The Mara Triangle

Still plugging away at my stories and am just about finished the Christmas paranormal one. Am thinking Memorable for the title but might go with Possessions. It's darker and sexier. *G* Don't forget to check out Ravenous Romance for a free short story download and the chance to win an iPod Touch!

Now, onto the real point of this blog.

This is my new pet project. I'll start in the beginning: January of this year, after I'd just bought a pair of boots costing about $100, I read about this conservancy. For $105 I could buy a medical kit, uniform, and boots for one ranger. Feeling incredibly guilty, I did. I don't regret it.

Last week I received their e-newsletter pleading for even $25 to help with their monthly budget shortfalls. I strongly believe in what they're doing and donated. (Yes, it's legit and yes it's tax deductible!)

Times are tough, we're all tightening our belts and cutting things out. What could a Reserve in Kenya have to do with us here in America? Everything. With the collapse of the Kenyan government earlier this year, funding for the Mara Triangle has also collapsed. No tourists = no money. The animals are in danger as is the economy of the region. The Reserve does so much more than protect animals, the environmet, and their home. They create jobs and offer food and economic alternatives to poaching.

Read about the Reserve, it's worth the few moments it'll take. If you don't want to visit the site, here's a little bit about them from their About section:

The Masai Mara is a National Reserve, not a National Park, which means that
it is held in trust for the people and managed by the local county councils, as
opposed to the Kenya Wildlife Service.

The Mara Triangle, an area of 510 sq kms (197 sq miles), was gazetted
as a Game Reserve in the late 1940s and in 1968 the local authority, Narok
County Council trebled the size of the Reserve by adding 1,000 sq kms (386 sq
miles) on the eastern side of the Mara River; thus creating the Masai Mara
National Reserve.

From that time until 1994 the whole area was managed by the Narok County
Council. In 1994 Narok District was divided into two and a new District, Trans
Mara, was created. Trans Mara County Council then became responsible for the
management of the section of the Masai Mara National Reserve falling within
their jurisdiction – known as the Mara Triangle.