Wildlife Friendly Certification

The Artisan Tree is a proud member of the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (WFEN). We support their mission of protecting wildlife in wild places and on private lands inbetween. We share their vision of a world where people and wildlife coexist and thrive. You can learn more about WFEN at www.wildlifefriendly.org

Why is our beadwork Certified Wildlife Friendly? 

The beadwork that we include in our products is made by rural women in Kenya. BeadWORKS Kenya, a Certified Wildlife Friendly enterprise, is empowering women and their communities to move away from unsustainable activities (like charcoal production that destroys vulnerable forested areas) to alternative Wildlife Friendly income-generating opportunities.  BeadWORKS Kenya provides women with reliable income that is compatible with their traditional semi-nomadic lifestyles while preserving the cultural heritage of detailed beadwork.

The Northern Rangelands Trust

Furthermore, the women's beading enterprise scheme is part of a larger conservation scheme known as the Northern Rangelands Trust. In this trust villages are part of 33 self-governing community conservancies that spread out over a vast area. 

The conservancies are wild areas and harbor a wide range of both habitats and wildlife from tiny reptiles to rhino, elephant and lion. Conservancy villagers actively manage these areas with anti-poaching patrols, habitat management, conservation awareness, wildlife population monitoring, endangered species recovery programs and human-wildlife conflict mitigation.  Latest data shows that both Grevy’s zebra and elephant populations are increasing significantly.