Esri Eastern Africa is excited to celebrate Grevy’s Zebra Trust’s Healthy Rangelands Program, named a finalist in the 2025 global ArcGIS StoryMaps Competition for its innovative, community-driven approach to conservation and rangeland management. This accolade highlights the program’s innovative use of spatial insights to advance conservation, strengthen community resilience, and support healthy ecosystems across northern Kenya, where wildlife and people share delicate rangelands.

People at the Heart of Conservation

Redempta Njeri, GZT’s Impact and Learning Manager, and Rachel George, key program champions, demonstrate how thoughtful, people-centered rangeland management can restore ecosystems from the ground up. Their work reflects the broader efforts of GZT, alongside community scouts and partners, in promoting sustainable conservation practices across northern Kenya.

Redempta combines expertise in botany, zoology, and spatial ecology to link technical insights with community priorities, supporting monitoring, measuring program effectiveness, and shaping long-term impact. Together with Rachel, she collaborates with local communities and scouts to monitor Grevy’s zebra populations, assess habitat conditions, and guide grazing and restoration decisions. By integrating indigenous knowledge with planned grazing and holistic land management, their work improves rangeland health, reduces human-wildlife conflict, and supports both wildlife and community livelihoods.

Protecting an Endangered Species on Shared Rangelands

Grevy’s zebra is one of Africa’s most endangered equids, with only a few thousand remaining in the wild, primarily in northern Kenya. Their survival relies on healthy grasslands that support both wildlife and pastoralist communities.

Through the Healthy Rangelands Program, GZT works with local communities to maintain this balance. Using maps, imagery, and field data collected by community scouts, the StoryMap illustrates how rangeland conditions influence wildlife movement, grazing patterns, and long-term survival. The program demonstrates that sustainable land management can create shared outcomes for conservation and livelihoods.

Communities Driving Regeneration Through Data

A core strength of the Healthy Rangelands Program is local leadership. Community Scouts track Grevy’s zebra populations, collect wildlife and habitat data, and implement adaptive grazing practices that restore degraded areas and enhance rangeland health.

The ArcGIS StoryMap combines interactive maps, imagery, and field insights to tell a compelling, accessible story of community-led regeneration. It showcases how local knowledge, data, and collective action are transforming conservation across northern Kenya.

Explore the full StoryMap and see how communities are making a tangible difference:

Vote now: https://hubs.li/Q0438Bqm0
View the StoryMap: https://hubs.li/Q0438Blw0