One of the world’s great challenges is to find ways of conserving wildlife while at the same time helping local communities to meet their own development needs and improve their quality of life. It is a delicate balancing act, requiring initiative and innovation. Jonathan and Angie actively support and endorse the work of the following organizations:

Our Mission statement:

We have been fortunate to visit some of the remotest corners of our planet, celebrating its beauty through our work. Photographs taken from outer space paint a vivid picture of our earth, the world’s oceans and mountain ranges rendered in primary colours of blue, brown and green, culminating in the stunning whiteness of the Polar Regions. Seen like this – a mere speck in the cosmos - our planet seems at once breathtakingly beautiful yet all too fragile. Through our work as photographers and artists, our books and television documentaries, we hope to make our own small contribution to helping to protect Planet Earth, and invite you to join us in this endeavour.

The Cheetah Conservation Fund’s (CCF)

The Cheetah Consevation Fund's aim is to research and implement strategies for cheetah conservation in its natural habitat. Founded in 1990 by Dr Laurie Marker, CCF is a Namibian non-profit association dedicated to the long-term survival of the cheetah and its ecosystems. Activities include conducting international research, conservation and education programmes to ensure the survival of the cheetah for future generations. CCF operates a programme in Kenya. Jonathan and Angie are passionate about trying to help protect predators throughout the world with a particular interest in big cats. They currently work on the ‘cheetah team’ during filming of Big Cat Diary/Week and have enjoyed spending weeks at a time in the company of such charismatic cheetahs as Kike and Honey in the Masai Mara. They have visited CCF in Namibia on a number of occasions, and witnessed CCF’s work with local communities, ranchers and schools in helping to ensure a future for this most elegant of big cats. Jonathan is a UK Patron of CCF. www.cheetah.org

The Bishop Simeon Trust (BST)

The Bishop Simeon Trust was established in the UK in 1989 to support, through education and welfare projects, those most disadvantaged South Africans. BST funds HIV/AIDS and education projects within South Africa that help people of all faiths - and none - to overcome the inequalities that remain as a result of apartheid. Jonathan’s sister-in-law Judith Scott was instrumental in founding BST and she and her husband Clive have worked tirelessly with their supporters to ensure a fitting legacy befitting the work of their great friend the late Bishop Simeon Nkoane. Jonathan stayed three months with Simeon in Johannesburg at the end of his overland trip through Africa in 1975, and was inspired by Simeon’s unfailing courage, dignity and leadership during the dark days of apartheid. Today the BST has the satisfaction of seeing ex-students as doctors, lecturers, community leaders and politicians playing a full part in the building of the new South Africa. Jonathan is a UK Patron of BST. www.bstrust.org

The East African Wildlife Society (EAWS)

The East African Wildlife Society was founded in 1961 as the Kenya Wildlife Society and has been in the forefront of active conservation in the region ever since. EAWS is committed to promoting conservation and wise use of East Africa’s wildlife and environment. Jonathan served for many years as a member of the Swara Editorial Committee responsible for monitoring the content of the society’s excellent wildlife magazine. Jonathan and Angie have helped to raise funds for the purchase of a computer and a generator, and continue to support the societies work, and strongly recommend that anyone interested in East Africa’s wildlife becomes a member of the society.

P.O. Box 20110
Riara Road
Nairobi
Kenya
Tel: + 254 2 574145
Fax: + 254 2 570335
Email: esws@kenyaweb.com
Web: www.eawlite.org

Friends of Conservation (FOC)

Friends of Consevation joins with local people and partners to support sustainable ways of living in harmony with wildlife, ecosystems and the environment, and seeks to ensure that future generations benefit from the continued protection of the natural heritage of our planet. FOC began life as Friends of the Masai Mara through the vision of Abercrombie and Kent’s Jorie Butler Kent and Geoffrey Kent. Jonathan served for many years on the Conservation Committee of FOC. Jonathan and Angie’s lecture at the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) in London in 2003 on behalf of FOC raised £11,000 pounds for Cheetah 1, a predator surveillance vehicle donated to the Mara Conservancy to help monitor tourist activity. A similar function at the RGS in 2004 raised sufficient funds for the purchase of a Land Rover for the Narok County Council, to be used for similar purposes on the east side of the Mara River. For those many visitors to the Masai Mara who feel they would like to contribute something to the conservation of the area and its wildlife, FOC is a worthy recipient of funding.

