In the summer of 2026, my Explorer Group – The Hatters will be going on an expedition to Kenya with the aim of carrying out conservation work. The cost of the trip is £3000 per person.

Purpose: There will be 4 objectives of this expedition that fall under the overall one aim; to provide a once in a lifetime experience for young people in our Explorer Unit. The four objectives are to make a significant difference to conservation work being undertaken in buffer zones around the perimeter of the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. The focus in these areas known as the Maasai Mara Conservancy Area is to reduce conflict between animals and humans, our role will be to support scientists with research. This will include:

• Painting eyes on cattle – this is great fun! Basically, it is thought that lions don’t chase things that are looking at them. So why not paint eyes on the backsides of the cows that belong to the Maasai herdsmen to stop them becoming a lion’s lunch? It’s a conservation project which has been trialed in Botswana, and is now being introduced in Kenya. What’s not to like about doing this?

• Herbivore observation and collection of data – this is so interesting to do. Not only do you get to go on safari, but you learn patterns in the behaviour of the herbivores – the grass grazing animals. You learn why they eat in certain areas, how they choose where to rest and sleep, how to tell a male from a female of various species (it can be harder than you might think).

• Collection of data of grasses growing in the area and the consequent reasons why animals graze in particular areas.

• Predator observation – this is the big stuff! Where the grass grazers are munching lunch, the big cats aren’t far behind! Look out for predators such as lions, cheetah and jackals, and learn why they are where they are, and where they choose to spend their time sleeping. Discover how the rangers use EarthRanger to monitor the movement of lions.

• Setting camera traps and collecting data from them to record the movement of animals in the area.

Thank you for all your support in helping us with my fundraising for this trip.