Wildarkorg

Support and SpaceWildArk disbursed donations that it received from Illuminarium Experiences at the end of 2021 as part of the WILD FUND to several organizations focused on critical conservation work focusing on people, wildlife and their environments and holistic solutions. Organizations that received funds include Wildlife Conservation Network for disbursement to Ewaso Lions and Grevys Zebra Trust, both organizations working with local communities across Kenya to apply holistic solutions to reduce human wildlife conflict, preserve habitat, and ensure local livelihoods for critical endangered species including lions and grevys zebras; Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, to fund gorilla protection and community education efforts in Rwanda; Save the Rhino Africa to support Borona Conservancy efforts in Kenya, specifically the Mazingira Yeto Project and Borana Education Support Program working to educate and involve local communities in rhino conservation, and ecosystem protection more generally, and develop a new education center; Giraffe Conservation Foundation to support the provision of program implementation, technical support and conservation monitoring in Tanzania and Kenya; and Friends of Peace Parks to support education and anti-poaching training efforts of Southern African Wildlife College in South Africa.In Australia, WildArk continued to support the Mongo Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in partnership with Aussie Ark. Initial surveys showed that no koalas existed on the site despite excellent habitat for koalas, and the site will become home to a koala breeding facility to rewild koalas to the protected land. This will be a critical step in protecting koalas and other species and rebuilding their populations. The Koala Rewilding Project, in partnership with Nuii Ice Cream and Connoisseur, is working towards creating long term, action-based outcomes for the species, and Nuii Ice Cream and Connoisseur committed to planting 4000 trees to support the rewilidng of native species on site. WildArk team and volunteers supported monitoring alongside Aussie Ark through motion sensored cameras and in field monitoring looking for scat droppings, tree markings and other signs of koala presence. Through donations and support from Untamed Planet, a new gaming and entertainment endeavor which has an aligned mission to WildArk to find ways to educate and engage consumers in conservation efforts worldwide, WildArk provided additional support to Save the Rhino and Borona Conservancy efforts as part of their Mazingira Yetu Project, Natural State to support community-managed conservation efforts of ORKCA (Orange River-Karoo Conservation Area) in an area of Namibia just north of the South African border, and Re:Wild to support rangers working to protect gorillas in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

StorytellingThroughout 2022 WildArk continued to actively create positive content and share compelling stories. In addition to continuing to manage its instagram and other social media activities across mediums with a stable and consistent following, WildArk highlighted several programmatic activities through journal articles and video content. WildArk continued to share stories from the projects it funded as part of the Koala Comeback Campaign, particularly as it relates to our Koala Rewilding Project in Mongo Valley Wildlife Conservancy in Australia in partnership with Aussie Ark. WildArk highlighted new partnerships with corporate brands such as Nuii Ice Cream and Connoisseur Ice Cream who funded WildArk sourced projects directly, such as the Koala Rewilding Project on Mongo Valley Wildlife Sanctuary.We also created and shared content and storytelling around the completion of the education center in Namibia as part of the Nuii Peace Project supporting Elephant-Human Relations Aid, and announced the continued support of local communities and protection efforts through supporting the installation of 40 solar powered water pumps to give communities and elephants more access to fresh water.