Intrepid Travel is expanding its commitment to responsible travel in East Africa by supporting a major reforestation project in Kenya’s Mau Forest, with plans to plant 20,000 native trees over the next five years.
Working alongside the Kenya Forest Service and local conservation organisation Rhino Arc, Intrepid has secured a licence to restore 15 acres of degraded forest in the Mau Forest – the critical water catchment that feeds the Mara River and supports both the Maasai Mara National Reserve and Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. The initiative also supports the Kenyan Government’s ambitious target of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.
From 2027, travellers on selected Intrepid East Africa itineraries will have the opportunity to visit the reforestation site, learn about the environmental significance of the forest and contribute by planting or watering native seedlings.
Intrepid has already planted more than 4,000 native seedlings and plans to plant a further 5,000 each season until it reaches its 20,000-tree target.
Samuel Karani, General Manager, East Africa, at Intrepid Travel said: “Kenya’s rich biodiversity is a vital part of the African and global ecosystem. We can enjoy all it has to offer but we also have an obligation to protect and preserve this land. Our custodianship of these 15 acres is just the beginning – we have already planted over 4 000 trees on the way to achieving our target and we hope to continue planting beyond that 20 000-tree goal.”
Rochelle Turner, Head of Impact for EMEA at Intrepid Travel said: “As a purpose-led business, we see impact KPIs as being just as important as profit-related ones. And we need to protect the resources that all travel, and life, depend on. This project is the first of 10 nature-related projects in our 2030 strategy.”
The Mau Forest project is one of the first nature-based initiatives under Intrepid’s 2030 impact strategy and complements the company’s Climate Impact Fund, which invests AUD $2 million annually into projects that reduce emissions and support nature restoration.
