Natural Habitat Adventures Supports Community-Based Conservation in the Serengeti

The Serengeti. Its name alone conjures images of sweeping savannas, thundering herds of wildebeest in chaotic motion, and the golden glow of the East African sunset.

The Serengeti is both an administrative district and a national park in Tanzania, but when most people use the term, we refer to the entire Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, historically a haven for wildlife and home to communities with deep-rooted connections to the land.

But both wildlife and local communities face mounting threats across the Serengeti. Expanding populations and development are putting enormous strain on natural resources, and climate change is making water scarce.

As a result, Nat Hab is proud to partner with and support Friends of Serengeti, a non-profit membership organization that facilitates traveler support of conservation, education and other benefits to people living within and around protected natural areas of the Serengeti.

This year, Nat Hab Philanthropy contributed to an ecoagriculture program spearheaded by a local Maasai leader. The program is designed to help secure the future of both people and wildlife in the Serengeti.

Read on for more about the challenges facing the Serengeti and the ecoagriculture pilot program Nat Hab Philanthropy supported through Friends of Serengeti.

The Serengeti Ecosystem: Natural Wonder at Risk

Spanning approximately 12,000 square miles (30,000 km²), the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem includes the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. It is one of the most famous and biologically diverse regions on the planet, supporting over 1.5 million wildebeest, 250,000 zebra and hundreds of thousands of antelope during the Great Migration.

Serengeti means “endless plains” in the Maasai language. As vast as this landscape may sound, the Serengeti is increasingly a shrinking island in a sea of people. And it’s not just overtourism and development causing strain— population growth in Tanzania is one of the highest in the world, and growth rates around the Serengeti are among the highest in Tanzania.

Tanzania’s population will more than double by mid-century, from 69 million people now to 93 million in 2035 to 130 million in 2050. A team of scientists from seven countries studied data from 40 years and found,

“The activities of people have caused extreme changes to the habitat. It has significantly reduced the amount of grass and, because of farms, settlements and fences, the landscape has become fragmented – this means animals can’t move freely to find resources or mate.”   – Joseph Ogutu

This exponential growth puts tremendous pressure on land, wildlife and resources.

Multifaceted Threats Facing the Serengeti

The Serengeti is facing an array of interwoven challenges driven by human expansion, climate change and environmental degradation. These threats are not distant concerns—they’re unfolding now, altering the delicate balance of the ecosystem.

• Habitat Fragmentation: Farms, settlements and fencing are fragmenting the landscape, preventing wildlife from migrating freely. This affects mating patterns and access to vital grazing lands.
• Overgrazing and Land Degradation: Increasing livestock numbers contribute to soil erosion and diminishing resources for native herbivores. Growing herds of livestock not only threaten water sources for wildlife but have also led to increased crepuscular activity by large herbivores, including wildebeest. Species are reducing their daytime activity and becoming more active at night.
• Water Scarcity: Deforestation and unsustainable agriculture are diminishing water catchments, threatening both wildlife and pastoralist communities. Water is becoming harder to find, and herders must go farther to find it, often encroaching on agricultural land and protected areas.
• Climate Change: Droughts, once occurring every five to six years, are now more frequent—every two to three years. Longer, more frequent droughts and heavy water usage for crop irrigation threaten water supplies both from rivers and free-standing water, the ability of grasslands to support large herds of herbivores, and the normal seasonal movements of animals.

As a result, wildlife is being squeezed into the core of the Serengeti, increasing vulnerability to droughts and decreasing soil carbon storage and nitrogen fixation rates.

Additional challenges include:

• Invasive, ornamental plants displace native species and affect the nutrition of wildlife.
• Roads and other human development fragment the ecosystem.
• Poaching has changed from individuals supplementing the family diet to organized initiatives, a byproduct of legalized bushmeat markets.
• Cultural Change: Maasai cultural identity and traditional ways of life are challenged by changes in land use, climate and restrictions on grazing. It’s a radical change from pastoralism to agriculture.

Michael Santeto of the Pastoral Development Network in Kenya explains: “Reducing herds is a reality pastoralists have to grapple with. Because of the bulging population, space is shrinking, and adaptive strategies have to be sought.”

Community-Driven Conservation in Action

It’s clear the situation in the Serengeti requires transformation. An Ngorongoro District Commissioner said, “The situation is at a tipping point, stakeholders need to stretch their minds to the limit to come up with solutions.”

But how do we address the complex array of interlocking challenges simultaneously?

One solution to simultaneously address food security, land use, conservation and cultural identity originates with one Maasai man and engages cooperative groups of Maasai women in sustainable economic development.

