Restoring the Greater Maasai Mara

The Enarau Conservancy is founded on an innovative science-based approach to the restoration and protection of its ecosystem, one enabled by a knowledgeable and experienced team, and supported by a range of partners.

Approach

The Enarau was established in 2022 in the Maasai Mara, Kenya, under the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013, which aims to expand wildlife conservation areas by protecting existing vegetation and critically threatened habitats, and restoring degraded areas.  

Located in the Northern Mara Conservancies and run in partnership with the local Maasai community, the conservancy currently spans 1,136 hectares, is a mixed habitat of grasslands, forests, and marshlands, and has a permanent spring at its core. Its vegetation is dominated by diverse plant species, attracting birds, butterflies, amphibians, reptiles, and small and big mammals, and serves to protect a critical wildlife corridor connecting to the nearby Mbokoshi Conservation Area. 

Until recently, the conservancy has been a key livestock foraging area, with the local communities using the land for grazing their livestock, collecting firewood, and as a source of indigenous vegetables. To reverse the negative effects of these activities and at the same time ensure that the conservancy continues to support the needs and wants of the local community:

  • A conservancy grazing plan has been implemented

  • Intensive farming has ceased

  • Key areas have been leased for restoration, scientific research, and conservation purposes

Pillars & goals
Approach
Team & partners

Everything we do is guided by a clear vision, a realisable mission, our core values, and a foundational set of pillars and goals.

  • A harmonious future where diverse wildlife thrives in natural habitats, coexisting with empowered communities.

  • To protect and restore critical and unique habitats for nature and humanity.

  • Nature guardians

    We are dedicated to expanding protected areas within the Greater Maasai Mara ecosystem, adding over 10,000 hectares of protected land to the area.

    Pro community and its culture

    We strive to provide equal opportunities for everyone; value and celebrate the strength and cultural diversity of our community; and support culturally sound projects.

    Data-driven decision making

    We use data from our research efforts to guide our choices. These findings guarantee that each decision is based on objective insights, thereby promoting transparency and accountability.

    Constantly innovative

    We encourage a culture of curiosity and a space for creativity, generating new ideas, and setting the benchmark for the conservation of the larger Mara ecosystem.

  • Research

    Enhance understanding and expertise in ecosystem restoration.

    Restoration & conservation

    Restore degraded ecosystems and conserve existing healthy ecosystems.

    Technology

    Use cutting-edge technology for monitoring ecosystem dynamics.

    Community wellbeing

    Create opportunities for residents to actively participate in conservation projects.

  • Accountant and administrator

    A committed and detail-oriented professional, Shadrack has been meeting the accounting needs of Enarau Conversancy and individuals for the past six years. Responsible for the conservancy’s financial reports, liability, accounts, and delivery and management of its budgets, Shadrack Shadrack holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and a CPAC from Kirinyaga University, and has proven a bedrock in the setting up and growth of the Conservancy. For more, please contact us.

  • Strategic Advisor + Resource Mobiliser

    Recipient of an MSc in Water Technology and BA in Environmental and Biosystems Engineering, Harrison pioneered the Enarau Conservancy concept. Drawing on his experience as a consultant at Maa Trust and his success in leading restoration initiatives in the Mara with CERK (where he currently serves as Savanna Hub Manager), he sees the conservancy as an opportunity to expand and test restoration techniques and monitoring protocols on a landscape scale. For more, please contact us.

Advisory Committee 

  • Scientific advisor

    A botanist, lecturer, propagation specialist, and certified ecological restoration practitioner in training, Andrew is Research Manager at the Centre for Ecosystem Restoration (CER), where he leads the design and implementation of research in ecosystem restoration projects across three diverse landscapes, including the highlands, savanna, and the coast. He sees ecosystem restoration as vital to mitigating human-induced impacts, promoting biodiversity, and ensuring sustainable environmental practices. For more, see please contact us.  

  • Technical Advisor

    Francis has been passionate about wildlife and environmental preservation throughout his career in conservation. Having studied Wildlife Management at the Kenya Wildlife Training Institute and then worked both as research and data assistant at the Mara Elephant Project and Conservancy Manager at Enarau, he is known for his innovative strategies combining conservation efforts with community development, and for his technological expertise. Francis joined the Advisory Committee in 2024. For more, please contact us.

  • Chairman of the Trust

    A revered leader and committed to bringing about positive social and environment change to the locality and the wider Mara, Mokona Ole Nabaala retired from his decades-long role as chief of Lemek in the early 2000s and served for a long time as an ex-officio for the Koiyiaki-Lemek Wildlife Trust. In 2022, Mokona founded the Enarau Conservancy with the express goal of stopping encroachment caused by agricultural activities in the area and reclaiming habitats for wildlife. For more, please contact us.

