The Fran Duthie African Elephant Conservation Scholarship overseen by Mara Elephant Project launched in 2022 and provides financial assistance to Kenyans pursuing conservation or related fields through a technical certificate, undergraduate or postgraduate degree. The inaugural recipient Janeth Jepkemboi is completing her MSc in Environmental Studies after spending time at MEP HQ in the first quarter, and now a new group of students is eager to follow her lead as the next recipients of the scholarship. After a thorough selection process, in May, we were pleased to introduce the four new students receiving the Fran Duthie African Elephant Conservation Scholarship, Sumaiyah Yakub, Mark Mako, Leshan Kantet Tipis and Mary Wangari.
MEP rangers and researchers rely heavily on Garmin products for their daily operations in the field. These tools help them record coordinates, navigate through challenging terrains, report incidents, and mark wildlife corridors. The data collected is integrated into MEP’s EarthRanger system, providing visual outputs that aid management and partners in making informed, data-driven decisions. Recently, Spejder Sport bolstered these efforts by donating six Garmin watches, two Montana 700 GPS units, and six inReach devices to support the MEP teams.
In April, MEP staff volunteered at the Mara North Conservancy Dog Project clinic held in Mararianta Village, where over 3,000 dogs were vaccinated and spayed/neutered. This effort aims to control the domestic dog population and protect wildlife and communities from diseases transmitted by dogs. On Earth Day, MEP joined tourism and conservation partners and over 30 community members in Aitong Center to collect and recycle trash, focusing on plastic eradication. Staff from all departments participated, and MEP donated four AV gas drums to be repurposed for environmentally friendly trash collection. The event emphasized the importance of teamwork and community spirit in making Mara plastic-free.
Habitat loss remains a significant threat to elephants, driven by the demand for hardwoods, posts, cultivatable land, and charcoal. MEP rangers, in collaboration with government partners and long-time partner Seedballs Kenya, work to deter habitat destruction and restore degraded areas. Seedballs Kenya provides seedballs containing Indigenous tree seedlings, which, once watered by nature, take root and help restore the landscape. Co-Founder Teddy Kinyanjui, who recently joined the MEP Advisory Committee, visited headquarters in June with four bags of donated seedballs ready for distribution.
MEP is showcasing its first-ever photography exhibition at its headquarters in the Mara, featuring prints donated by award-winning wildlife photographer and MEP Image Ambassador Jeffrey Wu. All proceeds from the sale of these prints support MEP’s efforts to protect elephants and their habitats, with prints available for international shipping.
MEP is participating in the 2024 Tusk Wildlife Ranger Challenge, an annual event that unites wildlife rangers across Africa to raise funds for frontline conservation efforts. MEP’s teams, including rangers Stanley, Cosmas, Eric, Geoffrey, Fancy, Charity, Sylvia, and Gloria, will engage in bi-weekly challenges leading up to the main race on September 21.
Finally, Mara Elephant Project released our 2023 Annual Report in June.
