Lewa Downs and Northern Rangelands Trust, Kenya

Kenya’s public parks and private tourist reserves have been established on and around the lands of local peoples, yet few communities benefit from wildlife conservation. There is little incentive to help protect animal migrations, prevent poaching, or cease traditional hunting. Human settlements and traditional activities on lands adjoining reserves often suffer or are infringed upon without consideration. The isolation of protected areas, global warming and encroaching development threaten the capacity of large mammal populations, especially migratory species. An evaluation was conducted in coordination with the Northern Rangelands Trust on Lewa Downs Conservancy in the Central Highlands of Kenya, to identify best practices for conservancy modeling, anti-poaching strategies, and integrated community security.