Today on #WorldGiraffeDay, we highlight the threats facing the tallest land animal🦒 as well as AWF's programmatic interventions working with communities and partners to protect the species. All giraffe subspecies in Africa are threatened by habitat loss, poaching and #climatechange. These elegant herbivores play an important ecological role in maintaining the integrity of large landscapes. As browsers, their feeding habits contribute to the health and diversity of the ecosystem they live in. Additionally, they are key seed dispersers often feeding on seeds that pass through their digestive systems undamaged. Eventually they disperse these seeds when they excrete, allowing for plant species to regenerate. Together with the Anne Innis Dagg (AID) Foundation, AWF has since 2021 worked in the Mkomazi landscape in Tanzania to engage #communities on land use plans that protect corridors and wildlife dispersal areas. The transboundary region serves as a critical dispersal zone for wildlife. Apart from collaborating with Tanzanian agencies to establish the status of giraffe poaching and keeping track of giraffe populations, AWF also engages community game scouts and wildlife monitors. Community outreach is central to giraffe conservation initiatives, particularly amongst the youth. With funding from AID, AWF has facilitated awareness activities at 5 schools, reaching over 1,600 students through essay-writing, debate competitions, as well as visits to Mkomazi National Park. #communityengagement #giraffeconservation

The global decline in biodiversity and ecosystem services poses a big #development threat for Africa’s future. With the continent's food security depending on rain-fed agriculture, there is a lot at risk for Africa's young and growing population. With this in hindsight, the #media can be a resourceful ally in bringing to light the realities of what Africa stands to lose if we fail to address #climatechange and #biodiversityloss. Learn more on the critical role that the #media can play to help advance African-led #conservation: https://www.awf.org/news/why-media-should-prioritize-climate-change-messaging Photograph by @guyo.photos

@Wildscreenorg is coming to Kenya 🇰🇪! In partnership with BBC Studios Natural History Unit, @Wildscreenorg are bringing the Festival to Nairobi with the aim of celebrating and elevating the continental heart of #Wildlife #Filmmaking! Open to everyone, both established and aspiring African filmmakers and industry leaders, the 2 day festival will be full of headline talks, panels, workshops, commissioning sessions and networking opportunities. Hosted by award-winning Kenyan Filmmaker and presenter, Jahawi Bertolli @jahawibertolli and including headliner sessions from Oscar winning Filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves @kartikigonsalves, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu @drpaulakahumbu. Venue: Alliance Française Nairobi Dates: 30th June - 1st July 2023 Book now at https://events.wildscreen.org/products/wildscreen-festival-nairobi

When you save a forest elephant, you’re also helping to save the Congo Rainforest – and our planet. Activist and actor Candice Bergen wants to match every dollar you give to protect this critical habitat… so we can all breathe better. Link in bio.

Africa as a continent has made significant advancements over the years yet, it is no secret that women in Africa continue to face significant barriers and inequalities across multiple sectors. On this World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, with the theme of achieving gender equality and land degradation neutrality, it is imperative that we not only appreciate the critical role of African women in driving sustainable development and environmental conservation but also map out key entry points that could hasten the pace at which we move away from these gender issues. The linkages between gender equality, land degradation, and sustainable development are undeniable. Numerous studies have shown that when women have secure land rights, they play a vital role in natural resource management, ecosystem restoration, and the preservation of biodiversity. Furthermore, empowering women economically and socially not only improves their own well-being but also leads to positive outcomes for their families, communities, and the environment. Women are the key to accelerating the pace towards reversing biodiversity loss and land degradation. To achieve gender equality and land degradation neutrality, we must address the systemic barriers that hinder women's full participation and empowerment. These barriers include unequal access to land, limited representation in decision-making bodies, gender-based violence, and discriminatory cultural norms. It is incumbent upon African leaders, governments, and civil society to break down these barriers and create an enabling environment for women to thrive.

AWF held a two-day workshop in Buta, DRC, from June 8 - 9 to present and share the main achievements of the @usaid funded Community-Based Counter Wildlife #Trafficking (CBCWT) project with #stakeholders from the public administration and civil society in Bas-Uélé. During the session, participants were briefed on the project's main objectives, results, and achievements. Particular emphasis was placed on the progress achieved in the context of introducing sustainable #agriculture, including the processing of cassava into flour, the improvement of security through the installation of 11 radio stations, the proposal of a land-use plan to regulate the use of space, the establishment of three pilot ponds for fish farming purposes, as well as advocacy for the formalization of mining outside the Bili-Uere Hunting Estate. #partnerships

Day 4 with the Charles R. Wall Conservation #Leadership and Management fellows focussed on #DesignThinking as an approach to problem solving and innovation in different contexts in Africa. Through a human-centered design process and understanding the barriers to problem solving, youth #leaders can bring to life innovative #solutions based on how people think, feel and behave. The fellows were also introduced to an innovative framework adopted from #designthinking that they will use for the next 5 months to solve an organisational problem of their choice. #CLMF #AWFYouthLeadership

Day 3 of the Charles R Wall #ConservationLeadership and Management workshop took the fellows through essential communications skills that leaders must posses to actively advocate and position themselves across different media platforms. #AWFYouthLeadership #AfricanLeadership

In partnership with the African Wildlife Foundation, My Virtuous Quest (@MyVirtuousQuest) provides support for critical programs countering the pressures of poaching, human-wildlife conflict, and other threats to Africa’s natural heritage. How does #cooperation help you overcome #challenges within your community? #cooperation #beyourbestself #beyourhappiestself

At AWF, we firmly believe that African #Leadership is central to successful implementation of conservation solutions to protect natural resources on the continent. Grooming young people into leaders requires building their technical and leadership capacity, a cornerstone of AWF’s youth leadership programming within the Charles R Wall Youth Leadership framework. Day 2 of the #youth leadership workshop with our Charles R Wall Conservation Leadership and Management Fellows focussed on self leadership, understanding leadership styles, values and building strong networks for success. #YouthLeadership #CLMF #ConservationLeadership

This week, we're thrilled to host 15 youth leaders from our Charles R Wall Conservation Leadership and Management Fellows program for a 5 day intensive leadership workshop at AWF HQ in Nairobi Kenya. The first day of the program involved a leadership dialogue informed by conservation fundamentals that were previously taught virtually by AWF's Alistair Pole. The fellows actively engaged in asking pertinent leadership questions that professionals could apply in their respective areas of specialisation, such as the challenges, complexities and realities of localising conservation solutions on the continent as well as collaborating with all stakeholders for an inclusive approach to conservation management. #AWFYouthLeadership #CharlesRWallProgram #AfricanLeadership

African conservation stories have, for a long time, been told from the perspective of foreign voices. Recognizing this gap in conservation storytelling, AWF in FY22 developed a program that trains young African filmmakers. In partnership with the global natural-history filmmaking platform Jackson Wild (@jacksonwildorg) , AWF created the African Conservation Voices Media Labs to provide mentorship and skills-building to early and mid-career African conservation filmmakers. The first Media Labs workshop took place in Kenya with 26 fellows. These young filmmakers undertook a series of virtual and in-person workshops with mentors from the film industry as well as conservation experts, including our CEO, Kaddu Sebunya, and AWF's Director of Global Leadership, Edwin Tambara. Out of the 26 fellows, 10 were selected for a five-day workshop, during which they shot three films in the Masai Mara. The second media lab included 12 fellows from Rwanda who shot stories in the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Photos by @ggkenya