WhennorthernKenyansfindelephantbones,theylaydownblossomsandbranchesasamarkofrespect,honotringtheircrucialconnectionwiththewildlifetheylivealongside.Inourchangingworld,thesevaluesarevitallyimportant.Fordecades,northernKenyawasonestepawayfromawarzone,onthefrontlinesofclimatechangeandhabitatloss.Peoplesleptwiththeirshoeson,fearingattack.Wildlifewasdecimated.Yet,facingthemostextremechallenges,peopleunited.Whatbeganasalast-ditchefforttosaverhinosfromextinctionsparkedaremarkablereturnofwildlife,withtheonce-strugglingcattleranchLewanamedaUNWorldHeritageSiteforitsoutstandingvaluetohumanity.Thisservedasacatalystformuchbroaderaction.CommunitiescreatedanetworkofprotectedlandsacrossanarealargerthanSwitzerland.Throughconservation,theybuiltpeace,drivingsocial,environmentalandpoliticalchange.FromtrackingelephantsthroughthebushtogunbattleswithbanditsandtreksthroughAl-Qaedaterritory,PeterMartelltellstheexcitingstoryofaconservationmovementthatgiveshope.Atatimewhenhumanityisreassessingitsbrokenrelationshipwithnature,thesecommunitiesofferaninspirationalblueprint,provingthatenvironmentalchangedoesnothavetodivide,butcanbringustogether.
