African Conservation Centre

African Conservation Centre
Name	African Conservation Centre
Founded	1995
Founder	Richard Leakey, Wangari Maathai
Headquarters	Nairobi
Region served	East Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
Focus	Biodiversity conservation, community-based conservation, rangeland management

African Conservation Centre

The African Conservation Centre is a Nairobi-based conservation organization established to promote biodiversity preservation, sustainable natural resource management, and community-centered conservation across East Africa. It operates at the interface of protected areas such as Maasai Mara National Reserve and Tsavo National Park and landscapes like the Laikipia Plateau, engaging with pastoralist communities including the Maasai and Samburu. The Centre collaborates with research institutions such as the National Museums of Kenya and international bodies like the IUCN and UNEP to implement evidence-based interventions.

History

The Centre was formed during a period marked by initiatives from figures such as Richard Leakey and Wangari Maathai, responding to regional conservation challenges highlighted in reports by World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International. Early activities included partnerships with the Kenya Wildlife Service and community groups in the Laikipia and Loita Plains that mirrored pilot projects from the Sustainable Development Network and programs funded by the Ford Foundation and USAID. During the 2000s the organisation expanded work inspired by models like the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority and lessons from the Convention on Biological Diversity parties, engaging with policy forums hosted by institutions such as African Union and UNEP-WCMC.

Mission and Objectives

The Centre's mission aligns with strategic priorities set by multilateral frameworks including the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Paris Agreement on climate change. Objectives emphasize conserving ecosystems in key landscapes like the Greater Mara and Tsavo, advancing rangeland restoration approaches championed by researchers from Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology and Oxford University. The organisation seeks to integrate indigenous knowledge from groups such as the Maasai with scientific monitoring used by teams from the Wildlife Conservation Society and BirdLife International, while supporting governance dialogues with entities like the Ministry of Environment (Kenya) and county governments in Kenya.

Programs and Projects

Programs span habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring, pastoralist resilience, and policy advocacy. Notable projects operate in the Laikipia Plateau, Loita Hills, and Amboseli ecosystem, partnering with NGOs such as Nature Conservancy and Fauna & Flora International. Monitoring work employs methods used by the Kenya Wildlife Service and research partners including University of Nairobi and Makerere University, and integrates tools promoted by Global Environment Facility initiatives. Past collaborations have included transboundary efforts with Tanzania National Parks and community conservancies modeled after Ol Pejeta Conservancy and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

Research and Conservation Areas

Research priorities include rangeland ecology, wildlife corridors, and climate adaptation, drawing on studies from Oxford Brookes University and the International Livestock Research Institute. Field sites include highly biodiverse areas like the Laikipia rangelands and montane forests associated with Mount Kenya and Aberdare Range. Species-focused work addresses megafauna found in Maasai Mara and Tsavo, engaging species specialists from IUCN Species Survival Commission and collaborators from Zoological Society of London. Landscape-level planning aligns with corridor mapping techniques used by African Wildlife Foundation and spatial analyses promoted by UNEP-WCMC.

Community Engagement and Capacity Building

Community initiatives build capacity among pastoralist and agro-pastoral communities such as the Samburu and Kikuyu through training reflecting curricula developed by Kenya Forestry Research Institute and extension models from ILRI. Programs support community conservancies akin to Ol Kinyei and Laikipia Nature Conservancy, facilitate participatory mapping with teams from Community Land Initiative and foster women's leadership inspired by efforts of Green Belt Movement. Education outreach links to university internships from University of Nairobi and exchange programmes with institutions like Makerere University and University of Cape Town.

Partnerships and Funding

The Centre partners with a wide network including governmental agencies like the Kenya Wildlife Service and international NGOs such as WWF, The Nature Conservancy, and Conservation International. Funding sources have included multilateral donors such as the Global Environment Facility and bilateral agencies like USAID and DFID, alongside philanthropic support from foundations such as the Ford Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation. Scientific collaborations involve universities including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and regional centres like International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology to support monitoring, policy engagement, and capacity development.

Category:Conservation in Kenya Category:Non-profit organizations based in Kenya