The best potential ambassadors for elephants are those who live amongst them, sharing their land and their future.
STE works to develop a conservation ethic by building on local knowledge of wildlife. We involve local people in research and monitoring to stimulate learning and foster positive attitudes.


Read more about our Grass Roots Programme

Pioneering Animal Tracking Project usingmobile phone technology
(Supported by Safaricom Foundation)
Elephants wearing our news GSM collars send regular text messages to let us now their movements.
The technique is revolutionising elephant tracking and may be extended for use with other species.


Green Hunting and Population Dynamics in APNR & Kruger National Park, South Africa
A collaborative project investigating elephant movements and dynamics using GPS collars.
The research is also assessing attitudes to culling, sport hunting and green hunting.

Baseline data collection in Congo and Gabon
Collecting vital data on the little-understood forest elephants of Central Africa whose populations are in steep decline. Range and movement data is essential to curb illegal poaching and logging that threatens their habitat.


Ranging behaviour of the desert elephants in Timbuktu, Mali
The astonishing distances travelled by desert elephants are revealed for the first time.

One of our main focuses is conservation education and we encourage students to become ambassadors of the area and their cultures. We have now provided the opportunity for a person to sponsor a student from the surrounding area and to create an extremely personal relationship with the individual. We select students based on merit, determination and motivation. These students build new friendships with their sponsors and stay in close contact through letters and pictures. Sponsoring the secondary school education for these young people provides them with a rare and precious opportunity that will change the rest of their lives.

Protection is a vital pillar supporting the future of the elephant. Our work through education, research and grassroots conservation is gaining momentum and we hope it will eventually eclipse the need for active protection. Until that time arrives all our efforts funnel into the essential work of lobbying governments and CITES to provide legal protection. STE works closely with government and non-governmental organisations, universities and research institutions to ensure the long-term conservation of elephants in Africa. This requires a multifaceted approach and our activities cover research, conservation, community education and training, and public awareness at both a national and international level.