Samson Parashina named among six Champions of the Earth 2012 awardees

Samson Parashina
(Photo courtesy of unep.org)

The Kenyan  Maasai conservationist was named among the six winners of the United Nation’s Champions of Earth 2012 award, which is awarded to leaders who have had a positive impact on the environment. The ceremony  took place in Rio, Brazil on June 4, 2012 and Mongolia’s President Tsakhia Elbegdorj was among the six who included renown scientists and a banker.

Samson Parashina is a Maasai warrior and a respected safari guide at Campi ya Kanzi. He’s the President of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust (MWCT), a grass-roots community trust that works to conserve the wildlife and cultural heritage of the Tsavo-Amboseli ecosystem, a key tourist attraction.

Parashina's nomination was by British actor Edward Norton, who serves on the of MWCT and also a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity. MWCT runs Campi ya Kanzi hotel, which was named by CNN as one of 10 top luxury eco-hotels in the world.

MWCT is also among 25 organizations to win the 2012 Equator Prize awarded by the United Nations Development Programme.