Location
  • Kenya
    • Nakuru
Length
2 to 12 weeks
Health & Safety

Program Details

Age Min.
18
Timeframe
Year Round
Housing
Tent
Travel Type
Solo

Pricing

Starting Price
1650
Price Details
Program Cost: $3295 – $8795
*Every second Monday
* 2 - 12 weeks
What's Included
Accommodation Airport Transfers Equipment Meals
What's Not Included
Airfare Domestic Airfare Meals Travel Insurance Visa
Sep 12, 2024
Feb 10, 2025
1 traveler is looking at this program

About Program

Don't miss the unique opportunity to be part of African Impact's Big Cat & Elephant Research and Conservation Project in the Pardamat Conservation Area of Kenya. Uncover new learnings, adventures, and authentic African experience in the newly established conservancy and a key area in the Greater Maasai Mara Ecosystem. Join the team in conducting applied wildlife research on some of the most iconic wildlife animals: the big cats - lions and cheetahs - as well as elephants and wild dogs. Your gathered data using field-based monitoring and evaluation techniques will make a vital contribution to the ongoing and long-term conservancy management plans.

Everyday is a chance to witness the magnificent display of wildlife as your comfortable permanent safari-style tents will be in the heart of the wilderness of the greater Maasai Mara Ecosystem. Gain a memorable experience engaging with the community and getting immersed in the Maasai Culture.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion 💙

African Impact strictly adheres to a non-discrimination policy that prohibits any form of bias or discrimination based on race, color or ethnicity within our projects. We have a code of conduct which all volunteers are required to follow, and we welcome all volunteers who are interested in creating a lasting impact in Africa.
African Impact prides itself on being an inclusive organization, and we welcome all members of the LGBTQIA+ community to join our projects. We have a strict non-discrimination policy, and all volunteers and staff are required to follow a code of conduct that ensures all participants are treated with respect.

Impact 🌎

Ensuring that our projects are making a viable impact in local communities and contribute sustainably to conservation is our priority. We believe that volunteering is very much a two-way thing which brings value to both the local people and wildlife and the volunteers themselves, who benefit from an authentic cultural exchange and knowledge transfer about a new country, its environment and threats facing its animals.
Responsible travel is about travellers making informed and responsible choices, and planning trips which have a positive impact on the country they’re visiting. Through careful planning, we seek to have a positive and sustainable impact on the social, cultural and physical environment at each of our project bases.

Our Child Protection Policy has been vetted and approved by Keeping Children Safe (KCS), who represent a commitment by organizations worldwide to safeguard all children from exploitation, abuse and violations of their human rights.

Program Highlights

  • Research: Use field-based techniques to conduct research on lions, leopards, cheetahs and elephants
  • Physical Conservation: Assist with invasive species removal, soil erosion control, de-fencing and opening new game drive tracks
  • Game Drives: Enjoy game drives in the iconic East African landscapes as you work on the edge of the Maasai Mara
  • Cultural Immersion: Engage with the rich and vibrant local Maasai tribes in the area
  • Community Outreach: Spread conservation and eco-awareness in Kenya communities

Program Impact

BIG CAT AND WILD DOG MONITORING
Volunteers will gather data which will be a vital contribution to the conservation initiative coordinated by Kenya Wildlife Trust. Volunteers will go on daily game drives in to track, identify, monitor, and record big cats & wild dog.

GAME COUNTS
Volunteers will conduct regular game counts along the wildlife corridors within Pardamat Conservation Area to monitor the distribution of wildlife across the conservancy, and their behavior over time - measuring the improvements in wildlife density and movement patterns.

CONSERVANCY WORK
Volunteers will make a significant contribution to the physical conservation initiatives of the Pardamat Conservation Area, making them sustainable to successfully support its inhabitants.

Program Reviews

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Default avatar
Stanlynn
1/5
No, I don't recommend this program

Avoid the Maasai Mara project

Avoid the Maasai Mara African Impact program. I signed up for a 4 week conservation and research trip in the Maasai Mara in Kenya. The trip promised contributions to vital research with Big Cat and Elephant programs. When I arrived it was clear that there was no serious research going on, no one with research experience in charge of the project, dysfunctional administration and serious communication issues with staff who were leading the volunteers. The location where volunteers were housed and fed was located an hour or more on a rough road to the "research areas" where 1 km game drives (approx 20 minutes) collected data maybe four times a week. Lots of wasted fuel for little data. Additionally, longer drives made to a neighboring conservancy were basically 12 hour game drives with a little time out to pull weeds. It was never made clear to me how any data that was collected was used with the larger programs. I saw no definite communication between the Mara Elephant Project nor the Mara Predator Conservation project and left with a very small understanding of their mission and what they do. The research equipment consisted of one phone with Earth Ranger app installed, three camera traps with only one functioning unit. As a veteran of similar genuine research studies in the region it was clear to me that the program lacked a lead scientist to design a process that would provide infomation to serve Pardamat conservancies long range conservation plans.

The weekly school visits and trips to nearby Aitong during market day were basically diversions. The school visits were disorganzied -and with no plan, they mostly served as a disruptive experience and a big missed opportunity. When all else failed we pulled invasive weeds.

A strong warning if you are thinking of joining this program. The food is very basic -fried dough, cabbage, ugali, potatoes, rice, spaghetti without sauce -next to no fresh vegetables, and most vegetables were overcooked in the meat sauce. Rice crackers for gluten-free dieters. Fruit only if you ask for it. Not a healthy diet for volunteers.

I decided to depart the program early, as more than a few previous volunteers have done, and was met only with "thank you for your suggestions on how to improve our program". This was a lot of money wasted and I left with a very negative opinion of African Impact. If you want a real volunteer conservation experience I recommend Biosphere Expeditions and Imire Rhino Conservation (Imire resells Imire but I recommend you book direct so more money goes to conservation and not marketing).

3 people found this review helpful.

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