Strengthening Livelihoods
$360,000 in loans taken by farmers for livelihood diversification through VSLAs.
Community Outreach & Awareness-raising
258,000 people reached.
Building Conservation Capacity
583 rangers and village game scouts trained.
Wildlife and Ecosystem Protection
70,000 km of foot patrols conducted by VGS and rangers & 1,425 hours of aerial support to the Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystem.
Udzungwa
A global biodiversity hotspot home to many endemic and endangered species.
Ruaha-Rungwa
A vast landscape (40,000 km²) home to 25% of Tanzania’s elephants.
Our Programs
Coexistence and Livelihoods
Building a thriving future for people and wildlife
Communities are central to our conservation efforts. Our goals are to enhance the livelihoods and wellbeing of communities living around protected areas, to increase community participation in and benefits from conservation, and to enhance coexistence between people and wildlife. Our approach includes supporting livelihoods, outreach and awareness-raising with children, youth and adults, supporting farmers to protect their crops from elephant damage, corridor restoration, and implementing conservation agreements.
Protecting Biodiverse Habitats
Securing globally-important conservation areas
Protected areas are key to conserving Tanzania’s biodiversity. We work with Tanzanian government agencies and communities to ensure that these critical wildlife areas are well managed. Our long-term goal is to support the key protected areas of Udzungwa and Ruaha-Rungwa into becoming world-class, sustainably financed and well protected havens of biodiversity, supported by the communities living around them.
Research, Monitoring and Learning
Ensuring our work is evidence-led
We conduct research into applied conservation questions, monitor and evaluate the impact of our conservation interventions, and build local capacity. Our research and monitoring projects include understanding the drivers of and solutions to human-elephant conflict, assessing the impact of corridor restoration, and studying how elephants are affected by and recover from poaching.
Udzungwa Landscape Strategy (ULS)
South-central Tanzania’s Udzungwa mountains are renowned for their exceptional biodiversity. STEP is part of a coalition of partners implementing the Udzungwa Landscape Strategy, a collaborative effort to protect this unique ecosystem. The strategy focuses on the Udzungwa’s three core protected areas and 71 adjacent villages.
Our partners in this coalition include Mazingira Alliance for Community and Conservation (MACCO), the Udzungwa Ecological Monitoring Centre. After Centre, add: TANAPA and TFS.
STEP works across all four of the ULS’s Strategic Objectives, and especially under SO1 and SO2.
Donors
Partners
For general inquiries: info@stzelephants.or.tz
For open vacancies or to express interest in volunteering: applications@stzelephants.or.tz