Projects We Support

Anti-poaching, De-snaring, Community Education and Awareness

The Anne K. Taylor Fund (AKTF) was created to encourage and assist individuals, communities and corporations to conserve, protect and restore biodiversity through sound economic activities that are ecologically sustainable.

Who are they: The Anne K. Taylor Fund was created by AK Taylor International (the  luxury safari / tour company, created by Anne's parents, the 'Kent' in Abercrombie and Kent) to encourage and assist individuals, communities and corporations to conserve protect and restore biodiversity through sound conimic activities that are cologically sustainable.

What do they do: The area in which AK Taylor is focused is in the Maasai Mara Reserve, Kenya, specifically the Ololooloo escarpment communities that border the Mara Triangle on the western side, Narok council communities, drawing locals into the Community Based Conservation (CBC) efforts toward anti-poaching in the buffer zones along the escarpment and within the western side of the Mara Reserve. Through the 'tour company' aspect of AK Taylor, Anne brings her clients to the area so that they can participate in seeing the functional side of wildlife conservation and there-by lend financial support for on going activities.

How does WildiZe help them: WildiZe provided funding to secure the teams, outside experts and training for anti-poaching efforts, which also include working within the schools teaching children about their wildlife and what it means to their economic security. The local communities assist AK Taylor by providing advance warning and information about poachers in the areas.  WildiZe also provided personnel of one of our scholarship students to teach the teams English and share history between two very different pastoralist tribes in Kenya: the Maasai and the Gabbra. This young man also ended up mobilizing teachers within the community schools and invigorating their curriculum and teaching methods.

Results: The teams have continued to perfom beyond expectations in mobilizing their communities in participating in anti-poaching efforts and snare removal. the snares that are collected are then handed to Kioko Mwtiki, a nationally recognised Kenyan sculptor, who turns them into little animals representing the wildlife that lives in the area, the sales of which support the work of the anti-poaching efforts. These 'snare-animal' sculptures are available for purchase through WildiZe Foundation Market.

Photos © AKTF & Eli Weiss / WildiZe Foundation

Project web site: http://www.aktaylor.com/ak_fund/akfund.htm

FAST FACTS: MAASAI MARA

The Maasai Mara Game Reserve (MMGR) covers some 1530km2, and is the northern most section of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania which covers some 25,000Km2
The Mara is bounded by the Serengeti to the south, the Siria Escarpment to the west and Maasai pastoral lands to the north, east and west. The western border is the Esoit Oloololo Escarpment of the Rift Valley. It's eastern most border is 224km from Nairobi and thus the eastern region is that most visited by tourists

Rainfall increases markedly along the a south-east-north-west gradient an is bimodal.  The Sand, Talek and Mara Rivers are the major drainage of the Mara

Terrain is mostly open grassland with seasonal riverlets. The southern aspect is mostly the distinctive umbrella Acacia tree

Named for the traditional inhabitants, the Maasai people and the Mara River which divides the reserve

Banded Mongoose

One of the Wonders of the World, known for it's exceptional game viewing and migration of 1.4 million wildebeest from the Serengeti following the seasonal rains and grasses

All members of the "Big Five" can be found in the Mara: Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Water Buffalo and Elephant, although all wildlife is under threat from human impact from poverty, poaching and even over-disruption by tourism- especially the Cheetah who's diurnal habits mean it must hunt during the day, which makes it a huge target attraction for visitors.

So, remember! - When you're on safari: Please treat the wildlife and the delicate habitat and the people with respect and care - as we are the visitors, but it is their home!