Conservation & Community

Conservation & Community

The ol lentille conservancy

Our 15-year effort to create a 40,000-acre conservancy has resulted in the rewilding of a remote and beautiful part of Africa, with flora and fauna having returned in numbers not seen in human memory. The sustainability of the Conservancy, in a semi-arid part of the country, is a never-ending endeavour, with droughts and illegal grazing by pastoralists constant threats to the health of its flora and fauna.

The Ol Lentille Conservancy is a pioneering example of community-based conservation, which aims to align the interests of tourism and conservation with those of the communities who own the land. The Conservancy has no fences and is patrolled by a team of rangers who seek to protect it in a sensitive and collaborative manner, allowing for the passage of animals on their migratory routes.

Conservation & Community

An extraordinary partnership

In a pioneering example of community-tourism partnership, the lodge was donated to the community on whose land it sits (the Kijabe community). It is managed under a long term agreement by the current investors.

The four communities involved in the Ol Lentille Conservancy benefit directly from tourism. Each receives a share of the Conservation Fee levied on visitors to be used on community development initiatives according to their own self-defined needs. They also benefit from employment and training opportunities with the lodge.

Conservation & Community

A remarkable Recovery

The combination of community will and the lodge’s management skills, supported by the African Wildlife Foundation, has led to an astonishing recovery of wildlife and habitat. The Conservancy has gone from over-grazed semi-desert to an abundance of flora and fauna in a few short years. With grass recovery, erosion has been halted and the Ldarboi spring, dead for at least 100 years, has come back to life. With improved vegetation cover, rainwater can permeate the soil, resulting in increased precipitation, creating a virtuous cycle of re-greening, and the return of wildlife in significant numbers.

Conservation & Community

The security team

Protecting the Ol Lentille Conservancy is a constant struggle in such a vast and rugged area, with many parts inaccessible by car. We employ 24 rangers, led by a Head Warden, and supported by three squad commanders. The uniformed, armed rangers are all employed from the local communities, including two female rangers. They have been trained by the Kenya Police Reserve (KPR) and 51 Degrees, a training outfit run by ex-Special Air Service personnel. Some of them are members of the KPR, which gives them police enforcement powers. The security team run anti-poaching patrols, mitigate human-wildlife conflict, deal with cattle encroachment on the Conservancy and generally ensure the security of the local communities.

Conservation & Community

How to help

We are determined, with your help, to make a deep, lasting and sensitive impression on a small place that will positively impact the environment as well as the livelihoods of a traditional but dynamic people. If you’d like to help, please speak to our General Manager for an overview of needs in Conservation, Education and other areas. The lodge can facilitate the deployment of donations and the execution of community and conservation projects.