NOTES FROM THE FIELD - UPLIFTING ENVIRONMENT NEWS
Greetings from Nairobi!
Do you need a break from the headlines? This month we are sharing uplifting environment news. Despite all the current challenges, our partners continue to make a positive impact on the communities and wildlife they serve.
In the Kilimanjaro ecosystem, communities are the eyes and ears of the savannah. Their quick action just saved a baby elephant, read "
Rescuing a Baby Elephant". To the west, in the Maasai Mara ecosystem, USAID and partners are breaking down barriers to conservation by supporting models that allow people and wildlife to thrive. Read "
Breaking Down Barriers to Conservation" to learn about how landowners are earning income by leasing their land into the conservancy surrounding Maasai Mara National Park. Our last story is all about communities taking the lead in conservation. Read "
Three Ways Community Conservancies are helping Giraffes."
I hope you are all staying safe and healthy.
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Aurelia Micko
Environ
ment Of
fice Chief
USAID Kenya and East Africa
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RESCUING A BABY ELEPHANT
Partner: Big Life
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With support from
USAID
, the conservation non-profit organization
Big Life Foundation
partners with communities in the Amboseli-Tsavo-Kilimanjaro ecosystem of East Africa to protect wildlife and wildlands for the benefit of all. Kilitome conservancy is part of this ecosystem, which boasts one of the greatest populations of elephants in East Africa. Read about the rescue of a baby elephant by clicking below.
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Rescuing a Baby Elephant
When Big Life rangers in Kilitome conservancy received information last month from community members that a baby elephant was wandering alone in the bush, they knew they had to act quickly.
Read more
medium.com
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BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO CONSERVATION
Partner: The Nature Conservancy
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Breaking Down Barriers to Conservation
Innovative land lease agreements that require fence removal are opening up wildlife corridors and improving livelihoods in Kenya's Maasai Mara.
Read more
www.nature.org
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THREE WAYS COMMUNITY CONSERVANCIES ARE HELPING GIRAFFES
Partner: Northern Rangelands Trust
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In northern Kenya, USAID partners with the Northern Rangelands Trust to implement a community conservancy model that protects wildlife, expands economic opportunities, and enhances the ability of people to withstand climate variability and shocks. Northern Kenya communities are now taking the lead in conservation efforts. Read about one such effort below.
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3 Ways Community Conservancies Are Helping Giraffes...
As the community conservation footprint increases in geography and impact across northern Kenya, indigenous people are taking the lead in protecting much of the region’s threatened species, including giraffe.
Read more
www.nrt-kenya.org
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WILDLIFE DIRECT LAUNCHES NEW NEWSLETTER FOR KIDS
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Children in Kenya now have a way to connect with each other, join the Wildlife Warriors movement, and learn from experts by reading the new "Wildlife Warriors" newsletter for kids.
Wildlife Direct launched the weekly newsletter at the end of May through social media and Whatsapp groups. Click to the right for the June 19 edition. Visit
WildlifeDirect.org for all the editions.
"This idea came from the children who wanted a way to continue learning about nature during this coronavirus pandemic," said Dr. Paula Kahumbu, CEO Wildlife Direct.
Please share the newsletter widely and contact Wildlife Direct with your views, ideas, and recommendations
info@wildlifedirect.org
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SAFEGUARDING THE LAST OF THE SUPER TUSKERS
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The good news: "super tuskers," like the female pictured above, still exist. The bad news is that they are under constant threat, more so now because of COVID-19 and its negative impact on tourism revenue and jobs. USAID partner
Tsavo Trust conducts aerial reconnaissance with
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to safeguard these incredible animals. In May they flew 6,073 kilometers around Tsavo as the "eyes in the skies" for KWS ground patrols. The surveillance helped KWS locate three new poacher camps and make several arrests.
Photo credit: Tsavo Trust 2020
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ENVIRONMENT NEWS AND OPINION ROUNDUP
(Articles and headlines are taken directly from the sources cited)
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The historically marginalised region of northern Kenya is undergoing a transformation, spearheaded by local communities who are leading development projects, peace initiatives, and building sustainable economies through conservation. However, continued livestock theft, road banditry, and wildlife poaching continue to hinder conservation efforts, including tourism, peace, and other social development initiatives.
NRT CEO Tom Lalampaa speaks on the current challenges being faced by pastoralists communities in northern Kenya. Source: NTV Kenya.
Watch.
Kenya has lost 70% of its wildlife in 30 years, but conservancy schemes could halt the decline – and benefit local communities. Source: The Guardian.
Read more
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The tourism industry has lost up to Sh80 billion since the outbreak of Covid-19, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has said. He said this during the launch of the National Tourism Crisis Report yesterday at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, where it emerged that up to 120 million tourism jobs are at risk globally after international flights were banned. Source: Daily Nation.
Read more
A sudden drop in tourism revenue from COVID-19 puts iconic species and landscapes at risk
In Africa, The Nature Conservancy works with many conservation-committed tourism operations, lodges, and safari companies to ensure that wildlife-based tourism actually benefits wildlife as well as the people who have the most power to determine the fate of those animals: local communities.
When crises — from terrorism to political unrest — keep tourists away, the impacts are profound and far-ranging. Source: The Nature Conservancy.
Read more.
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USAID Kenya and East Africa Environment | www.usaid.gov/east-africa-regional/environment
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