Kariba Basin, Zimbabwe · U.S. office: Grand Rapids, MI
Elephant family with a calf crossing a dry riverbed in the Kaburi-Moto Concession

Kaburi-Moto Concession · Kariba Basin, Zimbabwe

Protecting wildlife. Supporting rangers. Empowering communities.

We fund the 20-year rehabilitation of the 29,590-hectare Kaburi-Moto Concession on the shores of Lake Kariba. In Year 1, rangers patrolled 3,850 km and pulled more than 500 snares from the bush.

Who we are

A protected Zambezi — by the people, for the people, and for its wildlife.

The Zambezi Ranger Project is a U.S. nonprofit created to bring American support to conservation on the ground in Zimbabwe. Our flagship is the Kaburi-Moto Rehabilitation Project: a 20-year effort, begun in 2025, to rebuild a concession that was once a stronghold for wildlife.

We believe in well-trained, well-equipped rangers, local people as full partners, and reporting that ties every dollar to results in the field.

Greater kudu bull standing in green bush

Our values

01
Integrity in conservation
The highest standards of honesty, transparency and accountability, worthy of donor trust.
02
Ranger-centered protection
The safety, training and support of frontline rangers come first.
03
Community partnership
Solutions that are collaborative, culturally aligned and create long-term economic opportunity.
04
Data-driven impact
Science, technology and measurable outcomes guide where every dollar goes.
05
Respect for biodiversity
Safeguarding habitats, restoring ecological balance and preserving species for future generations.
06
Sustainable, long-term vision
Conservation systems built to endure beyond our presence.

Where we work · Flagship project

The Kaburi-Moto Concession.

Map of Zimbabwe showing the Kaburi and Moto blocks on the Zambezi River at the head of Lake Kariba, bordering Zambia
The Kaburi and Moto blocks sit where the Zambezi River meets Lake Kariba, on the border with Zambia.
29,590 ha
Middle Zambezi Valley & Kariba Basin
20 years
Rehabilitation plan, 2025–2045
Charara
Kariba district, Zimbabwe
Lioness resting at the edge of a waterhole
“To rebuild the Kaburi-Moto Concession into a secure, thriving ecosystem by protecting wildlife, restoring infrastructure, and strengthening partnerships with surrounding communities.”
Project goal · Kaburi-Moto Rehabilitation Project

On the ground, the work is led by Chloe Payne, our In-Country Conservation Lead. The Zambezi Ranger Project, led by President & CEO Dakoyta Greenman, raises U.S. support for it.

2025 · Year 1 complete2045

2025 · Year 1 of 20

Results you can measure.

From Kaburi-Moto field records, 2025. Our anti-poaching teams also recorded 205 animal sightings to track recovery.

0
kilometers patrolled
0+
snares removed
0
kilometers of road reopened
0+
local jobs created
0
illegal human encounters reported
0
successful arrests

Why it matters

Once a stronghold. Now a recovery.

Two decades of indifferent management brought high poaching, deforestation and human encroachment into the concession. Wildlife populations across the Zambezi Valley fell sharply.

Black rhino browsing in long grass

Once common here, black rhino are now locally extinct.

Population declines, 2002–2024

Zambezi Valley · Dunham, Nyaguse & Mudungwe (2024)

  • Sable−0%
  • Warthog−0%
  • Eland−0%
  • Zebra−0%
  • Buffalo−0%
  • Impala−0%
  • Kudu−0%
  • Elephant−0%

Snares

Wire snares set for bushmeat catch anything that passes, elephants and predators included, and most snared animals die.

Trafficking

Organized networks use the river and border communities to move ivory and other illegal goods between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Conflict

Crop losses, livestock predation and scarce water push wildlife and people together. Solutions have to work for both.

What we do · Boots on the ground

Five field programs. One layered defense.

Each program answers a reality on the ground: vast terrain, daily snaring, organized networks and neighbors under economic pressure. Bars show the planned share of field effort.

01

Ranger deployment & training

Skills, equipment and field support for teams patrolling large, remote conservation areas.

Share of field effort35%
02

Snare removal & rapid response

Clearing wire traps and acting fast when poaching threats or injured wildlife are reported.

Share of field effort25%
03

Drone & aerial surveillance

Extending patrol reach, detecting illegal activity earlier and keeping rangers safer.

Share of field effort15%
04

Wildlife monitoring

Field surveys, camera traps and sighting records to track movement, population health and conflict.

Share of field effort15%
05

Community education & livelihoods

Water, schools and conflict prevention with neighboring villages, reducing reliance on bushmeat.

Share of field effort10%
Kaburi-Moto anti-poaching team posing behind a large pile of wire snares they removed
The Kaburi-Moto anti-poaching team with wire snares pulled from the concession.

On the front line

Eight rangers. 3,850 km. More than 500 snares.

In Year 1, an eight-man anti-poaching team covered the concession on foot and by vehicle, reported 32 illegal human encounters and supported 7 successful arrests.

  • Grow the team beyond eight rangers to widen the patrol footprint in 2026.
  • Build three anti-poaching bases with electricity, running water and a secure electric fence.
  • Keep patrols fueled and equipped: uniforms, equipment and $19,315 in patrol fuel budgeted for 2026.

2026 goals

Bigger ambitions for Year 2.

