She subsequently became a director of Phinda Resource Reserve, communications director of CC Africa (now &Beyond), and manager of Nedbanks green affinity programme in partnership with WWF SA. Stated Mission . Elephants are a keystone species to this ecosystem and when poaching emerged as the number one threat in 2012 MEP took action to successfully combat this global threat. Secure a future for elephants and to sustain the beauty and ecological integrity of the places they live.. Not Just A Cup, But A Just Cup. The herd reveal their social bonds by protecting the tranquilised . For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. It was obvious, but no-one was doing this.. What theyve achieved: Since its inception, they have provided approximately $6.7million to elephant research and conservation programs while supporting 150 elephants in these programs. However there is another side to the Hwange story. An icon used to represent a menu that can be toggled by interacting with this icon. The impact was all in the packaging. We urgently need your support, while there is still time. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money. When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it. Copyright 2023 Terra Conservation Initiative. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide. Ways to contribute: One of the best ways to help the Elephant Sanctuary is through their Join the Herd donation program, which provides you with the option to become a member, adopt an elephant or help feed an elephant. Sep 2011 - Present11 years 4 months. Protecting elephants and their habitats across the Greater Mara Ecosystem in Kenya | For over a decade Mara Elephant Project (MEP) has been protecting elephants and their habitats across the Greater Mara Ecosystem (GME). JANE EDGE is a former environmental journalist who cut her teeth reporting on the elephant and rhino poaching crisis in the 1980s. In the Kenya portion of the ecosystem, people and wildlifepeacefully co-existed when space for both did not overlap; however, as the human population has grown, the rangeland demand for livestock and farming has increased, pushing wild animals into smaller areas. The project also enjoys the appreciation of the local Maasai and the KWS. But unfortunately, their numbers have drastically decreased globally. Ways to contribute: There are numerous ways to support this non-profit organization. The impacts of wildlife trafficking are broad and complex, representing a threat to wildlife species, natural habitats, and human beings. You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. But that's still a long time to go. Environmental Investigation Agency There was no funding from the Clinton Foundation; indeed a significant portion was European Union funding that had long been committed to protected areas in Africa. You never know who your writings may touch and move to action. They also work with the Kenyan wildlife service to secure and expand elephant ranges. The table to the right includes counts of all research outputs for Mara Elephant Project published between 1 April 2021 - 31 March 2022 which are tracked by the Nature Index. A hundred years ago Mozambique was teeming with elephants, including some of Africas biggest tuskers. She was marketing and philanthropy director for African Parks before leaving in late 2014 to establish her own consultancy, Afrothropic. One of the key needs for MEP is a comprehensive community survey of areas that consistently experience high levels of human-elephant conflict. Friends of Hwange As previous manager of Nedbanks green affinity programme in partnership with WWF SA, and previous marketing and philanthropy director for African Parks, Author Jane Edge is well informed but she does not work for or receive fees from these or any organisation that could benefit from the publication of this article. The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. With a dedicated team, MEP is achieving . Through Conservation, Advocacy, Research, and Education, they offer insight into elephant protection and authority on research-based Elephant care. Moreover, the charity provides information on how humans and elephants can coexist fully, raising awareness of the species importance to the African ecosystem. What They do: Safe the Asian Elephants works with experts and campaigns to advocate for Asian Elephants underrepresented in the global elephant wildlife conservation efforts. Our 10 years of experience using the MEP Method of boots on the ground rangers and applied research all while taking a collaborative approach has disrupted poaching . Inspired by her husbands work as a founder warden in Tsavo National Park, Daphne Sheldrick established The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in 1997. Their impact and transparency ratings: Elephant Voices have an 80% score on Charity Navigator with a majority independent board and 90% of their expenditure going towards their programs. To better understand and address the poaching issue, where the elephant rangeland extends beyond protected areas, MEP has developed a three-part program called the MEP Method. Find out all about it here. Conservationists use GIS to study the movements and needs of the Mara elephant population. Ways to contribute: You can support this international non-profit charity through donations to purchase official merchandise or direct your funds towards a specific program. Save The Asian Elephants. https://www.givvor.com/sidekick-foundation-inc-dba-mara-elephant-project. What they do: Their work involves collaborating with elephant trainers (called mahouts), NGOs, tourist facilities, and elephant welfare groups to enact change by improving the treatment of captive elephants in Asia while raising awareness in North America. The other shock was the dearth of rangers and the inability to pursue poachers across the border into Tanzania. Kenya. Ethical LivingSustainable LivingConscious EatingCircular EconomyClimate ActionCharity Support. The research arm of the project, which STE spearheads, is working to determine elephant corridors and movement patterns, particularly those that cross borders into the Serengeti. Ways to contribute: One of the best ways to help the Nature Conservancy is by making a donation. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself. STE's mission is to secure a future for elephants and sustain the beauty and ecological integrity of the places they live, to promote man's . These fireworks act as elephant alarm systems and keep elephants off crops without hurting them. For 15 years, Mara, Kuky and Pupy shared a space, until an incident in 2010 . Elephant "Gina" was re-collared in January so that . Hardened field rangers can be disparaging about scientists predilection to count and collar wildlife, but this neglects the important contribution they make in researching population sizes, ranges, movements, behaviours and trends work vitally needed to inform conservation management. While some of these charities run programs based across the world from Kenya to India to the United States, they are united in their goal of protecting elephants. 590 following. Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you. Create a sustainable future where elephants thrive by linking people and elephants for their mutual long-term benefit.. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Sidekick Foundation, Inc. (D/B/A Mara Elephant Project USA) is a U.S. 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. With so much money and the future of Africas elephants at stake, both donors and recipients need to be held firmly accountable. The Elephant Sanctuary has earned a 97% for the Accountability & Finance beacon. Also, through their partnership with Tsavo Trust, you can sponsor your very own elephant. African Parks has been lauded for its poacher-to-protector amnesty programme, which allows poachers to surrender their weapons and apply for work in the park; to date 45 have been trained and deployed in the field as eco-guards or wildlife monitors. But, as in the past, the poachers escaped from prison indicative of the systemic corruption that makes conviction so difficult. The Mara Elephant Project (MEP) is a two-pronged project, which aims to better understand and protect the elephants of the Mara- Serengeti ecosystem. They accomplish this mission by utilizing anti-poaching patrols and rapid response ranger units, collaring, monitoring and collecting data on elephants, and using innovative techniques and technologies to mitigate human-elephant conflict. In Tanzania the UK-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is shining a light on the Government corruption fuelling its massive poaching industry. Yet an emerging body of research is revealing the complex relationships of male elephant society, according to a study published Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020. . Mara is on the cutting edge of crypto. Networking & debating APP subscribers only, TRUSTED CONSERVATION PROJECTS Elephants in the Maasai Mara traverse a wide . More about the author. Not only for elephants, but all wildlife that are represented by this umbrella species. Protects elephants in the greater Mara ecosystem as a keystone species for conservation. But they have racked up respectable accreditations from the organizations they work with. Below are our favorite charities for protecting elephants: (At the end of this article, well also share our six-step approach on how you can select the best charity to support.). The GME, an extension of the vast Serengeti ecosystem, is Kenya's most important wildlife area and tourism asset. Cast: Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley. Dr Iain Douglas-Hamilton was one of the first to use radio tracking on collared elephants. Dr Ian Douglas-Hamilton exemplifies the genre of zoologists who have migrated from the field to the global advocacy platform. Ways to contribute: One of the best ways to support this charity is to donate, and you can go the extra mile and advance the children in your life knowledge base by having them join the panda family where they will get access to exclusive digital content, events, online panels and biweekly webinars with conservation experts on elephant and wildlife conservation. Driven by one familys love for wildlife, the Trust works closely with the Kenyan Wildlife Trust to safeguard natural habitats. Here are a few ways you can help your chosen charity: Whichever charity you end up choosing and contributing to, we are sure that our intelligent friends will immensely appreciate your support. What theyve achieved: Through their conservation program (which started in 2011), they have increased the presence of elephants from 120 to 800 in the Mozambique Gorongosa national park. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. Making a better world, one elephant at a time.. But how much of the money really goes there? Director: Sarah Polley. This is not the time for glib marketing campaigns or gratuitous gloom and doom. It is only through the generous support of donors that we are able to continue our important elephant conservation work. The Mara Elephant Project Gordon Buchanan rides with the Mara Elephant Project, led by Marc Goss to rescue an injured elephant. 16.6k Followers, 590 Following, 1,050 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Mara Elephant Project (@maraelephantproject) maraelephantproject. The data collected from MEPs elephant collars is the single best indicator for identifying elephant density hotspots, defining critical habitat and corridors, and illustrating elephant movements to target audiences. However, it emerged that of the $80 million in pledged funds, $78 million comprised the already-funded budgets of over a dozen conservation organisations working in Africa. The Nature Conservancy. Odzala-Kokoua has about 9,600 forest elephants, probably the largest population remaining in a single protected area. Carol Buckey founded Elephant Aid International in 2006. It is a pioneer in wildlife rehabilitation and environmental conservation in East Africa. What they do: The Nature Conservancy collaborates with grassroots initiatives and government wildlife services to implement initiatives that secure healthy, safe habitats for African Elephants. EWB Safe passage across political boundaries is key to the future of elephants. African Parks is known for its no-nonsense approach and donors like the fact that almost all incoming funds go towards their efforts on the ground while proceeds from an endowment fund cover most of the overheads. NGOs benefit from alarmist talk and every poaching outrage ensures an influx of funds into their coffers. What theyve achieved: Besides their extensive training programs in Asia, Elephant Aid International has established a North American Elephant Sanctuary. 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