Ecosystem Awareness Among Maasai

Interviewee

Wilson Naitoi

Maasai Ranger for Mara Conservancy, Koiyaki Wilderness Guiding School graduate

Interviewers

Alison M. Jones

NWNL Director and Photographer

Alison M Fast

Videographer

Mara Conservancy, Kenya, on September 27, 2013

Introductory Note

Wilson Naitoi entered the Koiyaki Wilderness Guiding School, thanks to tuition support from the Mara Conservancy and another Mara Conservancy donor. He then followed his dream to learn more about the Maasai Mara ecosystem and its wildlife and how best to care for Kenya’s unique species and life-giving water resources.

NWNL is proud to have helped Wilson on his path and thrilled to meet his family in the TransMara above the Oloololo escarpment. Wilson has become an effective ambassador for the Mara Conservancy Triangle, local forests and indigenous wildlife. His impacts are part of a broad effort to spread the importance of protecting our watersheds and their biodiversity.

Outline

EDUCATION of a MAASAI RANGER
EDUCATION of a MAASAI COMMUNITY

Key Quote While the Maasai are now learning about saving their forests, we are also spreading the message to others about the importance of habitats and habitat loss. – Wilson Naitoi

EDUCATION of a MAASAI RANGER

NWNL Wilson, you were an early graduate of the Koiyaki Wilderness Guiding School in the Maasai Mara. Congratulations on your degree. And congratulations on your financial support from the Mara Conservancy in your school fee, and the Conservancy hiring you now as a ranger here. Tell us how these two opportunities have benefited you – and your family.

WILSON NATOI They have benefitted me because I’m working now, and I have the chance to pass a message to everyone about the guiding school and how important it is. It is exciting to know that every Maasai who like me is interested in wildlife and our Mara ecosystem can have this very important education.

I brought back this message to my community, and am sharing all those things I learned there. Now we have some the students from my home are who going to the Koiyaki Guiding School. They are there now studying and soon will be working like me. Some have already gotten a job in conservation.

NWNL As you were learning about conservation, would you go home and share it with your family and your neighbors?

WILSON NATOI Oh yes, and I hear people talk about what I have done. They tell our friends at home that I’m a friend to elephants because I work in the conservation area where there are many elephants and lions. The community is learning that conservation is about working together. Sometimes there is human-wildlife conflict. We will come from the Mara Conservancy and take photos to document the animals killed by the lions and leopards.

NWNL So, after your schooling at Koiyaki, you now understand the importance of conservation and keeping habitat and rivers healthy. But do the people who live just outside the Conservancy feel the Maasai-Mara National Reserve is important? Do they see the benefits of the Conservancy protecting and maintaining this ecosystem?

EDUCATION of a MAASAI COMMUNITY

WILSON NATOI There are some other organizations helping with this job. WWF is trying to train the people about the problem created by the loss of habitats. At home, everybody has his portion of land. Once you clear all your trees for farming and cattle, then when you want to build your house, you must buy trees from another person. It’s very painful. So, people are now really understanding about their role in conservation of the trees and rivers. Now they know. This is a message going around to the Maasai.

They have a very good example with the problems the Kisii people face. They have no more indigenous forest. Everybody in Kisii Land cleared their lands, so the good trees are gone. Ther has been no re-planting trees. While the Maasai are now learning about saving their forests, we are also spreading the message to others about the importance of habitats and habitat loss.

NWNL Is there a conflict among the Maasai about whether to preserve the forest or whether to cut down more trees for more cattle because there are more children and more people?

WILSON NATOI Even the chief from the community is now telling them not to cut the trees. Maasai people must now get a permit from the chief to be able to cut their trees or clear their forest. Otherwise they aren’t allowed to cut. That is the message to the Maasai people nowadays. Plus, the government is trying to tell them about the importance of the habitats, loss of forest.

The WWF has brought their information to the chief and the communities. So now, for instance, if the government sees me cutting the trees around my home without permission of the chief, they will arrest me. This is just trying to conserve this forest for the young generation.

NWNL Why it is important to keep the trees? What do the trees do? Why is the forest important?

WILSON NATOI First, the trees are just beautiful. They also bring the rain which is very good. You breathe well when you are with trees.

Also. we have a lot of flies, because we have the animals – cows, goats, sheep. The animals aren’t molested in the Maasai lands, because we have trees and they stay there. Where there are no trees, there are no animals. So, that’s important.

NWNL Wilson, thank you for sharing with us how the Maasai have understood the importance of keeping their forest, whether it’s because of flies, or need for wood to build homes, or trees helping to store water.

Good luck to you and your community during this drought. And again, congratulations on your Koiyaki degree in conservation.

Posted by NWNL on May 28, 2024.
Transcription edited and condensed for clarity by Alison M. Jones.

Ecosystem Awareness Among Maasai Mara River Basin