Despite the funding strain, the work on the ground cannot falter. Here is what we will deliver in 2026.

Team member in a life jacket piloting a boat on the Zambezi

Anti-poaching

  • Expand the 8-man team to increase our patrol footprint.
  • Build 3 anti-poaching bases with electricity, running water and an electric fence.
  • Reduce human encounters and snaring pressure.
Hooded vulture perched on a dead branch

Conservation & research

  • Run a predator-focused camera-trap survey of density and diversity.
  • Provide water for wildlife through boreholes.
  • Keep recording animals encountered to measure recovery.
Child filling a bucket from a shallow stream bed

Community engagement

  • Provide a safe, alternate water source for neighboring Padare Village.
  • Erect an electric fence around Padare to prevent human-wildlife conflict.
  • Support Nyanyana primary and secondary schools with stationery and a school food program.

Transparency · Where the money goes

The funding gap, in plain numbers.

Today the concession is funded mainly by regulated hunting. Annual offtake is deliberately kept below natural recovery rates so populations can rebuild — which also means that income cannot cover the cost of restoring roads, infrastructure and protection.

Donor support closes that gap.

2025 financial statement

Revenue$167,470
Expenses$404,622
Deficit−$237,152

2026 field budget

$466,541.84

Select a category to see its line items.

Anti-poaching $208,211.88
  • Construction of 3 anti-poaching bases$120,000.00
  • Personnel$56,949.96
  • Operations (fuel)$19,315.20
  • Equipment$8,793.00
  • Uniforms$3,153.72

How ZRP allocates donations

Zambezi Ranger Project 2026 financial plan

55% Anti-poaching & rangers20% Monitoring & habitat15% Community programs10% Administration & compliance

Reports & filings

  • Kaburi-Moto 2025 financial statement
  • Kaburi-Moto 2026 budget
  • IRS determination letter
  • ZRP annual report & Form 990After first year

Roadmap · Zambezi Ranger Project

From foundation to a permanent operations hub.

Our first four years as an organization, in service of Kaburi-Moto’s 20-year plan (2025–2045).

Year 1 · 2026

Establish operational readiness

Build a dependable field presence, strengthen the current ranger team, and put in place the systems needed for patrols, monitoring, community engagement and reporting.

Key milestone

Deploy a fully trained, professionally equipped ranger team into priority protection zones, using standardized patrol and reporting procedures.

Leadership & governance

Built for accountability from day one.

A small, highly experienced board will guide long-term strategy, ensure transparency, oversee risk and ranger safety, and build partnerships across both countries.

Executive leadership

Dakoyta Greenman

President & Chief Executive Officer · Grand Rapids, MI

Leads the Zambezi Ranger Project’s strategy, fundraising, partnerships and donor reporting in the United States.

Chloe Payne

In-Country Conservation Lead · Zimbabwe

As Overall Lead for the Zambezi Ranger Project, Chloe oversees conservation strategy, field operations, wildlife protection initiatives, community engagement programs, and long-term rehabilitation efforts within the Zambezi Valley. Her work focuses on creating practical, ranger-led conservation solutions that deliver measurable outcomes for wildlife and local communities.

Board of Directors

Officers in place · Additional seats open

Michael A. Rogers

Chief Financial Officer & Board Director

Mike brings more than 45 years of Fortune 500 executive leadership experience, extensive international business expertise, and over three decades of active involvement in wildlife conservation organizations.

Oversees budgets, financial controls and the transparent reporting donors rely on.

Christy Keys

Board Director

Christy Keys is a Texas native and marketing representative in the cotton industry, where she has spent nearly a decade building relationships and working alongside agricultural producers. Her professional experience brings valuable expertise in stakeholder engagement, communications, and relationship development.

Focus: stakeholder engagement, conservation advocacy, donor relations and outreach.

Open seats · Expertise we are recruiting for

Open seat

Strategic leadership in conservation or field operations

Guide long-term planning against snaring, trafficking and habitat loss.

Open seat

Anti-poaching, security or law-enforcement coordination

Inform decisions in a landscape where organized syndicates operate with local support.

Open seat

Community engagement & development

Experience in livelihoods, social impact or cross-cultural engagement.

Open seat

Cross-border, multi-party collaboration

Coordinate across Zimbabwe, Zambia and the many independent parties along the river.

Why serve on our board

  • Strategic influence on a focused, high-impact portfolio in a critical transboundary landscape
  • Governance responsibilities that protect donors, staff, partners and beneficiaries
  • Direct collaboration with rangers, conservation experts and local leaders
  • A clear role in fundraising, partnerships and brand credibility
  • A disciplined, data-informed approach to measuring progress
Express interest in a board seat

Governance policies

Adopted by the founding board and published here as each is approved.

  • Bylaws
  • Conflict of interest policy
  • Ranger conduct & human rights policy
  • Whistleblower policy
  • Gift acceptance policy
  • Financial controls & reporting

How you can help

Be part of the founding chapter.

Leadership gifts & partnerships

Underwrite Year 2.

Founding donors make the 2026 plan possible: three anti-poaching bases, a larger ranger team, safe water for Padare Village and the first predator survey — with direct access to field leadership and line-by-line reporting.

Dakoyta Greenman, President & CEO
dakoytag@westwoodai.com · (231) 457-6057
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