The Maasai visit BASC’s HQ

As part of a cultural exchange, members of a Maasai tribe met BASC staff at their head office to discuss issues affecting shooting and conservation. 

The visit was arranged after BASC member Jason Ingamells, a director of the Woodland Ways Bushcraft Foundation, requested assistance in transporting the group during their two-week visit. 

The Maasai are visiting the UK to raise funds to develop a school in Kenya and to nurture “a cultural exchange of help, assistance, ideas and raising awareness of what it is to be a Maasai and what it is to work in partnership with people who are trying to make a small difference in their own part of the world”, said Jason. 

BASC sponsored a minibus for their use during the trip. The Maasai met staff at BASC’s headquarters near Wrexham, Denbighshire, and got to see conservation in action by helping to build duck nest tubes. 

Later, the group visited Church Drive Primary School on the Wirral and BASC staff accompanied them to help build birdboxes, which will be put up by members of the school’s eco and conservation clubs. 

Garry Doolan, deputy director of communications and public affairs at BASC, said: “The visit gave us a fantastic opportunity to get together to swap knowledge and ideas and enjoy the company of like-minded conservationists. Education is at the heart of what we do and when we saw an opportunity to find out more about the community and tie the visit in with a trip to a nearby school, we jumped at the chance.”