Who We Are
A Home-Grown Institution Coordinating the Efforts to Safeguard the Greater Amboseli Ecosystem
Amboseli Ecosystem Trust (AET) brings together the local community, government, conservation, and developmental stakeholders in the Amboseli Ecosystem to develop land use practices that improve the livelihoods and well-being of people and wildlife.
Recognized as a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve (MAB) since 1991, the Amboseli Ecosystem is internationally renowned as one of Kenya’s conservation, cultural, and tourism hotspots.
The ecosystem includes crucial wildlife corridors and dispersal areas; the country’s first community-owned wildlife sanctuary: Kimana Community Wildlife Sanctuary; and one of Kenya’s premier parks: Amboseli National Park.
AET was initially founded to provide a landscape approach to management, maintenance, and restoration of the ecological integrity of the Amboseli Ecosystem through the implementation of the groundbreaking Amboseli Ecosystem Management Plan (AEMP) 2008–18, the first ecosystem-wide management plan in the country.
AET’s operational scope has grown tremendously and is now also in charge of several programs that are pertinent to ecosystem integrity which include:
- Ecosystem Planning
- Conservancy Development
- Enterprise Development and Tourism
- Corporate Growth
Mission
To foster sustainable development through effective conservation in the greater Amboseli Ecosystem.
Vision
An ecosystem where people and nature thrive in harmony.
Our Core Values
We are able to unite the dynamic conservation actors across the Amboseli Ecosystem for the benefit of all as guided by our values: RIACT.
- Respect for culture – We cherish and uphold the cultural norms, traditions, and customs of the communities that we serve.
- Innovation – We incorporate both local knowledge and scientific expertise, fully convinced that in order to overcome complex and evolving challenges, we must be adaptable and receptive to change.
- Accountability – We act with integrity and strive to be accessible, open and fair in all our operations and interactions with all the stakeholders that we serve.
- Collaboration – We foster an inclusive culture where communities, government, and other ecosystem partners are mutually engaged.
- Teamwork – We aspire to have all our staff uphold the spirit of teamwork in the pursuit of all institutional endeavours.