Meet Three Alliance Members in Africa: ReWild Africa, Conserve Global, Enonkishu Conservancy

 

ReWild Africa 

ReWild Africa was born out of the need to seek and find solutions to enable ecological restoration. Through our humble beginnings, connecting with influential characters, universities and organisations, our founders set off on a year-long journey to the wildest places in South Africa (which included every National Park) to map out our country’s best hiking trails.

It was along the grass spurs above the Transkei coastline, where the idea to find solutions to the state of our planet began as well as our desire to communicate these through film, experiences and education. We believe that deep experiences create deeper questioning, which in turncreates a deeper commitment, and it was through this deep experience that we created ReWild and our commitment to a wilder world began.

Conserve Global

Conserve Global is on a mission to secure, protect and expand wild places across Africa by taking on direct responsibility for delivering effective conservation management in key concession areas beyond national parks.

Biodiversity protection goes hand-in-hand with poverty alleviation in Africa. By establishing conservation landscapes as an economically competitive form of land use that directly benefits rural communities, we simultaneously secure protected areas and improve the well-being of vulnerable rural populations.

Everything we do builds towards conservation being embraced both socially and politically as a desirable and relevant land use. Once this is achieved, our intention is to exit the area when all the necessary conditions for future success are securely in place and in the care of Africa’s true custodians, her indigenous people.

Over the next ten years our goal is ensure protection for 25 million acres of wildlife landscapes that are at risk across Africa, while creating nature-based economic solutions for people living in and adjacent to these areas. To realize our objectives and to fulfill our mission, collaborations and partnerships with people, governments, organisations and institutions around the world are essential.

images © Shem Compion

The Enonkishu Conservancy

The Enonkishu Conservancy, Kenya, on the northern boundary of the Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem has developed a strategy for a culturally relevant context to apply to conservation. Right on the boundary between human settlement, arable farmland, and a wide network of other Mara conservancies, Enonkishu is used as a demonstration site for sustainable rangeland management. On once severely degraded land, it is managed under a holistic grazing plan, which has seen a dramatic increase in ground cover and biodiversity. We use research, monitoring and technology to make informed conservation and livestock management decisions and promote ecosystem health.

Enonkishu Conservancy is committed to protecting, restoring and rewilding land that allows space and resources for all people, cattle, and wildlife. To achieve this it seeks a balance between conservation of the ecosystem and appropriate enterprise for the resident Maasai communities. Enonkishu is adopting a unique approach to conserving land by creating a viable livestock enterprise through a Holistic Management (HM) Approach. Through HM, Enonkishu intends to improve productivity of the livestock in the region, improve livelihoods and maintain heritage.

 

Naretoi

As a part of the Enonkishu Conservancy, Naretoi is an area of land of 1000 acres, once an intensive farm, with central irrigation pivots and monocrop of French beans grown for export. It has been converted into a wildlife estate, using grazing animals as the

drivers of habitat creation, and with the restoration of dynamic, natural water courses, the project has seen extraordinaryincreases in wildlife. Philanthropic investors are given an opportunity to invest in a unique safari property, which contributes to sustaining the land lease fees on the Enonkishu conservancy.

 

House In The Wild

House in the Wild is a private boutique lodge, tucked away on Naretoi offering a tourism model where all guests are a part of the re-wilding journey Enonkishu has been through. This experience goes beyond a regular safari, working with communities to restore wildlife habitats and leave a positive impact on the environment.

 

The Mara Training Centre

The Mara Training Centre has developed a curriculum to train communities in Sustainable Rangeland Management. We catalyze conservation by sharing our learning curve and we work with local communities to make sure our conservation efforts are inclusive, participatory and beneficial to their livelihoods.

 Images ©Silverless and courtesy of Enonkishu Conservency