For The Out Of Africa, it is important not only to be able to show you, but also your children, grandchildren and many generations, the fascinating wildlife and the beautiful nature of Africa. Africa is home to many endangered animals, which for one reason or another are still in the spotlight of poachers. They must be protected, just like the nature they live in. For this reason, in collaboration with Karen Blixen Camp, we have created the Karen Blixen Camp Trust , which is just one step on the way. With the Karen Blixen Camp Trust, a foundation has been started which, among other things, has an anti-poaching program called the Mara Elephant Project, but which also helps the locals with education and, not least, understanding of the animals in their area. The Karen Blixen Camp Trust operates throughout the Masai Mara, Kenya. An enormously large area and yet it does not seem large enough. Because of population growth, more land is needed to create food for the locals and unfortunately this often results in land being taken from the animals. Less space to graze on, and less space to hunt on, means more confrontations between animals and humans. Fortunately, through the Movable Booma Project , a sustainable way has been created for the locals to have cattle without having to fight with lions, cheetahs, hyenas and other hunters at night.

But Africa is a large continent with many countries that need help in the fight against poachers, for nature conservation and to create welfare among the locals. We are therefore also happy to be part of Black Mamba – An anti-poaching project in the Kruger National Park, where women patrol the area. This completely without weapons. Nevertheless, the project has produced impressive results. Not just in the fewer number of poachers who get lucky, but also in relation to the quality of life for the women who work with the project.

We are thus very conscious of our social responsibility – also when it comes to CO2 emissions. And how can you best do it with the interests of nature in mind? This is naturally done by planting spekboom plants. These succulents have a formidable ability to convert CO2 gases into oxygen. Just one hectare of spekboom plants can hold as much as 200 tons of CO2. Everyone who buys one of our Explore trips supports planting with spekboom and thereby achieves a reset of the CO2 footprint on the trip.

The Karen Blixen Camp Trust has been established with the aim of managing and securing nature conservation activities in the Masai Mara, Kenya. The funds for the fund are partly generated through The Out Of Africa Experience and Karen Blixen Camp guests, traveling guests at The Out Of Africa and guests who use the Karen Blixen Camp in the Masai Mara. In addition, a number of partners have chosen to collaborate with the Foundation on various projects in Mara.

The foundation works for nature conservation in the Masai Mara, which has one of the world’s largest biomass concentrations. It is one of the last places where game can continue to roam freely without fences and borders, as they have done for millennia. The area is under enormous pressure due to population growth and commercial interests such as agriculture, cattle ranching etc. and less than 50% of the area is under some form of government protection.

It is therefore crucial if, for example, large herds of elephants must continue to be able to move freely over the area’s savannas, that the area is protected and that an active effort is made to preserve this unique and magnificent nature, which for most Africa connoisseurs is such an iconic area.

It is no coincidence, for example, that people like Jonathan Scott, in collaboration with the English BBC, have been recording ‘Big Cat’s Diary’ for almost a decade, the Masai Mara, home to one of Africa’s largest populations of predators. There is only one reason for this – there is plenty of game in the larder.

The projects in the fund are generally a series of projects that all have in common that their real objective is nature conservation, i.e. protect nature and the animals that live in it, but the physical activity in the local area often deals with CSR – related activities. In other words, activities that create direct value for the local population and the opportunity to see nature as a valuable resource.

You can read much more about the Karen Blixen Camp Trust and donate an amount  HERE

Usually the Karen Blixen Camp Trust helicopter is out on larger missions for the Mara Elephant Project (MEP), protecting wildlife from poachers or preventing conflicts between the animals and the local landowners.

But the other day the helicopter team got an unusual call. Watch the touching story of the flying baby elephant.

Remember you can support the important work of the Karen Blixen Camp Trust helicopter and the Mara Elephant Project. DONATE NOW at www.karenblixencamptrust.org