News and blogs Latest news Liz Bonnin presents our sand dams for elephants BBC Radio 4 Appeal! Published in June 2024 A big thank you to all who tuned in to and donated to our 2024 BBC Radio 4 Appeal. The appeal is now closed, but if you would still like to support our sand dam projects and help people and wildlife in drylands to gain lifelong access to water, please continue reading... About our BBC Radio 4 Appeal Our presenter was Liz Bonnin, a prominent TV broadcaster best known for presenting wildlife and science programmes including 'Galapagos', 'Animals in Love', 'Stargazing Live', 'Blue Planet Live', and 'Drowning in Plastic'. She also features in BBC's 'Our Changing Planet' series where over seven years filmmakers are documenting six habitats around the world, and how over time, these habitats undergo extraordinary change. On the BBC appeal (which you can listen to again here), Liz spoke about the importance of African elephants and how they are crucial to the survival of other species and surrounding habitats. She addressed how their water (elephants need up to 300 litres a day) and food sources are disappearing due to drought. She shared our work in Kenya's Tsavo Conservation Area to date. And she talked about how sand dams (that can capture up to 40 million litres of water and last upwards of 60 years) can be the solution, and enable generations of elephants to thrive. Watch here how sand dams work: Donations from this appeal will go towards 3 new sand dams in Kenya's Tsavo Conservation Area which will provide a vital source of water, help to regreen the environment, restore degraded land and improve vegetation, in turn helping elephants and other wildlife to survive future droughts. Can I still donate? If you missed our BBC Radio 4 Appeal, you can still donate towards our sand dam projects for elephants and wildlife in Kenya's Tsavo Conservation Area here. We are also running an appeal to build a sand dam for vulnerable communities in Ethiopia, to promote peace and reduce water-related conflict. You can find out more and make a donation towards that sand dam here. Alternatively, if you'd like to make a general donation towards our sand dam projects and work, which will help enable the construction of more sand dams in drylands, providing lifelong access to clean water and transforming lives and land for generations to come, please donate what you can here: Please select a donation amount (required) £25 could provide a farmer with drought-resistant seeds, so they can feed and support their family. £50 could provide a roll of barbed wire to reinforce a sand dam, anchoring it to the bedrock. £85 could provide 500 seedlings and a spray pump, to protect the trees from insects Other Set up a regular payment Donate Photo credits: Top banner image: Andrew Crowley Image right: Giles Badger Manage Cookie Preferences