Protecting Arabuko-Sokoke Forest with community scouts

Friends of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest (FoASF) was founded by local conservationists and community members to protect the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest (ASF), the largest remaining stretch of dry coastal forest in the world and one of Africa’s most important biodiversity hotspots. For over 25 years, FoASF has worked with communities, schools, and government partners to conserve endangered species including elephants, Aders’ duiker, golden-rumped elephant shrew, and rare coastal birds found nowhere else on Earth.

ASF faces growing threats from illegal logging, charcoal production, poaching, drought, forest fragmentation, and increasing human-wildlife conflict. Over 200,000 people live around the forest, and poverty often drives dependence on unsustainable forest resources. Climate change is intensifying pressure on both biodiversity and local livelihoods.

FoASF’s solution is community-led restoration and protection. We employ local scouts and engage youth, women, farmers, and schools as conservation leaders. Our 24 community scouts patrol the forest daily with Kenya Wildlife Service and have removed over 22,000 snares since 2018 while protecting elephant corridors and monitoring biodiversity.

We reduce pressure on the forest through regenerative agriculture, indigenous tree growing, conservation education, sustainable livelihoods, and human-elephant coexistence programs. By creating jobs, building conservation skills, and strengthening local stewardship, FoASF is restoring both ecosystems and community resilience to ensure Arabuko-Sokoke Forest survives for future generations.

Please quantify the environmental benefits your organization has delivered to date. This includes, but is not limited to area restored/protected (hectares of land, ocean, or water protected, restored, or rewilded), GHG emissions (tonnes of CO2 emissions captured or avoided), or biodiversity (increases in biodiversity e.g., increase in the number of fish or plant species in a specified area).

Friends of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest has delivered measurable conservation impact across the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest landscape for more than 25 years, helping protect one of the world’s most threatened coastal forest ecosystems.

Arabuko-Sokoke Forest covers approximately 42,000 hectares and represents the largest remaining stretch of dry coastal forest globally. FoASF supports daily protection of this critical habitat through community-led conservation patrols, biodiversity monitoring, education, and restoration activities.

Since 2018, our 24 community scouts working alongside Kenya Wildlife Service have:

• Conducted over 59,000 forest patrols;
• Removed more than 22,000 wire snares used for bushmeat poaching;
• Helped protect habitat for endangered species including elephants, Aders’ duiker, golden-rumped elephant shrew, and over 270 bird species.

FoASF also reduces pressure on the forest through regenerative agriculture, indigenous tree growing, and human-elephant coexistence programs that help communities adopt sustainable livelihoods and reduce forest degradation.

To date, we have:

• Reached over 44,000 students through environmental education programs;
• Employed more than 60 local community members annually through conservation and restoration activities;
• Supported indigenous seed collection, tree planting, and agroforestry initiatives that strengthen biodiversity corridors and ecosystem resilience.

By reducing illegal extraction, restoring degraded landscapes, and strengthening local stewardship, FoASF contributes directly to long-term carbon storage, biodiversity protection, and climate resilience within one of Africa’s most important forest ecosystems.