the ultimate winner is the community.  A Maasai elder hoisted a trophy on behalf of all to represent the importance of this group effort.  Physical activity, good sportsmanship, and health advocacy are essential to the well-being of all young people in Kuku Group Ranch.

MWCT and Absolute Travel Run the New York Marathon!

We are thrilled and proud to announce that Absolute Travel has chosen to join together with the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust this year to run the 2014 New York Marathon!  

The 2013 MWCT Marathon team!

Absolute Travel, named Travel + Leisure's World's Best Tour Operator, has put together an incredibly impressive team of 8 runners (all AT staff!) that will run alongside team MWCT at the beginning of November! 

 Joining from Kuku Group Ranch this year to run the marathon will be MWCT President and Chairman, Samson Parashina, returning marathon participant (and warrior), Jacob, and a fellow local warrior, Phillip!

An incredible amount of thanks needs to be given to Absolute Travel. Your dedication to join in on efforts of sustainability of conservation as ambassadors of of the planet is extraordinary, and on behalf of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, and the Maasai community of Kuku Group Ranch thank you for joining in to raise awareness and funds for the efforts and programs of MWCT. The outcome will have sustainable lasting benefits to thousands of Maasai and we could not be more happy for our joint action! See you in New York! 

The 2009 Marathon Team in the Chyulu Hills - in 2009 MWCT successfully raised
over $1 million towards Conservation, Health, and Education Programs!

Absolute Travel is extending tremendous outreach in hopes to raise $40 000 for MWCT (incredible!), you can support the 8 members of the Absolute Travel team in their efforts by visiting their CrowdRise page here!

Conservation Program Update - MWCT Rangers Go Digital!

MWCT Community Rangers have been pioneers in working with the SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) conservation software for over a year. The implementation of systematic patrol planning, data collection, reporting and evaluation has improved ranger effectiveness significantly. A larger area has been covered by ranger patrols, the relationship with the community has improved, resulting in more information sharing regarding illegal activities and hence leading to a higher number of arrests. At the same time, charcoal burning and forest destruction decreased and poaching activity remained very limited on the group ranch. Elsewhere in Kenya poaching activity has increased tremendously in the same period and forest destruction is still a big issue.

MWCT Conservation Program Ranger Force

Currently, MWCT Community Rangers are further increasing their effectiveness by using Nexus 7 tablets (donated to us by Google) and a specific data collection application. This allows the rangers to improve the quality and accuracy of their collected data and do away with the more time consuming and complicated paper-based system. An easy pictogram based system is used to even allow illiterate rangers to operate the tablet!

Community Ranger utilizes the new innovative application on his tablet!

At this point, one ranger sector is fully trained and the one-week pilot is a big success! Soon training will be organized to introduce the digital data collection system to our entire ranger force. In this way, MWCT remains one of the leading ranger organizations in Kenya when it comes to ranger effectiveness and the use of new technologies!

Education Program Update - the Kanzi Academy is Back!

The Kanzi Academy opened its doors last week for the new school year 2014/2015!

We have the absolute joy of welcoming all children and staff back to school, nestled in the savannah in between the Chyulu Hills and Kilimanjaro!

Class 1 & 3 ready for the new year! 

As usual, we combine traditional teaching using both the UK and International Curriculum to offer the children a broad-based, holistic learning experience. This teaching, when combined with the richness of the environment, provides not only a feast for all the senses, but enables the children to learn experientially and explore their culture, their roots; their lore.

We aim to educate the children as much about the conservancy on which they live, as well as giving them a sense of 'bigger picture'. To be caretakers of our planet is a fundamental message for future living, survival and the integrity of our 'right' to be here.

Already this week, not only have we had some truly wonderful classroom experiences, where the children have shown much responsibility for their own learning alongside a solid work ethic... but we have been out in the wilderness to explore some very unique experiences indeed.