Meet our team

Founding Members 

  • Ambassador and Partner Advocate

    Having visited Kenya in the 1970s, Neil returned in 2015 to find the land he remembered as thriving facing serious challenges of degradation. Seeing a part he might play – alongside local Samburu and Maasai communities – he joined Maa Trust as a trustee, supported Kenya Wildlife Trust, and started the One Mara Research Hub and the Centre for Ecosystem Restoration Kenya. This led to his support for the formation of Enarau Conservancy, and to which he has contributed a significant amount of his own funds. For more, please contact us.    

The conservancy’s rangers

  • Tree Nursery attendant

    Lesetu Nabaala grew up in the beautiful Lemek Hills in Maasai Mara, where he learned to love nature. He went to Kenya Forestry College to learn more about taking care of forests and the environment. In January 2024, Lesetu joined Enarau Conservancy, transitioning into the role of a nursery attendant where he will nurture native plant species to be used in initiatives aimed at rejuvenating degraded landscapes using indigenous seedlings. For more, please contact us.

  • Ambassador and Partner Advocate

    Paul represents Wild Philanthropy, a charitable foundation designed to protect at-risk ecosystems and support vulnerable communities in Africa by enabling those communities to realise the value of conservation through tourism. In the main, this means introducing travellers to a way of travel that makes for a net positive impact and traveller-donors to projects that fit with their philanthropic goals and objectives. Wild Philanthropy became a partner to and ambassoder for Enarua in 2022. For more, see Wild Philanthropy.

  • The whole team

    Our rangers tirelessly protect Enarau's natural wonders, acting as the first line of defence against unlawful practices like logging, charcoal burning, bushmeat hunting, and uncontrolled grazing. As conservation ambassadors, they not only safeguard the diverse ecosystems, but also serve as guardians for local communities, and are adept at addressing Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) issues. They maintain ecological balance and foster coexistence between nature and community in the conservancy. They are vital to the conservancy's mission. For more, please contact us.

  • Head Ranger

    Originating from Maasai Education and initially joining the Enarau as a tree nursery attendant in 2022, Jack rose through the ranks, being promoted to ranger, and eventually assuming the role of Head Ranger team, and being awarded the rank of corporal. He oversees the ranger team, coordinates members at the outpost, and relays information to management at the headquarters. He makes plans for the daily patrols that are the conservancy's frontline defence. Along with his team, he is central to the furthering of the conservancy’s mission. For more, please contact us.

  • Conservancy Manager

    In possession of BScs in Biochemistry and Education in Science, Dalton has spent much of his life pursuing an early fascination with the workings of nature and how it influences human development. Whether in the classroom or on fieldwork, he remains dedicated to expanding knowledge and fostering a greater understanding of the world around us. Dalton joined Enarau Conservancy in 2024. For more, please contact us.  

  • Research Assistant

    Victor is a dedicated Research Assistant with a background in conservation. Transitioning from his role as an Intern to a Tree Nursery Attendant and now a Research Assistant, Victor now focuses on monitoring and conducting research on vegetation, bird, and mammal populations at Enarau. He plays a key role in implementing holistic grazing management practices to promote coexistence between livestock and wildlife. For more, please contact us.

Our partners

  • MMWCA is an umbrella organisation representing all conservancies in the Mara region.

  • Centre for Ecosystem Restoration is dedicated to research and restoration efforts in Kenya's ecosystems.

  • The Maa Trust is a non-profit organisation working together with community-owned wildlife conservancies in Maasai Mara, Kenya.

  • The Mara Elephant Project works to reduce incidences of human-elephant conflict as well as address threats posed by poaching and habitat destruction.

  • Wild Philanthropy focuses on supporting conservation and community development initiatives in wilderness areas.

  • Kenya Wildlife Service is a government agency responsible for wildlife conservation and management in Kenya.

  • Basecamp Explorer Foundation was established to fight the extinction of wildlife by teaming up with the local communities.

  • Mara Predator Conservation Programme (MPCP) focuses on interdisciplinary scientific research.

  • Seedballs Kenya provides indigenous tree & grass seeds in a protective & nutritious biochar ball and promotes no-till reforestation & pasture regeneration.

  • ASI works to help wildlife threatened by climate change, habitat destruction, illegal wildlife trade, poor legislation, and inadequate law enforcement.

Conservation

Community

Newsroom

  • Support our conservation projects

    Help us to conserve and protect a critical wildlife corridor connecting Enarau conservancy to the Mbokishi Conservation Area in the Greater Mara Ecosystem.

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