Meyasi Meshilieck, a Maasai with a science education degree and years of experience as a teacher and department head, is Director of the Serengeti Preservation Foundation. At his Saravu Farm outside Arusha he has developed and piloted a holistic ecoagricultural program to promote human welfare and biodiversity through improved dairy cows, land management and women’s empowerment.

What is ecoagriculture?

“Ecoagriculture is an approach to managing landscapes specifically to meet three goals simultaneously and sustainably: conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services, provide agricultural products, and support viable livelihoods for local people.”

The program piloted at Saravu Farm has four cornerstones:

• Women’s Empowerment/Population
• Community/Family Welfare
• Climate Change Mitigation
• Wildlife Habitat Conservation

Empowering Maasai Women Through Sustainable Dairy Farming

In 2023, 30 women participated in the initial training, learning sustainable grazing techniques and how to care for improved cattle breeds. New workshops will divide women into cooperatives of 20 women who will receive hybrid cows. Milk production will give them income to grow and make them eligible for micro-loans.

Key outcomes of the program include:

• Improve family nutrition, health, and income:
  High-yield cattle breeds reduce the need for large herds, increasing milk production while alleviating pressure on the land. Sales from excess production will provide income to purchase other food supplies and send children to school.
• Help protect the Serengeti and surrounding ecosystems:
  Reducing livestock density, reversing land degradation and moderating the growth of the human population are key to sustainable conservation. Conservation is the key to generating income from tourism, which provides more sustainable income and jobs for the country.
• Empower Maasai Women:
  Women are trained in dairy farming and form cooperatives that generate income, promote education and qualify for micro-loans. Empowering women is key to reducing poverty and population growth and improving family and community well-being.
• Mitigate climate impacts on water, land and food security:
  The program allows families to reduce herd size and pressure on the ecosystem. Whether it is zero grazing or a hybrid system with some herding, the amount of land, time, and water needed can be reduced.

The aim now is to expand rapidly into as many communities and areas as possible. This will involve the purchase and donation of new breeds of cattle and expanded training. The full rollout will involve ongoing training, monitoring, and evaluation, veterinary services and marketing.

This pilot program can also serve as a model for other protected areas in Tanzania where similar threats are facing growing numbers of people and livestock. Tanzania has one of the highest cattle populations in Africa but lacks the training and facilities to create a sustainable value chain of milk and meat production.

 

Supporting Friends of Serengeti through Conservation Travel

Friends of Serengeti partners with sustainable tourism companies to preserve the Serengeti ecosystem and benefit the wildlife and people who live within and around its protected areas.

Members involve travelers by giving them information on issues and asking for voluntary donations when paying for their trips. It works with partner organizations on the ground to identify needs and carry out projects. It is modeled after the successful International Galapagos Tour Operators Association.

At Nat Hab, our commitment to conservation and sustainable development inspires our leadership role in boosting grassroots efforts in places our guests have come to know and love. We are in a privileged position to witness the marvels of this ecosystem from our private safari camps across the Mara and Serengeti. Through Nat Hab Philanthropy, we support local grassroots efforts worldwide.

In the past, Nat Hab’s financial contributions have supported Friends of Serengeti community conservation initiatives such as:

• The Serengeti Teachers Environmental Program (STEP). STEP provides Tanzanian primary and secondary science teachers with training on environmental issues and wildlife protection. The program also creates conservation-focused curricula and encourages students to help with outreach by planting trees and leading community clean-ups.
• Women’s Empowerment. This program prioritizes women’s education, health and economic welfare by providing them with opportunities to generate income and sustain wealth through activities such as beekeeping and honey sales.
• Radio Programming. In conjunction with a UNESCO-sponsored Maasai radio station, this program broadcasts educational messages to the entire region of Musoma, Maasai Mara, Loliondo area and some parts of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and gives communities a platform to exchange conservation ideas in their native languages of Swahili and Maa.

Nat Hab Philanthropy’s contribution in 2024 reflects its unwavering commitment to Friends of Serengeti and the belief that sustainable tourism can secure a future for both people and wildlife.

 

Supporting Sustainable Travel in the Serengeti

The Serengeti stands at a crossroads. With Tanzania’s population surging and environmental pressures mounting, bold solutions are needed to safeguard this iconic landscape. Programs like Meyasi Meshilieck’s ecoagriculture initiative provide a beacon of hope, demonstrating that local knowledge and empowerment can—and should—drive sustainable change.

As travelers, conservationists and global citizens, we all have a role to play. Through Nat Hab Philanthropy and Friends of Serengeti, travelers have the opportunity to make a difference. Every journey we take to the Serengeti region is a step toward preserving this extraordinary ecosystem for generations to come.

Join us in supporting grassroots initiatives that make a real difference—for the land, the wildlife and the people who call the Serengeti home.