The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust is a fantastic organization. I got involved with MWCT 10 years ago and have watched it grow from a humble effort by a few inspired people out in the wilderness into sophisticated professional team with incredible partners and supporters all over the world. I agreed to be the President of the Board a few years ago and I believe deeply in the importance of the work this group is doing.

Read about MWCT's mission on our profile page by clicking here.

I can see why people would say “Why work on something so far from home in such an exotic and remote place? What do the Maasai people have to do with our lives and our challenges?”

It’s a good question. My answer is that every day we learn more about how interconnected the natural systems on the planet are and we have to confront that what’s happening to the forests and oceans and ecosystems in far away places is going to have a big impact on everybody everywhere. The world increasingly relies on many traditional communities like the Maasai to protect the ecological treasures that exist within the land that they own. Figuring out how people in developing countries can thrive and grow without destroying some of the world's most important natural resources is going to be one of the great challenges of the 21st Century.

I support this effort because I think it’s the kind of model that’s going to truly save a healthy planet for future generations. And because the people involved are just flat out bad-ass and cool. And because it's fun.

This time last year three of the Maasai guys from MWCT came to NY and ran the NY Marathon with me. Amazingly generous people from all over followed our campaign and kicked in to support us and we raised an unbelievable $1.2 million. That funded all of our work in 2010 and will even cover most of the budget for 2011...but not quite all.

So we're working hard to raise about $350,000 that we need to keep this going strong next year.

If we could get a crowd together here and kick in a good chunk toward that goal, that would be truly awesome. And if you donate, we'll get your contact info and I promise you at least one very informative and enjoyable update letter from me every year about what we managed to achieve with your donations.

Thanks so much for your support.