What is Mazingira Conservation Works?
The Mazingira Conservation Works Story
Mazingira Conservation Works (MCW) supports practical action aimed at protecting vital habitats around the world. MCW is dedicated to working with local groups whose own mission is aligned with ours. MCW supports creative and courageous projects that address wildlife and habitat conservation, especially those projects headed by indigenous people, women, and young people.
Currently, MCW focuses its work within the Greater Laikipia Landscape, Kenya and the Rhodope Mountains of Southern Bulgaria. MCW is looking to expand its mission in other geographies as it continues to grow.
LAIKIPIA, KENYA
Laikipia, Kenya is home to one of the most vibrant and amazing wildlife populations in the world. Although lesser known than other wildlife sanctuaries in Africa, many believe it is even more wondrous. It hosts half of Kenya's endangered and disappearing black rhino population, along with cheetahs, lions, giraffes, wild dogs, elephants, leopards, spotted hyenas, Grevy zebras, warthogs, hippos, buffalo, and antelopes. In addition, more than 350 species of bird have so far been recorded in the high plateau below Mt. Kenya. The conservation success of this area is dependent on the dynamics of private conservancies and their surrounding communities. This public-private partnership is core to the pillars of nature protection and sustainability- the 4 C's: conservation, culture, commerce, and community.
RHODOPE MOUNTAINS, BULGARIA
Stretching across southern Bulgaria, the Rhodope Mountains are a land of myth, mystery, and remarkable biodiversity. Known as the legendary home of Orpheus, these ancient mountains are blanketed with dense forests, wildflower meadows, and traditional villages where time seems to slow down. The region shelters wolves, bears, red deer, chamois, and over 200 species of birds, making it one of Europe’s richest ecological landscapes. Beyond its natural beauty, the Rhodope region embodies a deep cultural heritage — shaped by Thracian, Slavic, and Ottoman influences — and a way of life rooted in harmony with the land. Today, local communities, nature organizations, and sustainable tourism partners are working together to protect this fragile balance through community-led conservation and responsible travel — aligning perfectly with MCW’s mission to advance conservation through adventure, culture, and community connection.
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Our Mission
Mazingira Conservation Works supports the actions of local communities to protect vital habitats and conserve nature in critical locations around the world. With a particular focus on women and youth, we support this mission through local partnerships, responsible ecotourism, education and training, and grant(s) giving.
Our Core Values
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Diversity, Inclusion and Empowerment – we strive to create a more diverse and inclusive agency by supporting local communities, women, and youth to be at the forefront of action and solutions.
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Respect for People, Wildlife and Environment – we honor the voices and knowledge of the people and communities with whom we work, and we respect their knowledge of the wildlife, and the environment in which they live.
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Responsibility – all that interact and work with MCW have a responsibility to protect the environment and to practice responsible environmental citizenry.
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Courage and Creativity – we support creative and courageous projects that protect habitats and secure wildlife conservation.
Meet Our Board of Directors
Tara’s passion lies in combining adventure tourism and community conservation around the world. She designs, organizes, and runs Adventure for Rhinos, a Kenya-focused trip of Mazingira Adventures and the non-profit, Mazingira Conservation Works, where mountain biking and hiking are dedicated to local community conservation efforts.
Tara Hetz
Founder and Executive Director
Marcia was drawn to MCW through an interest in adventure travel & sustainable community-based tourism. With professional experience spanning from tourism to food systems & international supply chain management, she looks forward to helping MCW develop further.
Marcia McFadden
Treasurer
Peter joins MCW in support of his daughter and because of a life spent in conservation. Working with communities and protected areas in Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe has been the focus of his professional career. With a strong focus on land rights and working to give local people a voice and a seat at the table, Peter believes strongly in defining experiences that give back to people, the earth, and nature.
Peter Hetz
Director
Karin has been a supporter of MCW since it began because it brings together so many of her lifetime interests, including a love of animals, nature, world travel, and exploring other cultures. As a cyclist, the adventure tourism aspect of the organization is icing on the cake. Karin spent her professional life as a lawyer where she developed skills that can now help guide MCW as it develops.
Karin Kramer-Baldwin
Director
Catherine joins MCW as a passionate advocate to advance community-based conservation, promote sustainable local development, and protect vital habitats for wildlife. She brings twenty-plus years experience in international conservation and development, and is pleased to support and guide MCW's mission to collaborate with local communities as they conserve critical habitats and wildlife.
Catherine Picard
Director
Michelle joins MCW as a passionate advocate to advance community-based conservation, promote sustainable local development, and protect vital habitats for wildlife.
Michelle Kliszewski
Director
Mazingira Conservation Works and Mazingira Adventures LTD
"Have you ever ridden a mountain bike alongside a tower of giraffes? Imagine the thrill and excitement of being so close to African savannah wildlife and knowing, at the same time, you are helping to support the future of local community conservation!"
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Mazingira Conservation Works supports local communities as they protect vital habitats and conserve nature in critical places around the world. We are a grantmaking nonprofit, which means we fund the people already doing the work: women's conservation enterprises, community forest associations, primate protection teams, citizen science programs.
Our sister company, Mazingira Adventures, is how many of our supporters first find us. Mazingira Adventures leads small group active trips in Kenya, Bulgaria, and Turkey, and every trip includes a donation that funds MCW's grants.
Adventure for Rhinos, Kenya
Our signature trip, and a safari unlike any other. We explore Laikipia's conservancies by mountain bike, on trails through private and community lands that most visitors never see. We sleep in custom fly camps. We trek Mt. Kenya to over 16,000 feet, a climb well within reach of a fit hiker. And because of the relationships MCW has built here, you will meet the communities your trip supports.
Adventures of Orpheus, Bulgaria
Eight days riding the Rhodope Mountains, through ancient Thrace and down to the Aegean shore in Greece. This is bear, wolf, and griffon vulture country, and it is the landscape behind MCW's Protecting the Rhodopes grant.
Mountains and Living Traditions, Bulgaria
Seven days of hiking and biking through Bulgaria's mountain villages, staying in family guesthouses, riding the narrow gauge railway across the high Rhodopes, and finishing in the wine country and thermal springs of the south.
Turkey: Stone, Sea, and Sacred Landscapes
Seven days on foot, from the volcanic plateaus and rock cut churches of Cappadocia to the cliffs and hidden coves of the Lycian Way, with ruins, summits, and boat travel along the Mediterranean.
Wellness Retreat for Conservation, Kenya (coming soon)
Yoga, Reiki, and unhurried time in the Kenyan landscape, built around movement, mindfulness, and the same community partnerships that anchor every trip we run.
How your trip funds conservation
Every Mazingira Adventures trip includes a donation to Mazingira Conservation Works. You make that donation directly to MCW, so it is fully tax deductible, and it goes straight into grants for community led conservation in the places you just traveled through.