Rewilding is happening now all over the world, both on land and at sea, bringing back key species and restoring entire ecosystems at all scales. We are now an alliance of over 200 organisations that are restoring nature around the world.
We warmly introduce Oltuala that are showing that everyone has a role to play in nature restoration.
Friends and families create a home for many; breathtaking return of wildlife in Kenya
Partner Organisation: Oltuala
Location: Kenya
What do you call home? For many people home is a place where we all come together; families and friends join in a space that is cozy, abundant, safe or simply shared. For thousands of species that roam our planet it may look very similar. Some friends and families realised this, and knew that they could be a part to play in restoring a wild home for the majestic and diverse wildlife of the expansive savannah landscape. Meet our new partner, Oltuala, who brings us on an inspiring journey of friends taking rewilding into their own hands.
Back in 2021, four close friends came together to purchase land on the border of the majestic Maasai Mara National Reserve. They found themselves standing on 20 acres of barren maize and millet fields that had once held a rich forest ecosystem that supported animals of all sorts. There, looking out onto a breathtaking view of the reserve, they made a long-term promise to make this land wild again, not realising then just how welcome their vision would be to the myriad residents.
However, not everything was obvious and easy at the start. Having acquired the land just after the maize harvest, the soil was left bare with only the occasional stubborn blackjack bush (Bidens pilosa) pushing through. The team got to work. Soothed by the sound of cow bells from the local farms, Oltuala – meaning “cow bells” in the local Maa language – was born. A name that tells of their commitment to both people and planet to recreate wildlife buffer zones between wild, protected lands and farmlands.
In order to create opportunity for a healthy, balanced ecosystem, they set off on some groundwork: planting around 2,000 native trees – such as Warbugia ugandensis, Juniperus procera, Olea africana, Trichocladus ellipticus – over the course of a year. Already animals started to come leaping, prowling, roaring back! What they thought would take years seemed to have happened overnight.
In just two years, the presence of species has dramatically increased. The several trail cameras they set up throughout the property have captured photographs of porcupines, servals (a wild cat native to Africa), leopards, beautiful nocturnal African civets (of the viverrid family), many species of monkeys, and a wide variety of other wildlife now calling this space home.
Oltuala has become a small haven. It acts as a buffer zone between the reserve and agricultural lands. But they are no longer the only ones that are partnering with nature. Theirs has also become an inspirational story, encouraging other families to do the same. After the purchase of the first 20 acres, other families have since joined, doubling the land to 40 acres. Of course, they are not stopping there. The families in Oltuala hope that by the end of this year the amount of land being rewilded will expand to 60 acres.
And so, as each family sets off for a weekend in Oltuala, they arrive in a space where nature is being given space to heal. Setting up camp – the only structures on the land – they cosy up around a fire for the night, watching the sun set over the reserve. They know that in the night, they’ll have visits from a wide range of beings and by morning they’ll be sipping coffee standing exactly where those same beings stood, and watching the land become part of the Mara ecosystem again.
If you are rewilding, and would like to join our growing alliance, please get in touch with our team.