Conservation: a love story | Elsaphan Njora

0:03You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day. I'm your host, Elise Hu. Today, we're taking you on a journey through the vast and beautiful landscape of Kenya to ask the question, what if the key to saving nature isn't about science or policy, but about love? From the crater in Silali to the springs at Mzima, the cool blue waters of Lake Chala to the sandy beaches of Robinson Island, I am in awe of what this country has to offer. Multi-hyphenate artist Elsifan Njora has been traveling across his native country for years, witnessing ecosystems vanish from indigenous forests to sacred lakes.

0:48But he's also seen communities breathing life back into the rivers, forests and coasts in creative, unexpected ways. In his talk and performance, supported by guitarist Manasseh Shalom and singer Kendi Nkonge, he tells the story of the very real possibility of a world where conservation can flourish alongside livelihoods. Because for El Sifan, through love of the land, the people, and the world we leave behind, even the most threatened landscapes can be reborn. So what is taking us so long? That's coming up right after a short break.

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4:17And now, our TED Talk of the day.

4:39Here's my hand, take me now Don't resist, don't ask me how For the last three and a half years, I have traveled more than I have ever done in all my years. I have interacted with cultures, landscapes, and legends across the land. And I've been enriched by these vast experiences that I'm so fortunate to have. So much so that some of my songs are starting to sound like travel journals. His safari in Yamapenzi means this journey is of love. From the crater in Silali to the springs at Mzima, the cool blue waters of Lake Chala to the sandy beaches of Robinson Island, the waterfalls at Luskebe to the island of Sumba, the small elephants of Abadeas to the giants in Ambosele, the sometimes feisty buffaloes of Mount Kilimambogo to the lilac-breasted roller in the plains, the rivers, the valleys, the people.

5:44I am in awe of what this country has to offer. This wealth, this beauty is meant to be shared. It is meant to be passed on. After all, we too found it here. And we are direct beneficiaries of the intentional or accidental conservation efforts of the past. The question is, what shall we leave for those who are coming after us? Allow me to take you on a journey. Let us start in a county called Nyahururu. in a peculiar water body called Lake Olbolosat, which is both a salty and freshwater lake, it is possible that one day we might not have it anymore. Delaying to take measures to curb cultivation around riparian land near the lake will most certainly lead to its destruction.

6:33And in a few years' time, it might as well never have existed. But a lake is not just a lake. Now let's go to Machakos County. The land of the long-distance traders, the flat landscape of enchantment, and the crescendo music lovers.

7:00The home of the great seer who prophesied the coming of the British, and once home to a vast indigenous forest whose remnants can be found at Ke Makimwe, which means one hill. There at the sacred hill of the Akamba, you'll see there was evidence that this was a vast forest. However, Machakos today stands in contrast of what our ancestors once called home. Massive deforestation has transformed a large section of it into a semi-arid expanse where water is scarce. Now the forests and the legends and the stories might as well never have existed. But a forest is not just a forest. These are ecosystems that support a great number of species from birds, land animals, fish, insects, plants, some of which are endemic to the area and serve as nature's order in the great equation of balance.

7:54The very same balance that we are here to discuss. But our farmers need land to till, and we need wood, don't we? But pause. This is not a piece to patronize. Instead, it's to paint a picture of perhaps what could be possible if we took action, and to bear the news of the efforts that have been taken so far. The proverbial, what if? But now with a motive to reconsider, reconfigure, and recruit. What if there is another way to go about it? What if there is another way to coexist with nature, make a living, and leave an inheritance for those who are coming after us? Let us go to Kilifi County, right next to the Indian Ocean, somewhere at the shores of Watamu.

8:45Stands a testament of what could be if we reimagined conservation. A group called Dabasso, through research and collaboration, began planting mangroves 20 years ago in an effort to conserve. 20 years of insults and ridicule, doubts and second thoughts. But now the shores breathe more life into the world and give better sanctuary for sea life. And an establishment called Crab Shack Hotel stands as a tourist attraction, a pillar of conservation and commerce. merging nature, community, and profit in an eco-friendly existence. And back in Machakos, they are making better use of the land and they are repopulating the indigenous seedlings.

9:36With the efforts of the conservationists, we might just see the return of the trees of old. And at Lake Polbolosa, they are resettling the farmers and they are saving the lake. It is no longer a thing of what if. It's a possibility. We can save our ecosystems, our species, and our futures. We can. The evidence is clear across the world. So what is taking us so long? I've never understood why it takes so much effort to do what we know we need to do. Maybe it is a human condition to procrastinate until it is too late in order to catch that edge. That elusive high of uncertainty thinking we have some kind of control.

10:19Only problem is, there is no control. However, I believe that if we search deep inside for something bigger, something bigger than ourselves, then we'll light a fire that can take us all the way to a better world. Now, I'm no expert, but I believe at the core of conservation is love. Love for the land, love for the people of the land, and most importantly, love for those who will come after us. And with this, I think we can find a way to work together in a manner that will benefit nature and community, in a manner that will give honor and dignity. And so this journey has to be a journey of love.

11:06And while that may take longer, the effects are profound and far-reaching enough to keep the world breathing. Finally, let me complete this journey with imagination I will ask you to indulge me Close your eyes I want you to envision that place that you want transformed Do you have it? You have it? So I want us to take this journey together On the count of three, I want you to say it out loud One, two, three

11:57Here's my hand. Take me now. Don't resist. Don't ask me how.

12:09Ooh, I'm on fire for you Ooh, I'm on fire Ooh,

12:24I'm on fire for you Ooh, I'm on fire Ooh,

12:36I'm on fire for you

12:42I'm on fire

12:52That was Elsafan Njora with Manasseh Shalom and singer Kendi Nkonge at the TED Countdown Summit in Nairobi, Kenya in 2025. If you're curious about TED's curation, find out more at ted.com slash curation guidelines. And that's it for today. TED Talks Daily is part of the TED Audio Collective. This talk was fact-checked by the TED Research Team and produced and edited by our team, Martha Estefanos, Oliver Friedman, Brian Green, Lucy Little, and Tonsika Sungmarnivong. This episode was mixed by Lucy Little. Additional support from Emma Taubner and Daniela Ballarezzo. I'm Elise Hu. I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feed.

13:35Thanks for listening.

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