Partners

African Impact, a sister organization of Encounter Mara, is the largest facilitator of responsible volunteer projects in Africa. With volunteer sites in 14 African countries, including a site in the Mara Naboisho Conservancy, African Impact volunteers are making a difference throughout Africa.

Mara Naboisho Conservancy. “Naboisho” means “Coming Together” and is a leading model in community-based conservation coupled with responsible eco-tourism.

Living with Lions is a conservation research group of seven scientists and 34 Masai warriors working to save the remaining wild lions and other predators outside National Parks. Guests at Encounter Mara will have the option of participating in data collection for Living with Lions during their game drives under the guidance of our guides who have received training from the organisation.

Elephant Partners is an elephant conservation project (launched by Elephant Voices)that aims to develop a working model for citizens to monitor and protect elephants, through connecting individual people – guides, scouts, rangers, researchers, photographers, tourists, people of the Maasai Mara and all people who care – with the lives of individual elephants. Through use of the Internet and social and educational media our intention is to develop a community of people sharing their knowledge about the Mara elephants and working together to protect them. Encounter Mara is excited to come alongside Elephant Partners by providing data from staff and participation of willing guests.

Mara-Naboisho Lion Project Naboisho Conservancy has a full time based lion project called Mara-Naboisho Lion Project (www.mnlp.org), led by wildlife biologist Niels Mogensen. Together with The Mara Predator Project and African Impact volunteers, Mara-Naboisho Lion Project is conducting general lion demography and lion monitoring. In addition to this, Mara-Naboisho Lion Project will be conducting research on spatial dynamics and social ecology. The project aims to get a clearer picture of the habits and preferences of lions living in the core and those at the edges, utilizing both the conservancy and the unprotected ranch lands. The ultimate goal is to have a healthy and increasing lion population.

Teaching at the Koiyaki Guiding School and involving the local community, informing about the lion project, wildlife and conservation also plays a role in the project.

The Mara-Naboisho Lion Project will be based part time at the Koiyaki Guiding School, spending time with volunteers and working closely with the African Impact coordinators.