The Samburu District in Kenya was the site of a two-year-long Rare Pride campaign led by a local conservationist, Titus. Because Samburu's tribes have begun to trade their nomadic lifestyles for more established community settlements, overgrazing, and wildfire outbreaks had emerged as core issues that the Pride campaign sought to address. With Rare's assistance, Titus and his team not only helped change environmental attitudes and behaviors, but also introduced more sustainable practices to Samburu that have improved the economies of its 11 villages.

As a hybrid of traditional education and private sector marketing strategies, Rare Pride campaigns motivate people who live in the world's most biodiverse countries to embrace conservation. The Samburu District campaign demonstrates that by shifting public behavior and attention toward more environmentally sustainable practices, it is possible to dramatically build momentum for conservation and create the constituencies necessary for initiating policy changes and legislative reform.

Photos: Jason Houston