Category: Green

rangers walking slowly on a log to cross a small river

World Ranger Day on Mt. Kenya

Today, July 31, is World Ranger Day—a global moment to honour the dedication and bravery of rangers who protect the planet’s most vulnerable ecosystems. In Kenya, these guardians of the wild are on the frontlines of conservation, and today, their work is especially visible in the Ragati-Chehe Forest of Mt. Kenya.

Location Ragati-Chehe Forest, Mt. Kenya and Nairobi, Kenya

Patrols set out early, boots crunching along forest trails. Camera traps are checked, tracks are noted, and signs of illegal activity are recorded. At the heart of this effort is the Mountain Bongo Security Site, officially established earlier this year. 

This remote base—equipped with solar power, water storage, and accommodations—has become a vital hub for this work. It allows rangers from the Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, and community scouts to stay longer in the field, covering more ground in their mission to protect the Critically Endangered mountain bongo, of which fewer than 80 remain in the wild. The site also plays a key role in preparing for the species’ future reintroduction into this historic range.

Just beyond the forest edge, students in 22 schools are part of something special. Through Wildlife Nature Conservation Clubs, they’re learning about the mountain bongo and the ecosystems they call home. These clubs, supported by the Kenya Mountain Bongo Partnership, blend science, storytelling, and hands-on conservation, nurturing the next generation of environmental stewards.

As the sun sets over Mt. Kenya, the spotlight shifts to Nairobi. At the Muthaiga Country Club, Donna Sheppard, Conservation Program Manager, takes the stage. Based in Kenya, Donna leads the Kenya Mountain Bongo Partnership’s field-based conservation efforts. Her talk, Reviving a Forest Flagship Species, shares stories from the field, insights from traditional ecological knowledge, and the power of community-driven conservation. It’s a moment to reflect, to connect, and to inspire.

Today isn’t a milestone day—but it’s a meaningful one. A day of quiet progress, shared purpose, and unwavering commitment to a wilder future.

To reintroduce the mountain bongo to their former ranges in Kenya, we will have to go very slowly. First releasing a few individuals into a likely habitat. If we’re able to all come together and have one vision for it, with an understanding of how this can happen gradually, then we can hope to be successful with a reintroduction.

Donna Sheppard,
Conservation Program Manager
wild plants growing against a rocky terrain

Laying Groundwork in Sandy Cove

The wind is steady off the Strait of Belle Isle as Donnell Gasbarrini, Conservation Program Manager (Eastern Canada), steps onto the rocky terrain near Sandy Cove, Newfoundland. She’s here with partners from Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Limestone Barrens Species at Risk Recovery Team, on which she serves, to assess a former quarry site—one that will soon become the focus of a major restoration effort.

wild plants growing against a rocky terrain

The limestone barrens are unlike any other ecosystem in Canada. Harsh, exposed, and nutrient-poor, they support a surprising diversity of life, including three endangered plants found nowhere else on Earth: Long’s Braya, Fernald’s Braya, and the Barrens Willow. Along with these three species, there are seven other plant species-at-risk that have specialized adaptations for life on the limestone barrens. In addition to being globally rare, this ecosystem faces significant threats—from construction, quarrying, and oil exploration to biological challenges like invasive species and climate change. Decades of disturbance have left parts of the landscape damaged and overgrown with species that don’t belong. 

Today’s visit is about building partnerships and planning. Donnell and the team walk the site, take notes, and discuss how to re-establish the barren conditions these rare plants need to survive. They talk through logistics: how to remove debris and unusable soil, plans on collecting seeds and clippings to test propagation techniques, and how to prepare the site for future planting.

This is the Wilder Institute’s first dedicated priority conservation program for plants—and the first step in a long-term effort to restore one of Canada’s most fragile ecosystems. This project is not just about restoring the land but also about reconnecting communities with cultural practices tied to the landscape and building relationships with our new partners who have been working to preserve this incredible ecosystem for more than 20 years. The project hasn’t been publicly announced yet, but the groundwork is underway.

Back at the trailhead, Donnell pauses to look out over the limestone flats. The site is quiet now, but the potential is clear. With the right conditions—and the right care—this landscape can support life that exists nowhere else. And that work starts here.

Location Sandy Cove, Newfoundland

I’ve always been interested in the ability of life to exist under extreme conditions. These plant species are fascinating because of their unique ability to survive in a, by definition, “barren” landscape, where their adaptations enable them to thrive where most species could not even survive. As climate change continues to alter the world, there will be a lot to learn from these species, but first we must ensure that they do not disappear in the meantime.

Donnell Gasbarrini,
Conservation Program Manager (Eastern Canada)