Tusk Conservation Awards: Protecting the forests of Kenya The cornerstone of this approach has been the "rehabilitation" of the forest - the replanting of indigenous species, plus some fast-growing conifers for timber - consolidated by schemes to provide other sources of income and welfare such as chickens (for eggs), beekeeping and "biogas" (fuel generated by waste products, which obviates the need to take firewood from the forest). Kuria took me to meet one of the oldest Kenvo members, a farmer named Stephen Kusero, who keeps bees (the honey is sold collectively through Kenvo) and has a new biogas facility that runs off the daily dung of his single cow. Kusero turned on his cow-powered gas hob to demonstrate - and Kuria couldn't resist warming his hands above its strong flame. "It feels good when you see something you started a long time ago actually working," he said. At Matathia Primary School, Kuria introduced me to the deputy headmaster, James Thuo, who admitted that a decade ago he knew nothing about trees and land management. Now, thanks to training by Kenvo, he has transformed the surroundings and spirit of the school. "There was nothing here," he said as we walked through a grove of indigenous trees, planted by the children, that provide shade and a congenial environment. Beyond the trees are a plant nursery and a vegetable garden, where the children "learn the proper management of the land" that they will carry with them into adulthood. The children take the seedlings and vegetables home to their families. Items are also sold commercially to provide a source of funding for the school. "We have come so far with these guys," said Thuo, referring to Kenvo. They have given the school a new look. The situation at another school, Kitilikini, proves there is a long way to go. The schoolyard was bare and rocky, devoid of trees and shade. Wind whipped the red earth into our eyes. Kuria had brought the headmaster a planting plan and suggested he visit Matathia Primary School to see what can be achieved. "It's a hard job, but we'll do it," he said. Our last stop was Osutwa Camp, a joint tourist venture between Kuria's ethnic group the Kikuyu and the Maasai . The traditional thatched buildings occupy a peaceful spot on a sweep of hillside, where foreign tourists used to come to walk and birdwatch (scaremongering about terrorism and Ebola has driven them away in recent months, much to Kuria's frustration). It's the symbolism as well as the commercial potential of the camp that means so much to Kuria, who helped build it with his own hands. The Maasai are pastoralists. We [the Kikuyu] are farmers. We have fought over water for a long time. But this camp shows that if we work together to conserve this environment, we will have everything. And if he wins this year's Tusk Conservation Award? "Such awards, they remove the suffering you have gone through," he said. And more importantly, it shows I do not have to live in Nairobi to help my people. You can start change from within and it can become a demonstration that all things are possible. Tusk Conservation Awards The Tusk Trust (tusk.org) is a British charity, with the Duke of Cambridge as its patron, which supports conservation projects in Africa. Its Tusk Conservation Awards, in association with Investec Asset Management, recognise work in the field. In addition to the Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa, sponsored by Land Rover, it will be making an award for lifetime achievement, the Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa, at a ceremony in London on November 25. The Ultimate Travel Company (020 3582 1284; theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk), which supports the work of the Tusk Trust, tailor-makes community conservation safaris across Kenya. A seven-night stay combining Saruni Samburu in the north with Leleshwa, a private conservancy bordering the Maasai Mara National Reserve, and a day at the Kenvo project costs from £3,819 per person. Flights from London are with Kenya Airways (kenya-airways.com).