The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust works to protect the legendary ecosystems and astounding biodiversity of East Africa through conservation that directly benefits local Maasai communities.
The world increasingly relies on many traditional communities like the Maasai to protect the ecological treasures that exist within the land that they own.
But the incredible wilderness and wildlife of Africa’s grasslands and the famous culture of the Maasai people both face daunting threats to their long-term survival. The fate of both rests with the Maasai themselves as they work to figure out how to benefit from their incredible natural resources while preserving them.
That’s what MWCT is all about-a pioneering partnership between professional conservationists and dynamic young Maasai leaders to show that the Maasai community can thrive, not just survive, by managing their ecosystem wisely.
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MWCT’s efforts are focused on the Maasai communities and landscapes of Kenya’s Chyulu Hills, within the world-famous Amboseli-Tsavo Ecosystem. This is Hemingway’s “Green Hills of Africa”, deep cloud forests on hills over the savannah teeming with wildlife and Mount Kilimanjaro rising out of the plains.
The Maasai communities of this area own all of the land between the protected National Parks and within their land lie critical wildlife migration corridors and habitat reserves, forests that are carbon sinks and rivers and springs that supply the fresh water not only to this ecosystem but to more than seven million people in Kenya, including the second largest city.
MWCT funds and operates programs that promote sustainable economic benefits from conserving this ecosystem.
Lease payments for conservancy zones, carbon credits, payments for watershed protection, sustainable ecotourism, wildlife monitoring and security, conservation and tourism employment-these are just some of the ways MWCT is creating a cutting edge model of successful community-based conservation.
MWCT works primarily with the Maasai living the the Kuku Group Ranch. The Kuku Group Ranch is home to around 16,000 people and lies in an important migration corridor of around 280,000 acres that is at the base of Chyulu Hills, Hemingway’s, “Green Hills of Africa,” Â in between Tsavo and Amboseli National Parks.
This is home for East Africa’s most iconic wildlife including: lions; elephants; leopards; zebra and giraffes.
MWCT’s international team of experts works with the Maasai community on a knowledge-sharing basis to create and implement holistic and comprehensive programs in conservation, health, and education that serve the community, the wilderness, and the wildlife that are so important to us all.