Lewa's Partners

TUSK TRUST
SANDSTORM BAGS
BORANA
SAFARICOM
LAIKIPIA WILDLIFE FORUM
ECO-SYSTEMS
SAVE THE ELEPHANTS
WORLD SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS
SAFARILINK
SAINT LOUIS ZOO
SAN DIEGO ZOO
MARWELL PRESERVATION TRUST
ZURICH ZOO
ZUERCHER TIERSCHUTZ
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
BLUE RHINO GAS & AAZK
E. I. MEDICAL IMAGING
OL PEJETA CONSERVANCY
FAUNA AND FLORA INTERNATIONAL
US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

The Trust aims to provide practical support to conserve areas of natural habitat for the benefit of both wildlife and surrounding communities. It contributes substantial funds for the protection and conservation of many endangered species. Tusk is a major contributor to a number of key wildlife areas such as the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, the Mkomazi, Selous, and Niassa Game Reserves, as well as Ruaha, Meru, and Tsavo East National Parks.

Tusk also provides significant development funding to remote rural community projects to enable them to preserve their wildlife and eco-systems. Eco-tourism lodges such as those at Il Ngwesi, Namunyak and Lekurruki in northern Kenya, are prime examples of how Tusk’s support is being put to good use.

TUSK TRUST is the official NGO associated with the Safaricom Marathon. Tusk has been instrumental in the organisation of the event and distribution of the funds raised by the event since its inception in 2000. The last four marathons have raised a total of $400,000 for a wide variety of projects benefiting wildlife conservation, community development, education, and healthcare in northern Kenya.

Sandstorm

Sandstorm bags and accessories are hand made in Kenya from top-quality, water-resistant, safari grade canvas and cow hide. The rugged style of bags makes them ideal for hard-wearing, adventurous travel.

As a Kenya based manufacturing company, Sandstorm takes keen interest in supporting the local communities and ecosystems which make it such a special pace. Sandstorm has agreed to help promote and sponsor Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

Sandstorm will make a contribution of $1 to LSC for every bag they sell worldwide.
For more information about Sandstorm see
www.sandstormbags.com

Borana Ranch

Borana Ranch welcomes guests to come and stay at Borana Lodge on this 35,000 acre property on the edge of the Laikipia Plateau. Adjacent to Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, its unique geographical situation makes the 35,000 acre ranch a haven for a wide diversity of wildlife: lion, elephant, Jackson's hartebeest, buffalo and great herds of antelope roam the plains while the cooler forest shelters bush buck, colobus and leopard.

Borana Ranch has always had an interest in the welfare of his neighbours and has always been aware of the necessity to improve their welfare and basic standard of living.
www.borana.co.ke

Safaricom Ltd.

Safaricom Limited is Kenya's current leading Mobile Telephone Operator. It was formed in 1997 as a fully owned subsidiary of Telkom Kenya. In May 2000, Vodafone group Plc, the worlds largest Telecommunication company acquired a 40% stake and management responsibility for the company. Safaricom's aim is to remain the leading Mobile Network Operator in Kenya.

In order to achieve this, a strong focus has been placed on quality of service to our customers. Safaricom is and will continue implementing best practices based on Vodafone's vast international experience and Telkom Kenya's unique knowledge of the Kenyan market conditions. The result of this will ensure a superior quality of service that is customer focused and will benefit every subscriber.

With our fast growing subscriber base, we now have over 520 employees so as to keep up with this fast growing industry. Safaricom has also opened 6 retail shops countrywide. The retail shops are located in Nairobi (3), Mombasa, Kisumu & Nakuru. Plans are also underway to open more retail shops in other major towns within the country. We also have a countrywide dealer network to handle distribution and selling of Safaricom services and products.
Safaricom is the main sponsor of the annual Safaricom Marathon on Lewa.

The Laikipia Wildlife Forum
A pioneering community conservation and wildlife management association.

The Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF) is a dynamic, membership driven organisation conserving wildlife outside protected areas across the Ewaso ecosystem.

Conservation in Action reflects the spirit of the people who take part in this forum, which brings together private ranchers, small scale farmers, pastoralists, local community initiatives, and tourism ventures. They are united by a common goal - to conserve the integrity of the Laikipia ecosystem, by creatively managing natural resources to improve the livelihood of its people.

