Nature Kenya
Nature Kenya (East Africa Natural History Society) is Africa's oldest environmental society, founded in 1909 and based in Nairobi. It conducts biodiversity conservation, research, and community engagement at Key Biodiversity Areas across Kenya through Site Support Groups, as a BirdLife International Partner.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1909
- HeadquartersNairobi, Kenya
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Nature Kenya does
Nature Kenya, legally the East Africa Natural History Society (EANHS), is a non-profit conservation organization founded in 1909 and headquartered at the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi. It is Africa's oldest environmental society and operates as a Partner of BirdLife International within the global BirdLife partnership. Its mission is to connect people with nature and take action for biodiversity conservation across Kenya, with primary activities spanning species and habitat conservation at Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), local community empowerment, public engagement through birdwatching and education, and advocacy for ecological sustainability.
Nature Kenya's core service offering is community-led conservation delivered through Site Support Groups (SSGs) at KBAs including Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Tana Delta, Yala Swamp, Kinangop Grasslands, Taita Hills, Lake Baringo, Kwenia, South Nandi, Mrima Hill, and Mutitu Hill. Core activities include habitat restoration (e.g., 10,467 hectares restored at Tana Delta, 51,000 tree seedlings for riparian planting), species monitoring (waterbird census, bird ringing, de-snaring surveys), vulture sanctuary protection, and citizen-science programs. The organization also produces and sells an e-commerce catalog of 77+ publications including field guides, bird checklists, and educational materials, alongside branded merchandise (KSh700-KSh4,200 per item) and community-sourced goods such as Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Honey. Regular Wednesday morning, Saturday, and Malindi birdwalks and the annual Lungs for Kenya Charity Golf Tournament function as engagement and fundraising channels.
Revenue is generated through five streams: individual and corporate donations, membership subscriptions, e-commerce sales, charity event proceeds, and project grants from international funders including NABU (Germany), BirdLife Denmark/DANIDA/CISU, GEF/UNDP via UNEP, and the Darwin Initiative. The organization employs 11-50 staff, partners formally with Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, National Museums of Kenya, BirdLife International, and a network of local Site Support Groups, and operates without any disclosed AI/ML or software platform capability.
Nature Kenya firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nature Kenya
- Legal name
- East Africa Natural History Society (EANHS)
- Website
- https://naturekenya.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1909
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Nature Kenya (East Africa Natural History Society) is Africa's oldest environmental society, founded in 1909 and based in Nairobi. It conducts biodiversity conservation, research, and community engagement at Key Biodiversity Areas across Kenya through Site Support Groups, as a BirdLife International Partner.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nature Kenya industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Conservation Services
- NAICS
- Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Forestry (800)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation (BPAGAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE)
Keywords
Where Nature Kenya is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nairobi
- HQ country
- Kenya
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Nature Kenya business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Contributions: Nature Kenya receives donations from supporters and corporate sponsors who contribute to conservation programs and environmental initiatives.
- Membership Fees: Annual and periodic membership subscriptions from individuals supporting the organization's mission and conservation work.
- E-commerce Sales: Online shop selling nature-themed merchandise including bird checklists, field guides, clothing, community products (honey), and gift items. All profits support conservation efforts.
- Charity Events: Annual Lungs for Kenya Charity Golf Tournament and similar fundraising events that generate donations for climate and nature restoration projects.
- Project Grants: Funding from international donors including NABU (Germany), BirdLife Denmark, DANIDA, and government agencies for specific conservation projects like AfriEvolve, Tana Restoration Initiative, and Nandi's Green Lungs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Branded clothing items ranging from KSh700 to KSh3,800 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Field guides and reference books |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Community products |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bird checklists and educational materials |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Nature Kenya product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nature Kenya (East Africa Natural History Society, EANHS), established in 1909, is a non-profit conservation organization and BirdLife International partner that protects biodiversity through habitat conservation, species monitoring, environmental education, and community empowerment programs. It offers individual and corporate memberships, runs bird walks and birdwatching events, hosts the Lungs for Kenya Charity Golf Tournament, and operates an online shop selling field guides, books, checklists, branded clothing, and community-produced goods such as honey.
Product overview
Nature Kenya operates as a conservation society (the East Africa Natural History Society) offering an online shop with nature-themed products and publications. The product portfolio comprises clothing and branded merchandise (safari hats, polo shirts, hoodies, jackets, sandals), community-sourced products (Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Honey), and an extensive collection of 77+ books and field guides covering East African birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, trees, insects, and flora. Beyond retail, Nature Kenya provides membership programs, organizes bird walks and birdwatching events across Kenya, and hosts the annual Lungs for Kenya Charity Golf Tournament for fundraising. The organization does not operate a software platform or SaaS product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Nature Kenya Membership Program
- Bird Walks and Birdwatching Events
- Lungs for Kenya Charity Golf Tournament
- Conservation Field Guides, Books, and Checklists
- Nature Kenya Branded Merchandise (Clothing and Gifts)
- Community Conservation Products (e.g., honey)
Quantifiable outcome
- 10,467 hectares of degraded landscapes restored at Tana Delta
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Nature Kenya
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Nature Kenya technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Nature Kenya partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- BirdLife InternationalcoreNature Kenya is a Partner of BirdLife International, a global partnership of national conservation organizations. Working within BirdLife is fundamental to Nature Kenya's strategy and the partnership shares common objectives in advocating and carrying out priority conservation actions. BirdLife is the leading authority on the status of the world's birds.
