In the third quarter, Mara Elephant Project host the inaugural UltraMARAthon event in Nairobi. Bringing together UltraMARAthon partners, sponsors, and participants to show their support for the event that brings together runners, conservationists, and communities in the Mara. The evening featured inspiring speeches from UltraMARAthon founders Madeleine Goss and Roisin Allen, as well as a powerful keynote from the Belgian Ambassador Maddens Peter. Additionally, Francis Aho represented the Africa Mission Services, highlighting the tangible benefits to local communities, Adrien Allen spoke on behalf of the tourism partners who champion the marathon, and Doris Nabaala from Ol Chorro – Oiruwua conservancy, passionately conveyed the impact of the UltraMARAthon on local conservancies. Thank you to Imani Collective, Highmark Construction Limited, RunBeyond, Safarilink, Rescue.co, Bush and Beyond, Bush Bottles, J.S. Co Hardware, and all the partners for supporting the marathon.
The countdown to this year’s UltraMARAthon is on with less than 20 days to go. Whether running solo or with a group of friends, the 50km race through the Maasai Mara will be one to remember. Run with purpose to support MEP and community rangers protecting the Mara’s wildlife and African mission services providing critical services to Maasai communities. Registration closes November 1.
Throughout August, MEP celebrated World Elephant Day by spotlighting our most ambitious initiative yet, the preservation of the Loita Forest. Through community-based strategies, ranger support, and the creation of an elephant easement, we invited global supporters to join us and raised $106,000 to secure this critical habitat. Thanks to our generous matching donors, the Matt and Mari Foundation, Mary Anne Rogers, Joseph Davison, Elephanatics and Steven and Adrienne Casey.
MEP hosted officials from the Basecamp Explorer Foundation – Kenya (BCEF-K), to see their support in action at the Training of Trainers (ToT) course at HQ. Led by Director of Programs Stella Njau, the team joined the current cohort of rangers in training exercises and heard from them the impact it’s had on rangers across the Mara. Launched in 2024, these courses have already trained over 100 rangers and licensed 24 drone operators, advancing ranger professionalism across the Mara.
MEP is also proud to announce a new partnership with the Chapel & York Canada Foundation, making it easier than ever for our champions in Canada to give tax-effective donations directly in support of MEP. This collaboration allows us to save on operational costs while ensuring your contributions go further in protecting elephants and their habitats. You can find more information about donating here.
This year, MEP was invited to participate in the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, an annual event that celebrates and supports Africa’s wildlife rangers by enhancing their livelihoods, improving their performance, and advocating for transformative changes in conservation. In the third quarter, rangers Jackson, Erick, Cosmas, and Lenkume, the ‘MEP Bulls’, participated in challenges, both physical and mental, competing with more than 100 other ranger teams from 24 African nations, all leading up to the finale: Race Day on September 20. The MEP Bulls ran the 21 km (12 miles) race with 22 kg (49 lbs.) of kit alongside other participating ranger teams at Lewa Conservancy. They crossed the finish line in a respectable time of 2 hours 30 minutes placing second. But it’s not about the time, it’s about the camaraderie that a challenge like this creates. It powers the internal drive that these wildlife protectors contain to work in some of the most challenging environments all to defend wildlife and wild spaces. Additionally, thanks to your support, MEP raised over $20,000 to support our rangers.