Over the past ten years the LWF has placed Laikipia District firmly at the forefront of Kenyan wildlife conservation. Increasingly acknowledged as one of the most important areas for biodiversity in Kenya, wildlife population densities in the Laikipia region now rank second to the internationally renowned Maasai Mara ecosystem. The Ewaso eco-system is home to the second largest population of elephant in Kenya (5,400) and hosts the highest populations of endangered species such as rhino (over half Kenya’s total population), Grevy’s zebra, and reticulated giraffe in the country, as well as the only viable population of Lelwel hartebeest, an expanding population of wild dog, and significant numbers of other large predators.

The LWF was established in 1992 by private and communal landowners with common interests in managing, conserving and benefiting from wildlife resources in Laikipia. The organisation was created in response to an initiative by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), designed to engage landowners and land users in the conservation and management of wildlife in non-protected areas. In the last decade the LWF has advanced far beyond this initial concept, expanding its focus to include essential environmental resources such as river flow, as well as improved livelihoods and security.

In 1995, the LWF was registered as a non-profit company limited by guarantee. Membership is open to any landowner or land user in the Laikipia District and currently comprises 47 community groups, 36 large-scale ranches, 50 tour operators and tourism operations, 9 interest groups and 54 individuals.

Directors are elected by the membership of 6 geographical “units”, comprising all of Laikipia District, and including Lewa Wildlife Conservancy to the east. Additional Directors include the KWS District Warden and those co-opted from the Mpala Research Centre and Laikipia’s tourist industry. The work of the Board is supported by a set of sub-committees: Community Conservation, Wildlife Management, Environmental Education, Tourism Development, Security, and Finance.

The LWF employs an Executive Director, a Project Development Officer, a Community Conservation Officer, an Environmental Education Officer, an Accountant / Office Manager and 6 field-based Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) to facilitate collaboration at a community level. This executive unit is fully equipped with offices and office equipment, 4 vehicles, 6 field based motorcycles and a comprehensive communication and radio network spanning the entire region. The LWF has been the first institution of its kind to develop a significant capacity to foster development and conservation goals on a district-wide level in Kenya.

Eco-Systems

"ECO-SYS & ECO-FUN introduce a wide range of new, fun and outstanding products for all the family. Our exclusive quality creations reflect our common love for animals and nature.

Helping people so that the menaces threatening nature are reduced.
Establish sustainable ecosystems, so that conservation is more profitable than destruction.

A percentage of the proceeds from all our sales go directly to the eight partner-foundations we support around the world, which Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is one of them. From health to education and environment, they are the vital links of all ecosystems. We also work with them on educational projects and local community made handicrafts."

www.ecosysfun.com

Save the Elephants

Mission Statement: It is our mission to secure a future for elephants and to sustain the beauty and ecological integrity of the places where they live; to promote man’s delight in their intelligence and the diversity of their world, and to develop a tolerant relationship between the two species.

Save the Elephants (STE) approaches conservation from an elephant’s perspective. We believe elephants deserve special respect from humanity because they are sensate beings with a higher order consciousness, and we intend to safeguard their future in an increasingly insecure world.

We focus on research, education, grass-roots conservation, monitoring and protection.

The charity was founded in 1993 by Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, who made a pioneering study of elephant behaviour in the late '60s in Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania, and has worked on elephant status Africa-wide since. Explorers, conservationists and elephant scientists serve as fellow trustees or advisors to the board.

Research on long distance movement by radio-tracking elephants helps us understand why elephants choose to do the things they do. Elephants are motivated by three basic factors – finding food and water, social interaction with other elephants, and avoiding danger. The most detailed information on movement is found by radio-tracking. We have developed a new system of radio-tracking relying on Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. These high-tech collars measure exact position, activity level and outside air temperature every three hours. Our researchers also follow specific elephants on the ground and their day to day observations of these known individuals reveal how elephants make decisions. By meeting elephant needs we are better able to conserve them. Vital corridors in their range have been identified that need protection. Further afield in Congo, Mali, South Africa and Tanzania we are collaborating with scientists to develop an international database on elephant movement.

World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)

Vision
"To ensure that the principles of animal welfare are universally understood and respected and protected by enforced legislation."

Mission
"To raise the standards of animal welfare throughout the world."

Website
www.wspa-international.org

SafariLink is a Kenyan company established in 2004 by an experienced management team to provide air services for our clients. SafariLink offers a network of scheduled services that cover the main 'safari' tourist destinations of Amboseli, Tsavo, Chyulus, Naivasha, Nanyuki, Lewa Downs, Samburu, Masai Mara, Lamu and Kilimanjaro.