- Kenya Forest Service (KFS)coreJoint forest management partnerships at Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Kirisia Forest, and other protected areas. KFS provides technical support for tree seedling production and forest management planning.
- Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)coreCollaborative wildlife conservation including joint management of protected areas, vulture action plan development, and Nairobi Snake Park operations.
- National Museums of KenyacoreCollaborative research on biodiversity including bird ringing at Nairobi Museum grounds, species documentation, and conservation research at various KBAs.
- Friends of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest (FoASF)majorLocal community organization working with Nature Kenya and other stakeholders for conservation of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest.
- Dawida Biodiversity Conservation Group (DABICO)majorLocal conservation group partnering with Nature Kenya for Taita Hills forests conservation, sensitizing communities about forest fires and invasive species.
- Friends of Nairobi National ParkminorCollaboration on Nairobi Biodiversity Parks project focusing on small seasonal wetlands in Nairobi area.
- Kenya Bird of Prey TrustmajorPartnership for vulture conservation at Kwenia KBA, working with Maasai landowners on the proposed 12,600-hectare Vulture Sanctuary.
- Wildlife Clubs of Kenya (WCK)majorYouth education partnership for conservation awareness including de-snaring walks and environmental education programs.
- Lake Elmenteita Serena CampminorPartner in bird ringing project contributing to sustainable tourism and avian conservation in Kenya's Rift Valley.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Nature Kenya competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The Nature Conservancy: Largest global conservation NGO with a growing Africa footprint and structured focus on nature-based solutions and corporate ESG partnerships. Comparable on habitat conservation model, but with materially larger scale and corporate donor access.
- World Wildlife Fund: Largest global conservation NGO operating across Kenya (Amboseli, Maasai Mara, coastal forests). Operates community conservation, anti-poaching, and species programs overlapping directly with Nature Kenya's KBA work.
- IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature operates globally with Red List assessments and Eastern Africa regional office in Nairobi. IUCN sits upstream of Nature Kenya in policy, taxonomy, and protected area standards that Nature Kenya operationalizes.
- Wildlife Conservation Society: Large international conservation organization active in Kenya and East Africa with species, habitat, and community conservation programs. Operates at much larger scale and competes for the same multilateral and bilateral biodiversity funding.
Direct peers
- African Wildlife Foundation: Africa-focused conservation NGO operating across East Africa with comparable community-led conservation, wildlife, and habitat protection programs. AWF operates at similar landscape scale and competes for the same donor pools (USAID, EU, German funders).
- Fauna & Flora International: UK-headquartered species and habitat conservation NGO working across Africa with community-based conservation, KBAs, and species recovery programs. Highly comparable in operating model and donor base (Darwin Initiative, European ODA).
- BirdLife International: Global partnership of national conservation organizations of which Nature Kenya is a Partner. BirdLife sets methodology for Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas (IBAs/KBAs) — the exact framework Nature Kenya uses — and channels international funding to national partners.
- Wetlands International: Global wetland conservation NGO whose waterbird census methodology Nature Kenya uses for its annual Kenya waterbird counts. Highly comparable in wetland focus (Yala Swamp, Tana Delta, Rift Valley lakes) and target donor base.
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds: Largest BirdLife Partner and BirdLife International co-founder. RSPB operates the membership, retail (field guides, branded products), and citizen science model that Nature Kenya explicitly mirrors — a direct structural and operational analog.
Regional players
- Kenya Wildlife Service: Statutory government body managing wildlife conservation in Kenya and Nature Kenya's principal operational partner. Comparable mandate on protected area management and species protection, but with vastly larger budget and statutory authority.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Nature Kenya social profiles
Digital presenceNature Kenya financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nature Kenya leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Nature Kenya funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nature Kenya M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nature Kenya
What does Nature Kenya do?
Nature Kenya (East Africa Natural History Society, EANHS), established in 1909, is a non-profit conservation organization and BirdLife International partner that protects biodiversity through habitat conservation, species monitoring, environmental education, and community empowerment programs. It offers individual and corporate memberships, runs bird walks and birdwatching events, hosts the Lungs for Kenya Charity Golf Tournament, and operates an online shop selling field guides, books, checklists, branded clothing, and community-produced goods such as honey.
Is Nature Kenya a public or private company?
Nature Kenya is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Nature Kenya founded?
Nature Kenya was founded in 1909. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Nature Kenya based?
Nature Kenya is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, in the Africa region.
How does Nature Kenya make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Donations and Contributions are the primary driver. The others are membership Fees, E-commerce Sales, charity Events and project Grants.
Who are Nature Kenya's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, IUCN and Wildlife Conservation Society. Direct peers are African Wildlife Foundation, Fauna & Flora International, BirdLife International, Wetlands International and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Kenya Wildlife Service is listed as a regional player.
Does Nature Kenya have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nature Kenya.
What industry is Nature Kenya in?
Nature Kenya's product category is Environmental Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAIAI, Conservation & Human–Wildlife Conflict Mitigation, with a secondary code of BPAGAGAD, Forestry & Reforestation. Its NAICS code is 71219 and its SIC code is 8600.