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Women’s Agency Grows in the Greenhouse
By Jane Okoth In sub-Saharan Africa, women perform more than 50% of the agricultural activity, according to the United Nations. While women provide the majority of labour in agricultural production, their power over resources is restricted due to discrimination by male dominated traditions. Wildlife Works has been co-creating opportunities for economically-marginalized women to take the lead in their communities and generate new sources of income. We have been teaming up with organizations in order to support local women’s groups in setting up greenhouses within their surrounding communities. The concept of greenhouse farming was adopted because only a small size of land is needed to erect the greenhouse, and conditions can…
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Son of a Poacher, 26-year-old Fulfills Dream to Become Conservation Pilot
By Jane Okoth Always calm and composed in his demeanor, Daniel Zuma is not your regular character. As a gyrocopter pilot at Wildlife Works, the 26 year old is living his dream and even more impressively, is dedicated to inspiring his community. Being the first born in a family of five, Daniel Zuma has come a long way. He was not born in a wildlife friendly household – in fact, his father was a poacher, who was tragically killed by a buffalo. Daniel came to realize the importance of wild animals, and he wanted to take care of them rather than destroying them. “If I had decided to follow in…
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Highlights from our Mai Ndombe REDD+ Project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
As we approach the end of 2017, we’re reflecting on all the achievements from our Mai Ndombe REDD+ project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Mai Ndombe REDD+ project is one of the world’s largest projects, and the first in the DRC. It is located on the shores of lake Mai Ndombe, and protects over 740,000 acres of threatened rainforest. A vast array of biodiversity live in the forest, including endangered elephants and bonobos, the closest extant relative to humans. Mai Ndombe is an essential part of the world’s largest wetland of international importance as recognized by the Ramsar Convention, and is also home to over 50,000…
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WHY BUYING NOTHING THIS HOLIDAY WILL SAVE THE PLANET
A thoughtful gift is something someone could remember for a lifetime. We all appreciate the loving intentions that gifting carries. But the commercialization of holidays has added not only stress but tons of waste to gift giving. Wildlife Works protects the most remote forests in the world and we can’t ignore the impact of our consumption on the health of our planet. This holiday season, we at Wildlife Works are going to slow down consumption in order to give back to our earth and here’s why it matters. The explosive growth and globalization of the apparel industry has accelerated pollution everywhere. This industry is one of the top five greenhouse…
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A Day In The Life of Wildlife Works Rangers
It is a regular Thursday morning at Rukinga sanctuary. A group of nine rangers are already in a green Toyota Land Cruiser ready for their normal patrol in the bush, which starts at 7am and ends at 4pm. John Mwachofi, the team leader for camp 2.0, and his team started the day with some strategic planning at their camp. As the Media and Communication Officer at Wildlife Works, I thought it would be great to join this dedicated team with my colleague, the Executive Office Assistant just to get a glimpse of what it’s like being a ranger. The team is just a section of 120 unarmed Wildlife Works rangers…
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The Transformation of Ayub Vura; Former Poacher Turned Wildlife Protector
By Jane Okoth Dressed in a smart dark green uniform, Ayub Vura goes about his daily duties as a ranger at Wildlife Works. His morning patrol in the thick bush starts at 7 am in the morning and ends at 4pm in the evening depending on the nature of the day’s responsibilities. Ayub has been working as a Wildlife Works ranger since 2010. However, he is no ordinary ranger because 10 years ago, Ayub was one of the most notorious poachers in the Kasigau corridor region. Ayub Vura wasn’t born into a wealthy family. He grew up with limited education and then found himself with no job, which prompted him…
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In Kenya, a Transformation in Shades of REDD by Amy Yee
Originally published by Undark. CASE STUDIES/News & Features In Kenya, a Transformation in Shades of REDD Communities near the Rukinga Sanctuary once seemed locked on a path of resource decimation. But here, at least, a global conservation plan is working. 07.28.2017/ BY Amy Yee HERE IS WHAT a dead elephant looks like: Rib bones longer than my arm scattered across red dirt. Over here is a lower jaw, beached and desolate like the broken hull of a ship. Over there is the massive boulder of its skull. Behind the gaping eye sockets is a web of porous bone, a hideous honeycomb. Shreds of gray skin are strewn across the soil like filthy rags,…
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Kasigau Corridor Aerial Surveillance Annual Report: Jun 16 – Jun 17
By Keith Hellyer Executive Summary: The objective of the Kasigau Corridor Aerial Surveillance project is to increase aerial support for improved anti-poaching measures in order to protect Tsavo’s elephants. Funding from the Elephant Crisis Fund has increased surveillance over the Kasigau Wildlife Corridor between Tsavo East and West and has supported Wildlife Works and KWS’ rangers on the ground in anti-poaching activities, locating elephant herds, discovering carcasses, assisting in rapid response events, increasing ranger security and help to curb other illegal activities. From May/June 2016 to June 2017, due to the funding from the Save The Elephants / Elephant Crisis Fund grant, the team have flown for 657 hours over…
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Wildlife Works
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Can Carbon Credits and Communities Help Save the Planet?
Every 3 months, women from the community gather for Women Empowerment Trainings. Together, they learn about finance, health, and the environment. Then, they bring this information back to their villages to teach others. This quarter, the training was held in Mwatate, 42 kms northwest of Maungu where Wildlife Works operates. Fifty women leaders from all over Taita Taveta County are learning to write proposals, how to cope with climate change (the area has been affected by drought for over 18 months), and keeping healthy. Their colorful dress and personalities stand out against the red hills characteristic of the area. Community-Based Conservation In Action The people in charge of today’s meeting are the Community Based Organization (CBO) Board Members…