Each year, The Long Run community comes together to celebrate its shared mission to protect ecosystems for the benefit of all. It’s an inspiring and enlightening time out from the everyday exchanging ideas, learning from on-the-ground changemakers, and building life-long connections. This year, after a three year pause due to Covid-19, over 40 members gathered at Borana Conservancy in Laikipia, Kenya hosted by members Borana Lodge and Lengishu House.

 

Our gathering was rich, diverse, and multi-faceted as always. It demonstrated that sharing experiences, expertise and knowledge helps members to push boundaries individually and build on shared purpose. 

 

Borana and its extensive community leant itself to this years’ theme of accelerating change. One of The Long Run’s newest Global Ecosphere Retreats®, there is no better place to see first-hand what the highest sustainable standards across all the 4Cs look like from solar farms to community liaison officers and big-picture landscape restoration.

 

Borana Conservancy is home to one of Kenya’s most successful rhino landscapes, is a pioneer in holistic and conservation-led ranching, has recently built a 4C community education centre, and is continually pushing the bar with its regenerative Waitabit Farm. The spirit and warmth exuded by every single team member at Borana is a testament to the destination’s shared passion and ethos.

 

In light of the growing urgency of the climate and biodiversity crisis, which so many of our members now feel acutely through everything from flooding to drought, the theme of this year’s meeting was, “Accelerating Change in your Landscape, Community, Organisation, and Beyond.”

 

Looking outside our boundaries is a critical part of progress, and so sessions explored working with neighbours to expand conservation areas, how to ensure conservation benefits and pays back to surrounding communities, creating a ripple effect of change through employee and guest engagement, and how we can all become better change makers. 

 

By the final day there was a palpable sense of connection among the group, which is something we’re incredibly proud of at The Long Run. Much of what we do is about identifying tangible outcomes, measuring for the sake of transparency, and ensuring that science and fact guide everything we do to pursue true positive impact. However, sometimes, it’s this sense of belonging and collective purpose that bubbles up and guides us forward.

 

“We have returned to Samara inspired, energised, and grateful that we are part of The Long Run family. We truly had no idea what a powerful collection of individuals and properties you are and what you have all individually and collectively achieved to protect wild spaces and people on the planet. Proud to share our journey with you and grateful to be part of yours.” — Sarah Tompkins, Co-Founder & Director, Samara Karoo Reserve.

 

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If you like the idea of attending one of our Annual Meetings, or accessing similar online gatherings, presentations, webinars, and exchanges, please get in touch with [email protected] to find out more about becoming a member.