We had the opportunity to visit CCRC, where the rescued 2 week old Lesser Kudu was being loved and cared for. The children had the opportunity to learn its Maasai name feed it, and ask many questions about its future!

Enjoying feeding the lesser kudu!

We have also been lion tracking! With the help of the Conservation Team, we were able to borrow telemetry equipment that enabled us to track and locate Namunyak. She was relaxed and calm and truly a beautiful vision as she lay quietly on the lava, camouflaged by the surrounding bush.

Students of Class 3 eagerly keeping their eyes out for Namunyak!

Inside the school, we have transformed one of our rooms into a dedicated art room. This will be the centre of much creativity and imagination. As always, we will look at different artists, explore different materials and media and 'feel art'. We will also be using different types of music to inspire us... from Tibetan chanting to Bob Marley, as well as burning incense to give us a different, sensual experience to feed our creative energy. We are very grateful for the donation of some spectacular classic art prints to hang on the wall of this new art room.

Enjoying the newly dedicated art room

Finally, we have been fortunate enough to have 4 tablets donated by Google for the children to use right across the learning spectrum. Having such up-to-date technology enables us to app-based programmes to enhance learning!

Innovative learning with the new tablets

Stay tuned for more updates soon!

Karibu tena

Conservation Program Update - Lesser Kudu Rescue

Yesterday, the MWCT Conservation Team was called by Rangers in the field, to hear that a herder boy had found a very young abandoned lesser kudu. We went to the site to examine the case and found the beautiful young lesser kudu walking in the middle of a herd of goats. Unfortunately, the kudu was not in hiding as it should have been, and was out in an open area exposed to domestic dogs, and would certainly not survive the day.

The young herder with the abandoned lesser kudu

Therefore, we decided to take it with us, and we immediately called David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to collect the kudu and look after it appropriately. The vet said they would come to our camp to pick it up later in the week, and advised us to care for the little lesser kudu with 0.75 L of milk per day. Currently the lesser kudu is still at our camp and in a very good condition!

Conservation Manager, Dirk, providing daily milk at CCRC

MWCT Celebrates World Lion Day 2014!

The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust joins the rest of the world in celebrating World Lion Day on August 10, 2014! 

As we are all unfortunately aware, the global lion population is decreasing rapidly across the continent of Africa. Throughout Kenya, communities and organization are working incredibly hard to mitigate issues and increase protection of such an iconic species to the country, and its' people. It was made very clear to Campi ya Kanzi and MWCT that their help is continually needed to ensure that lions will be in existence for generations to come!

The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust is finding dedicated ways to contribute to a holistic strategy in addressing increasing threats to such a vulnerable and crucial keystone species.

Specific increasing pressures are growing on the lion population, particularly on community owned Maasai land, the case for the lions resident of Kuku Group Ranch in southern Kenya, where MWCT is operating its' efforts. As the human population grows worldwide and in Kenya, lions are threatened by habitat fragmantation from human development; lack of natural prey base on the particular community land due to migrant movements to National Parks; and direct prosecution - such as the traditional ritual of lion hunting in Maasai warrior culture.

MWCT is holistically approaching these above threats through various means. By protecting vital habitats through the creation of conservancies (tourism partner Campi ya Kanzi is located entirely in its' own conservancy), combating issues like poaching with strategic anti-poaching teams and patrols, hiring and positioning wildlife monitors across the Group Ranch (particularly young Maasai moran Simba Scouts acting to keep an eye on the lions), providing environmental education outreaches to communities, as well as pioneering a wildlife compensation program, Wildlife Pays, to combat retaliation of predation on traditional livestock.

MWCT and Campi ya Kanzi are proud to say that these above strategies have continued to incentivize the Kuku Group Ranch community to appreciate wilderness with thriving wildlife as a resource to them. The lion population on the Group Ranch is a very healthy 38! We have collared 5 lions on the Ranch, allowing us to further actively protect and monitor their continued activities.