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Honoring fallen forest heroes: Joseph Ngeti and Jessica Njeri
By Jane Okoth In 2020, Wildlife Works lost two of our most devoted rangers after they were each fatally attacked by an elephant in separate incidents. To honor their memory, we take a look at the story of their lives. Joseph Ngeti was a husband, father of three, and one of the longest serving rangers who had worked with Wildlife Works for 15 years. “When we talk about one of the most accomplished rangers in the task force, we are talking about Joseph Ngeti.” says Eric Sagwe, the Head of Security who worked closely with Joseph. “We are also talking about a good, gentle, soft-spoken guy, and a role model…
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Interview with Eric Sagwe, Wildlife Works Head of Security
By Jane Okoth Wildlife Works Rangers are on the frontline of our conservation efforts in 500,000 acres of dryland forest in the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project area. Here, we talk to Eric Sagwe, the Head of Security at the Kasigau project, who has been a member of the Wildlife Works team since 2002, to gain his perspective on the work our rangers do. Hi Eric, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear more about what your job entails! Perhaps you can describe a typical day for a Wildlife Works ranger? A typical day for a Wildlife Works ranger starts as early as 5.30am where the rangers will take…
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Searching for Signs
By: Jacqueline Jobin Wildlife Works Intern Jacqueline Jobin, is a student from the University of Minnesota in the United States. As part of her time interning with Wildlife Works, she has been observing and learning about each department within the project. Jacqueline spent a day out with the ranger department to get to know more about the project area and the animals within the conservancy. One of my first days interning with Wildlife Works, I had the opportunity to experience a day in the life of the rangers. At sunrise I jumped in the back of the land cruiser, surrounded by rangers in green uniforms, and watched as the sun…
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Meet the Female Rangers Protecting the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project
By Jane Okoth In 2011, Wildlife Works opened its doors to its first female rangers who are now part of the 100+ ranger team currently working at our Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project to protect wildlife and the environment from poachers and other illegal activities. Since joining Wildlife Works, these conservation rangers have gained valuable insight and experience on how to deal with poachers and other threats. This is their story. Constance Mwandaa “Before I joined Wildlife Works, I was not sure whether I would do what is traditionally seen as a man’s job,” says Constance Mwandaa. Growing up as a child, she enjoyed going on wildlife tours in school. This…
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Wildlife Works Rangers Undergo Refresher Training
By Jane Okoth On a daily basis, Wildlife Works rangers go out on patrols to survey the area for anything suspicious such as snares, poachers and charcoal burners. The teams also collect data for the biodiversity monitoring team on any wildlife sightings. This kind of dedication is what it has taken to keep the 500,000 acres of the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project protected. Despite these efforts, the rangers have to live with the fact they might come face to face with armed poachers, an inevitable threat that stresses the need for a well-trained team. In January 2018, Wildlife Works rangers with the support of Ranger Campus Foundation and Kenya Wildlife…
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My Trip to the Kasigau Corridor: Seeing a REDD+ Project in Action
Guest blog written by Vibeka Mair, a Senior Reporter for Responsible Investor who visited our Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project in February 2018. Jacob Kazungu has been disabled since birth. Now 72, he walks with a stick and has shakes when he stands up. But he insists he will stand as he presents the work of his community group in rural Kenya. The Buguta Disabled Group supports the disabled and parents of the disabled with a place to come to every day, conversation and most importantly a form of income through the making of toys, jewelry and baskets sold in places including popular fashion website ASOS. “We want to be self-reliant and not begging,” he says. Buguta Disabled…
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Simon Kipsang; The Ranger and Co-pilot at Wildlife Works
By Jane Okoth For some, a wildlife adventure may seem like a normal thing, but that seemed an impossible opportunity for young Simon Kipsang. As a young boy growing up in Nakuru County, Simon only learnt about elephants, lions and other wildlife in school. “Since I was passionate about the environment, I would spend time taking care of trees in my homestead and wished that I would one day come face to face with wildlife,” he recalls thinking. As fate would have had it, his dream has come true. Now at 30 years old, Kipsang is a full time ranger and co-pilot at Wildlife Works. When the husband and father…
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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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Greater Good and Soles 4 Souls Donate Boots to Rangers
Greater Good, a charity organization that is based in the United States working to protect people, pets and the planet, partners with Wildlife Works on a variety of projects, including producing apparel at our eco-factory in Kenya and raising money for our projects through activities in the U.S. Last year, Greater Good paid a visit to the Wildlife Works Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project in Kenya and saw a need for our rangers to have new boots. The effectiveness of our patrolling ranger staff is critical to protecting the 500,000 acres of the project area from poaching of wildlife and deforestation. Head Ranger Erick Sagwe distributing shoes. Greater Good worked with…
