Wildwatch Kenya

Our Team

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Jenna Stacy-Dawes, M.A., Project and Research Coordinator, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Jenna coordinates the project and serves San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance as a Researcher in Population Sustainability. She leads the development, maintenance, and analysis of the trail camera data. Jenna has her Master’s degree in Biology through the University of Miami’s Advanced Inquiry Program and a Master's in Geographic Information Systems through Unity College.
@jstacydawes

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Natalie Asai, Loisaba Conservancy Coordinator

Natalie is the lead of the Twiga Walinzi team at Loisaba Conservancy and also helps coordinate supplies and schedules for the other Twiga Walinzi teams. Natalie has two children of which she hopes to inspire to love wildlife as much as she does. She has her diploma from WRTI in wildlife conservation and will be starting school to get her bachelors in January 2026.
@natalieasai

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Tomas Pickering, PhD, Project Coordinator and Community Lead, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Tomas the research lead on the Human Dimensions research and community engagement aspects of giraffe conservation. Tomas serves San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance as a Researcher in Community Engagement. Tomas also co-leads all training and capacity-building elements. He obtained his Ph.D. from Colorado State University and has a strong background in rangelands and community.
@Tpickering

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Emmanual, Kalepo Coordinator, Kalepo Community Conservancy

Emmanual has been integral in building and maintaining relationships with the conservancy management and surrounding communities. He has been an integral part of the recent launch of a conservation performance payment system in Kalepo.
@twigawalinzi

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Moses Okombo, M.S., Field Ecology Coordinator, Loisaba Conservancy

Moses works as our field ecology coordinator based at Loisaba Conservancy. Moses handles all of the camera trap data across our giraffe, leopard, elephant, and rhino projects. He recently graduated with his master's from the University of Namibia!
@KirstieRuppert

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Kirstie Ruppert, PhD, M.A., Project Coordinator and Community Lead, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

Kirstie is the research lead on the Human Dimensions research and community engagement aspects of giraffe conservation. Kirstie serves San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance as Associate Director of the Community Engagement team. Kirstie also co-leads all training and capacity-building elements. She recently finished her Ph.D. at the University of Maine, studying human interactions with giraffes and the community benefits of wildlife conservation.
@KirstieRuppert

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Jonathan Lenyakopiro, Namunyak Coordinator, Namunyak Community Conservancy

Jonathan has been integral in building and maintaining relationships with the conservancy management and surrounding communities. His previous work as an interviewer for an NRT/TNC research project has helped him lead the NWCT team in their community surveys this fall. His wife is a school teacher in the nearby town of Archer’s Post where they live and is well-connected, so his position on Twiga Walinzi helps influence that population away from use of giraffe parts and products. He is currently getting his diploma in Wildlife Conservation at the Wildlife and Research Training Institute in Naivasha.
@twigawalinzi

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Joseph Lemirgishan, Research Assistant, Sera Community Conservancy

Joseph is from Sereolevi and has a love for wildlife. Joseph is very excited to learn more about ecological field methods. Joseph leads our giraffe conservation program in Sera Community Conservancy where we are focused on mitigating impacts from linear infrastructure. Jospeh has recently been working very closely with community members and local schools to share conservation stories and connect them to the project.
@twigawalinzi

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Ranis Lesipiti, Ranger and Scout, Namunyak Community Conservancy

Lesipiti had been working as a volunteer for the Namunyak ranger team for many years. When a position opened up on the Twiga Walinzi team for a ranger he eagerly jumped at the opportunity. While also assisting in fieldwork, he is responsible for the safety of the team while in the field, walking among large, sometimes dangerous animals such as elephants and buffalo, and providing protection should the team encounter any hostile people or poachers.
@twigawalinzi

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Our Partners

This giraffe conservation and research initiative is a true collaborative effort that brings together the capacities, expertise, and support of organizations and people around the world, working collectively for giraffe conservation.

This collaborative effort is community-led by people across multiple locations in northern Kenya, in collaboration with Northern Rangelands Trust, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Loisaba Conservancy, Namunyak Community Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, and Zooniverse.