The sixth edition of the UltraMARAthon took place in November and included 280 runners taking part and supporting vital conservation and healthcare initiatives across the Mara. The Mara Elephant Project male team, which included rangers Stanley Momposhi, Philip Lenkume, Jakson Musukut, and Cosmas Bett, proved that they are still the fastest rangers in the Mara, winning the relay in an impressive 3 hours and 3 minutes. This year also introduced the kid’s fun run where 20 young runners participated in a 3 km race. A heartfelt thank you to every participant, sponsor, and volunteer who made this year’s marathon an incredible success.
This year, MEP was a proud conservation beneficiary from the The Greatest Wildlife Photographer – Kenya competition. Thanks to them and the organizers, MEP alongside other conservation and community organizations is receiving support from the over $21,000 of funds raised through this amazing initiative. This year’s competition brought together an incredible 1,140 entries from 31 countries, showcasing the power of photography in telling the story of our wild places. Congratulations to photographer Pie Aerts for winning the 2025 competition. We can’t wait to see what these talented artists will showcase in 2026.
MEP rangers monitored Nancy Q, a recently collared elephant, moving with her family herd of nine in an area experiencing accelerated landscape change. Her tracking was made possible through the support of Nancy McHugh, whose legacy is now directly contributing to elephant protection.
To mark National Tree Growing Day in Kenya, the MEP education team joined partners, over 100 students and their parents from Emarti Village at Olmeoshi Comprehensive School. Together, they planted 60 indigenous trees in the school compound as part of an initiative to re-green areas where play and learning take place. The tree planting event was the finale of a mentorship program for young girls aimed to build confidence, awareness and leadership. Thank you to MEP’s partners Tales of the Land, The Maa Trust, Enonkishu Conservancy, Elong’o Initiative, and Women in the Wild for the invite to participate. MEP’s LTM team member Sharon summed it up perfectly when she said, “each tree symbolizes growth, resilience, and the lasting impact of collective action.”
In November, MEP participated in the Save the Elephants Conservation Careers Symposium at Kenyatta University. Our team connected with students through field stories, technology demonstrations, including a live drone session and open conversations about the realities, challenges, and rewards of working in conservation. Reflecting on the event, MEP Deputy CEO Meshack Gaga shared: “Inspiring the next generation is not a side activity; it is conservation work. It is one of the most meaningful investments we can make for the future. When young people see how science, technology, and community action come together to protect wildlife, they realize conservation is a practical, purposeful career they can grow into and that their skills can help wildlife and people thrive.”
Several members of the MEP team also participated in the Professional Women in Conservation Association symposium, a flagship initiative of The Maa Trust. The three-day event, designed to elevate and empower women across the Mara landscape, brought together experts from diverse sectors for meaningful collaboration. Through sessions focused on mental health and wellbeing, alongside hands-on skill-building workshops, participants engaged in thought-provoking conversations about what genuine inclusion looks like in day-to-day conservation practice. As MEP Research Assistant Sharon Morompi reflected, “When women come together to reflect, heal, lead and re-strategize, they don’t just strengthen conservation they strengthen the future.”
MEP’s Giving Season campaign concluded at the end of the year and your inspiring show of support helped MEP meet the $500,000 goal to strengthen elephant protection, enhance landscape connectivity and promote human-elephant coexistence.
