CONSERVATION
At the heart of everything we do is the mission to protect our eco-system. This extends beyond the many species of endangered and endemic wildlife to the water it provides, the vegetation that plays a crucial role in controlling climate change, the sanctity of its scenery and the history that lies within its very soil.
Due to its unique topography, Mukutan encompasses several different habitats and ecosystems, spanning from 2,000 feet to 6,500 feet ASL. It is a biodiversity oasis of outstanding environmental and educational value for Kenya and the planet, including elephant, lion, melanistic leopard, wild dog, and over 478 species of birds.
Mukutan is a success story in regeneration, over the last 50 years of careful stewardship, Mukutan's vegetation has flourished, the forest cover has increased and the water table has risen, providing critical habitat for many endangered and endemic species.
Mukutan is a water tower for the World Heritage Lakes of Bogoria and Baringo and for thousands of people who live near it. It is a critical wildlife corridor that links the wildlife-dense ares of Laikipia to the vast landscapes and community owned conservancies of Baringo.
“What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are connected.”
Chief Seattle of the Nez Perce, 1884
BIODIVERSITY
Due to its unique topography, which spans from 2,000 feet to 6,500 feet ASL, Mukutan encompasses several different habitats and ecosystems. It is a refuge to a wide variety of plant and animal species. Including elephant, lion, melanistic leopard, colobus monkeys, cape buffalo, wild dogs and over 478 bird species, over 40 of which are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) endangered list. The conservancy has been classified as a Key Biodiversity Area (Ke064) and an Important Bird Area (Ke064) and is part of the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot.
Here you will find the last remaining stand of the indigenous cedar forest, that up until 40 years ago spanned large areas of the plateau. The conservancy is a refuge where several endemic, rare, and threatened species of plants and animals survive. Due to careful protection of the environment for more than a generation, it is a biodiversity oasis of outstanding environmental and educational value for Kenya and the planet.
REFORESTATION
AND REDD+
Mukutan has been described as ‘the most botanically varied non-forested area in East Africa’ (T.P Young, 1991). Due to its unique topography and micro-climate conditions on the edge of the Laikipia Escarpment, Mukutan is home to several different ecosystems and habitats. From the verdant, tropical palm and liana studded valleys of the Mukutan Gorge, to the cool highland Engelesha forest of cedar, warburgia and Acacia abyssinica, Mukutan is a treasure trove for botanists and several species have been described here.
Mukutan has undertaken a feasibility study for a Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) project, which indicates immense potential and a full project is currently in development. The Mukutan REDD+ project will provide a sustainable long-term revenue stream for the Conservancy and develop new community and environmental projects aimed at safeguarding biodiversity. By channelling a substantial portion of proceeds from the REDD+ project into a community fund the project will provide a direct conceptual link between the protection of biodiversity and an income for communities.
Mukutan has developed an indigenous tree nursery which has provided seedlings to community members and schools and for reforestation activities since 1985. So far more than 6 million trees have been planted.
