Kenya’s andBeyond Bateleur Camp partners with Wild Impact, andBeyond’s long-standing community and conservation development partner. The foundation works with villages neighboring the reserve on a range of community-led education, healthcare, small business development, and conservation programs.

Meaningful interactions with Maasai staff along with interactive visits to a nearby “manyatta” (traditional village) educate guests on the daily rituals and cultural heritage of the Maasai. Guests also have the opportunity to purchase handmade crafts, including the Maasai’s renowned beaded jewelry, in good conscience, with proceeds directly supporting the community. The camp’s WILDChild program, for families traveling with children, teaches kids Maasai traditional skills, such as tracking and fire-making.

A farm-to-table culinary program includes sourcing fresh vegetables and produce from local farmers and andBeyond Kichwa Tembo’s shamba (vegetable garden) along with honey that directly supports a Maasai women’s group. Works purchased from local artisans and suppliers also feature prominently throughout andBeyond Bateleur Camp, including the Safari Shop.

To help protect the precious Maasai Mara National Reserve, the camp’s on-site water-bottling plant eliminates the equivalent of more than 20,000 single-use plastic water bottles every year. This translates into a 60,000-liter water saving effort, as it takes 3 liters of water to make a 1-liter plastic water bottle. Furthermore, the elimination of plastic – a fossil fuel-derived product – plays a key role in reducing carbon emissions at the camp.

In addition to a 24-hour solar-powered electric fence, the camp uses energy-saving bulbs throughout, LED lights in guest tents, LPG gas for cooking in the guest kitchen, energy-efficient stoves that power the staff kitchen, and solar water geysers that provide hot water in guest tents.

In a collaboration between andBeyond Bateleur Camp and Wild Impact, at least 90 Maasai households (584 people) were supported during the pandemic with a total of 270 food relief parcels in 2020; four primary schools, 99 staff members, and 931 school pupils were provided with stable food supplies as well as access to Emurutoto Clinic, built by Wild Impact in partnership with andBeyond. The camp was also nominated by the Kenya government as a COVID-19 support center, providing medical care, PPE, and sanitizing supplies.

Stays at andBeyond Bateleur Camp not only help support andBeyond’s broader philanthropic and eco-minded efforts in Africa, but guests can also give back by donating to Wild Impact, andBeyond’s long-standing community and conservation partner, directly. Bonus: Guests can specify a project of their choosing from a selection of land, wildlife, and social impact initiatives.

The Nyekweri Forest is the last indigenous forest within Kenya’s Trans-Mara District, adjacent to the Maasai Mara National Reserve and andBeyond Bateleur Camp. The collective goal of the Nyekweri forest conservation project, held in collaboration with the Nyekweri Kimintet Community Forest Conservation Trust, is to conserve and restore the remaining 25% of this critical habitat. In addition to its ecological and biodiversity value, the forest is also a water catchment area and a refuge for threatened wildlife, including the giant ground pangolin and elephant, which both rely on the forest for safety to give birth.