SafariLink's timetable has been constructed to provide maximum inter-connectivity within its network, allowing clients to travel within Kenya in the shortest time possible, thereby saving valuable holiday time
www.safarilink.co.ke

St Louis Zoo
Mission; To conserve animals and their habitats through outstanding educational and recreational experiences, research and animal management.
Website; www.stlzoo.org

San Diego Zoo
Website; www.sandiegozoo.com

Marwell Preservation Trust
Marwell Zoological Park is owned and operated by Marwell Preservation Trust. The mission of this registered charity is "to contribute to the conservation of biological diversity through the presentation and breeding of threatened species, the conservation and management of wild species in their natural habitat, and by inspiring improved understanding, awareness and care of wildlife and the environment".
 
In doing so, the zoo attracts around 450,000 visitors a year to see over 200 species of animals that represent an inspiring selection of the diversity of life on earth. Many of these species are threatened with extinction and are managed within formal captive breeding programmes that contribute to their global conservation. Staff in Marwell’s Conservation Education Centre teach over 30,000 children each year, ranging from primary school classes to A-level students. Additional sessions cater for university groups and adult education. A dedicated Department of Conservation & Wildlife Management is responsible for Marwell’s international conservation and scientific programmes. This includes valuable work to protect and conserve threatened habitats and species in the UK and overseas.
 
Marwell's conservation and educational activities are underpinned by visitors to the zoological park and the organisation has a diverse team of people that caters for their needs and aims to ensure that customers have a rewarding and enjoyable experience.
 
Marwell first opened to the public in 1972 and was the creation of Dr John Knowles. In 1978 the zoo was transferred to the Marwell Preservation Trust which brought security to the future of the Park.
 
Marwell is a member of the British & Irish Association of Zoos & Aquaria (BIAZA), the European Association of Zoos & Aquaria (EAZA), the World Association of Zoos & Aquaria (WAZA) and of the World Conservation Union (IUCN).
 Website; www.marwell.org.uk

Zurich Zoo

Zurich Zoo acts as an ambassador between man, animals and nature. The mission of this non-profit- company is to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity.

Zurich Zoo thus participates in international breeding programs of threatened species, stimulates the awarness of visitors for species and habitat conservation, and contributes to the conservation of wild species in their natural habitat.

In doing so, Zurich Zoo attracts over 1,600,000 visitors per year and holds more than 350 species of animals. Zurich Zoo is a member of the European Association of Zoos & Aquaria (EAZA), the Wold Association of Zoos & Anquaria (WAZA) and the Botanic Garden Conservation International (BGCI).
Website; http://www.zoo.ch/

Zuercher Tierschutz
The Zurich Animal Protection Society has been supporting the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy regularly since 1990 and figures among the most important sponsors. The Zurich Animal Protection Society was founded in 1856 and has its headquarters in Zurich. With the help of external and internal experts the Society supports a broad span of national and international projects. Its concerns range from pets to livestock and laboratory animals to sustainable protection of species and nature in general.

The Zurich Animal Protection Society renounces militant attacks and ready-made enemy concepts; instead, it prefers scientific arguments and objective dialog. To this end the Society is represented in cantonal committees and works together with politicians, consumers, producers, and educators. The key actions are sensitizing, informing and convincing.

Website; www.zuerchertierschutz.ch

Princeton University
Princeton simultaneously strives to be one of the leading research universities and the most outstanding undergraduate college in the world. As a research university, it seeks to achieve the highest levels of distinction in the discovery and transmission of knowledge and understanding, and in the education of graduate students. At the same time, Princeton is distinctive among research universities in its commitment to undergraduate teaching.

The University provides its students with academic, extracurricular and other resources -- in a residential community committed to diversity in its student body, faculty and staff -- that help them achieve at the highest scholarly levels and prepare them for positions of leadership and lives of service in many fields of human endeavor.

Through the scholarship and teaching of its faculty, and the many contributions to society of its alumni, Princeton seeks to fulfill its informal motto: “Princeton in the Nation’s Service and in the Service of All Nations."
Website; www.princeton.edu

Blue Rhino Gas and AAZK
'BOWLING FOR RHINOS' PROGRAM RAISES NEARLY $2 MILLION
Blue Rhino Teams with American Association of Zoo Keepers for Rhino Preservation

TOPEKA, Kan., and WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Since 1990, the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) has raised nearly $2 million for worldwide rhinoceros preservation through its 'Bowling for Rhinos' program.  2004 events are currently being organized by local chapters of AAZK and other groups and individuals dedicated to preserving the five remaining - and endangered - rhinoceros species. Groups or individuals interested in participating in a Bowling for Rhinos event or learning about organizing a Bowling for Rhinos event in their area are encouraged to visit http://bfr.aazk.org.

