From 20th - 25th June 2016, we will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in support of the Roger Gower Memorial Fund. Roger Gower was shot and killed while flying an anti-poaching mission in Tanzania in January 2016 . The money we raise for the Memorial Fund will be used to assist essential anti-poaching efforts in Tanzania.

Tanzania is home to one of the largest concentrations of African elephants on the continent. Yet, between 2009 and 2014, Tanzania lost 65,721 elephants to poaching - accounting for more than 60% of its elephant population. 

A single elephant can generate USD1.6 million in tourism revenue if left to live out its normal lifespan; and in 2013, tourism accounted for 13% of Tanzania's GDP (WildAid, 2015).

The Ivory Crisis (WildAid, 2015): Tanzania — best known for its snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, numerous national parks and game reserves, and the famous annual wildebeest migration — is home to a vast array of wildlife. The country has dedicated thousands of square kilometres (over 20% of its land) to protect this natural heritage: Tanzania boasts 16 national parks — including Ruaha, Serengeti and Tarangire — the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and 17 game reserves, including the Selous. Yet despite ongoing conservation efforts, the country is now poised to lose one of its most recognized and valued resources: the African elephant.

Growing affluence in Asia has produced a new class of ivory consumers who have reignited demand and stimulated the illegal ivory trade, resulting in an escalating poaching crisis. A study published in July 2014 found that more than 100,000 elephants were illegally killed in Africa between 2010 and 2012 — ~33,630 each year.