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Whitley Fund for Nature: The Green Oscars
There is a prestigious environmental award that has been in existence for over 20 years. While under the radar the Whitley Fund for Nature has quietly grown from £15,000 in 1994 to £1.1 million in 2015 in annual awards. Known to insiders as the Green Oscars, it funds...
Open Letter to Ken Fulk
An Open Letter to Ken Fulk & A Standing Offer Dear Mr. Fulk, I first came across your name in a Vanity Fair article about Denise Hale where you were mentioned as her darling of design and favorite party guest. Six months later I attended an event at The Battery...
The Hunting Question
Friends Niki Rust, a large carnivore research PhD candidate (& vegan), and Peter Allison, seasoned safari professional and author of the bestseller ‘Whatever You Do, Don’t Run’ got into a lively debate about the merits and morals of the trophy hunting industry...
Kenya’s Problematic Progress
As seen in National Geographic News Watch Driving on a Friday night from the idyllic campsite to a local farm for an after-dark game count, Action for Cheetahs (ACK) lead researcher Cosmas Wambua navigates a treacherous highway. The notorious Mombassa Road is a...
Tech & the Cheetah
As seen in National Geographic News Watch Some regions of Kenya have better cell phone reception than the heart of San Francisco’s financial district. This is no exaggeration. One can easily make a call or text from the Maasai Mara National Reserve. It’s changed the...
Open Letter to Mindy Budgor
Dear Mindy, I’ve debated penning this letter for a few weeks but as it comes clear that American media is continuing to promote your book, I’ve made the decision to speak out. Since you have not responded to the multitudes of Maasai women, perhaps you will listen to...
The Cheetah, the Maasai & the Tourist
As seen in National Geographic NewsWatch The wildebeest are on high alert. Following their gaze I see two male cheetah staring back at them. Their cover blown, one brother turns in the opposite direction to consider the nearby topi. The topi are having none it. They...
Mamma Cheetah’s Outreach in Samburu
As seen in National Geographic’s NewsWatch “Mamma Cheetah!” someone shouts at us from the crowds of people strolling through the dusty streets. The Action for Cheetahs in Kenya team just filled up the truck and is pulling out of the rough–n-tumble town of Isiolo....
The Cheetah & The San Bushmen of Botswana
While traveling with Cheetah Conservation Botswana, I had the rare experience to meet the Nai Nai San Bushmen of the Central Kalahari. The name Nai Nai translates directly as “people of the bush” thus they consider themselves to be the true bushmen. This small family...
We are Cheetah Friendly – Part II
“We are cheetah friendly”. The sign hangs on the gates of farms who participate in Cheetah Outreach’s Livestock Guardian Dog Program. In a land where commercial farming has encroached on wildlife for generations, certain NGOs and farmers are working together to create...
We are Cheetah Friendly – Part I
“Howzit? How are the cheetahs?” ask my new friends in Cape Town. “I’m going to Bray for a few days.” “Where??” When even a South African hasn’t heard of this place, I know I’m in for another adventure. Bray is a frontier post located 200 meters from the border of...
The African Poaching Crisis & America’s Responsibility
Following Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s speech on the poaching crisis, the U.S. International Conservation Caucus held a hearing to focus the American government’s response to threats to African stability and American security from increasingly aggressive...