16-18 Denbigh Street
London SW1V ZER
Tel: + 44 (0) 207 592 0110
Fax: + 44 (0) 207 828 4856
Email: focinfo@aol.com
Web: www.foc-uk.com

The Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT)

The Galapagos Conservation Trust is a UK based charitable organization whose purpose is to promote knowledge of the Galapagos Islands and to raise funds for, and awareness of, the conservation needs of the Galapagos Islands. Many of you will have read about the threats to these enchanting islands: the dramatic influx of people eager to seek employment on the islands, conflict with local fishermen, the threat that large numbers of tourists pose to this fragile environment, and the widespread threat to sharks from the shark-fin-soup industry. Jonathan and Angie visited the islands for the first time in 2004 and have recently become UK Patrons of GCT. www.gct.org

The Green Belt Movement

The Green Belt Movement was founded in 1977 by charismatic environmental campaigner Dr. Wangari Maathai, blossoming into an Africa-wide initiative that has galvanized followers to plant more than 30 million trees across the continent. In Kenya’s rural communities alone, women have created tree nurseries and planted nearly 900,000 trees. In 2004 Dr. Maathai received the Nobel Peace Prize for her work: ‘When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and hope.’ With great courage and disregard for her own wellbeing, Dr. Maathai has steadfastly campaigned for the empowerment of women, the struggle for democracy and human rights, and broad scale environmental conservation. Today she is Patron of the Billion Tree Campaign, urging leaders to raise awareness on climate change and avoid deforestation in their respective countries: ‘In Kenya for example, if the Government directs every farmer to plant 25 trees in every acre of land, our forest cover would increase from the current 1.7% to 10% which is the globally accepted minimum.’ Angie is passionate about trees and gardening and is busily taking up the challenge! We can all play our part in this initiative by planting trees or paying someone else to do so on our behalf to reduce our carbon footprint. www.greenbeltmovement.org or www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign

Rhino Ark

Rhino Ark is a Charitable Trust helping to conserve one of Kenya’s finest indigenous forests and its total habitat by resolving human/wildlife conflict in the Aberdare mountain range and its ecosystem by raising funds to fence the area. In this way Rhino Ark is helping to ensure that all stake-holders benefit and the rhino, bongo, indeed all flora and fauna species will be secure. Rhino Ark’s world-famous annual Rhino Charge offers teams of contestants in four-wheel-drive-vehicles the chance to test themselves against the most arduous off-road terrain Kenya has to offer. Team sponsorship raises substantial sums of money to help fund the construction and maintenance of 400 kms of electric fence designed to protect the Aberdare Conservation Area (incorporating Aberdare National Park), and minimise conflict between wildlife and the local human population. The Aberdares are home of the world-famous Ark and Treetops hotels. Jonathan is a UK Patron of RA.

PO Box 181 - Uhuru Gardens Postal Code: 00517 Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: 254-2-609866 / 604246
Fax: 254-2-604246
Mobiles: 0733-632460 / 072-230929
Email: rhinoark@wananchi.com
Web: www.rhinoark.org

Local Ocean Trust (LOT) and Watamu Turtle Watch (WTW).

WTW was formed in 1997 to focus conservation efforts on sea Turtles in Kenya’s Watamu Marine Park and along the shores of Mida Creek, with a related education programme. It soon became apparent that the future success of this project was intrinsically linked to the well being of the surrounding marine environment and to the protection of turtles across their migratory range. Concerned by the widespread degradation of the Kenyan marine ecosystem and national exploitation of marine turtles, in 2002 WTW spawned a ‘big brother, the LOT, to undertake the general marine conservation work for WTW both locally and nationally. WTW remains as the flagship programme, focusing specifically on sea turtle conservation through research, education and awareness, conducted with the active participation of the local people.