Our Next Steps: Protecting Native Wildlife in Africa
As a growing charity, we are now looking to expand our scope beyond the UK by establishing global conservation hubs. Our vision is to work with local conservation services to preserve samples from native wildlife within their own country, enabling appropriate stewardship of these valuable resources.
Aug 08 2024
3 min read
Four members of the Nature’s SAFE team are set to embark on an expedition to Kenya and Tanzania with the primary goal of forging new professional connections to help local conservation organisations preserve genetic material from native endangered species. They will also be taking on a challenging climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise funds to support this development. All funds raised from this ambitious endeavour will support Nature’s SAFE in realising this vital mission of protecting native African wildlife.
The Mission
Nature’s SAFE is dedicated to saving animals from extinction by collecting, indefinitely storing, and regenerating reproductive cells and cell lines from endangered species. Since its founding in 2020, the charity has successfully preserved samples from over 250 species at its UK facilities, and now it aims to extend this critical work to conservation hubs worldwide to protect native species within their home countries, with the hope of starting in Kenya subject to approval from the Kenyan authorities.
Why start in Kenya?
Kenya is home to some of the most threatened wildlife on the planet, including the last two Northern white rhinos, protected by the Ol Pejeta Wildlife Conservancy, and the Critically Endangered mountain bongo. By providing their support and expertise, Nature’s SAFE hopes to enhance local capacity and conservation efforts to preserve these iconic species through the application of advanced cryopreservation techniques.
Impact
The trip to Kenya will facilitate the establishment of new professional connections with the Kenyan wildlife authorities, local conservation organisations and scientists, along with strengthening existing relationships, to collaboratively develop new biobanking hubs.
The establishment of global biobanking hubs will:
Support breeding programs aimed at boosting population numbers and genetic diversity of local wildlife.
Facilitate local scientific capacity on the applications of cryobiology to wildlife conservation.
Ensure that the ownership of genetic samples remains within each country, enabling appropriate stewardship and empowering local conservation services.
‘Cryoconservation’ in action
Nature’s SAFE employs state-of-the-art cryopreservation techniques to safeguard the genetic material of endangered species, a practice called cryoconservation. These techniques are recognised by scientists internationally for their potential in wildlife conservation. By banking live cells and tissues, Nature’s SAFE ensures that even if species become extinct in the wild, their genetic information is preserved for future restoration.
Our sponsors
We have received generous support for this next step from our corporate sponsors AC Jackson, testhim, BOVA UK, Care Fertility, Waterhouse Feeds and Duggan Vet Group. By supporting this initiative, these companies are demonstrating their commitment to creating a better world for future generations through collaboration.
If your company is interested in becoming a corporate sponsor, our partnership brochure can be downloaded below.
As part of this trip, four Nature’s SAFE team members will climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise funds. The team includes Nature’s SAFE Ambassador, Verity Smith, a blind dressage rider and passionate advocate for wildlife conservation.
Meet the Team
Verity Smith: An inspiring blind athlete advocating for the urgent need to protect endangered species.
Zoé Allès: Verity’s companion and guide every step of the way.
Tullis Matson: Chair of Nature’s SAFE, leveraging his extensive experience in cryopreservation to spearhead the charity’s expansion.
Tony Noble: CEO and founder of Noble Futures, and a Trustee of Nature’s SAFE, whose expertise in fundraising and conservation is instrumental in this mission.
“Nature’s SAFE recognises the vital importance of establishing one of the first living biobank hubs in Africa, a region renowned for its rich and diverse wildlife. Through our advanced cryopreservation technology, we can contribute to saving endangered species and support essential conservation efforts.”
– Tullis Matson, Nature’s SAFE Chair
Sponsor the climb
You can support us in this next step by sponsoring the climb. Each of the team members have personally funded their expedition costs, so all monetary support will go directly to Nature’s SAFE, helping us secure a future for endangered species worldwide through science and collaboration.
You can sponsor the expedition team members on their climb at JustGiving:
Last week, we had the incredible opportunity to visit two of our valued conservation partners – Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park and Watatunga Wildlife Reserve. These two institutions both exemplify the profound impact that dedication to wildlife preservation can have on protecting our planet's biodiversity.
Nature’s SAFE, Europe’s first living biobank for endangered animals dedicated to halting the catastrophic decline in global biodiversity, is pleased to announce that it is joining the Global Coalition #UnitedforBiodiversity, initiative of the European Commission.
Nature’s SAFE are excited to announce that our co-founder and charity coordinator Dr Rhiannon Bolton has successfully published a new paper reviewing assisted reproductive technologies and biobanking.
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