A Shared Passion

Liza Connelly and her husband Paul, from Massachusetts USA, have been donating to Tusk for a number of years. They first travelled to Kenya in 2010 and were completely taken with the wildlife, the vast open space, the beauty of the area, and a desire to somehow contribute to its protection and preservation. On returning home, they started to look for organisations they could support which focused on African wildlife conservation and had a strong commitment to the people, the wildlife and the habitat. For them, Tusk fulfils all three aspects.

“We support Tusk through the Patrons’ Circle so that we can provide sustained giving year after year for Tusk’s projects. Learning about the Pangolin Project, the efforts to save wild dogs, lions, and other species, every Tusk Patrons’ Circle event is so inspiring. They allow us to really see Tusk’s efforts in the local communities and to hear from the rangers, conservationists and local people who are making these amazing changes happen. We always come away feeling inspired and with a passion to do more for Tusk. It is truly an inspiring organization to support and we are proud and honoured to be a small part of helping Tusk carry out its great work”.

Andrew Pearce is a seasoned fundraiser, having raised around £300,000 to date through challenges and events for a number of different charities. Compelled by the plight of the African elephant, in September 2021, Andrew made the radical decision to give up his job to focus his time on raising funds for elephant conservation, with Tusk as one of his beneficiaries. Starting with a sky-dive challenge in March 2022, he went on to complete the Lewa Safari Marathon in June and then joined the Wildlife Ranger Challenge in September, raising £5,000 in total in support of Tusk’s project partners and ranger teams across Africa.

On what motivates him, he says: “I have had the privilege of visiting some amazing projects to see first-hand the extraordinary work and positive initiatives that ranger teams are implementing to counter poaching and wildlife-human conflict using a combination of traditional methods and modern technology. Their dedication is truly inspiring ensuring that humans and wildlife can coexist side by side in a fastchanging world. All this comes at a cost and Tusk provides a vital funding platform to support a vast range of incredible projects right across Africa and of course the ranger teams.”

In June, Andrew will be putting his running shoes once again to take on the Lewa Safari Marathon, which he describes as “one of the best runs on the planet!”

If you are in a position to make a significant donation to Tusk and would like to find out more, please get in touch with anna@tusk.org.