Bowling for Rhinos is a series of regional bowl-a-thon events that take place annually across the nation, raising in excess of $100,000 annually. Because all individuals involved are volunteers, the AAZK is able to contribute 100 percent of all donations from Bowling for Rhinos to save rhinos and their habitats, with funds going directly to three conservation areas in Africa and Indonesia.

"Teaming with AAZK to help preserve the rhino population is a natural combination," said Tim Scronce, President of Blue Rhino. "Our shared dedication to preserving the environment and rhinos, in particular, creates a strong common goal that will impact future generations' abilities to appreciate the continually threatened creature."

About Blue Rhino
Blue Rhino is a leading national provider of branded propane cylinder exchange and complementary propane-fueled products to consumers. Blue Rhino cylinder exchange is offered at leading home improvement centers, mass merchants, hardware, grocery, and convenience stores, with branded cylinder displays at more than 28,000 retail locations in 48 states plus Puerto Rico. Cylinders are delivered to retailers through a national network of both independent and company-owned distributors. The Company's propane-fueled products segment is focused on appliances such as grills, patio heaters and mosquito eradication devices, which are sold through many of the same retailers that offer Blue Rhino's branded cylinder exchange service. The Company's common stock is quoted on The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. under the symbol RINO.
www.bluerhino.com.

AAZK is a nonprofit (U.S. 501c3) volunteer organization made up of professional zoo keepers and other interested persons dedicated to professional animal care and conservation.
www.aazk.org

E. I. Medical Imaging was founded in 1984 with the singular vision of producing state of the art real-time ultrasound technology to serve the market of veterinarians and livestock producers world wide.   Over the 20+ year history of E.I. Medical Imaging, we have continued to evolve our products with the needs of livestock producers and veterinarians in mind.  Still to this day, we are proud to be the only manufacturer of portable ultrasound systems engineered and developed in the USA for the animal industry.

Today, E.I. Medical Imaging’s core values remain intact: putting the customer first and delivering solid, effective ultrasound solutions.  E.I. Medical Imaging strives to provide it’s customers with more than just ultrasound products- we look to be a complete resource for the livestock producer and veterinarian.  Though ongoing training and education, we work closely with our customers to make them as efficient and profitable as possible.  E.I. Medical Imaging, a pioneer in the development of portable ultrasound technology for veterinary use, is proud to partner with Lewa for the responsible management of Kenya’s wildlife.  

OL PEJETA CONSERVANCY
a 90,000 acre wildlife reserve situated between the foot hills of the Aberdares and the magnificent snowcapped Mount Kenya.

Ol Pejeta Conservancy boasts an astounding variety of animals including the non-indigenous chimpanzees and the big 5 (the endangered black rhino, leopard, elephant, buffalo and lion).
The combination of amazing wildlife and stunning views across the open plains of Ol Pejeta guarantees an unforgettable safari experience.

In 2004 the ranch was purchased by Fauna and Flora International, a UK based conservation organization. The existing Sweetwaters game reserve will now be extended to encompass the entire ranching area to create the “Ol Pejeta Conservancy”, approximately 90,000 acres in extent. This will create the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa, with the aim of generating profit from wildlife tourism and complementary activities (including cattle) for reinvestment into community development in the local area.

www.olpejetaconservancy.org

Fauna & Flora International
Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is the world's longest established international conservation body, founded over 100 years ago. Renowned for its science-based approach, FFI has pioneered sustainable conservation work that tackles problems holistically, providing solutions that simultaneously help wildlife, humans and the environment.
FFI acts to conserve threatened species and ecosystems worldwide, choosing solutions that are sustainable, are based on sound science and take account of human needs
www.fauna-flora.org

US Fish and Wildlife Service
The Mission of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service:
working with others to conserve, protect and
enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and
their habitats for the continuing benefit
of the American people
www.fws.gov

Aid for Africa
Aid for Africa is a unique partnership of select charities dedicated to helping children, families, and communities throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Aid for Africa brings together independent U.S.-based charities--including Lewa Wildlife Conservancy--working with their African partners to support programs in health, education, development, arts and culture, conservation, and wildlife protection in Africa.
http://www.aidforafrica.org/member_ind.jsp?abrv=LEWA