Our Projects
Ker & Downey is proud to support organizations around the world that work to protect wildlife, preserve wild places, and strengthen local communities. Through partnerships with conservation groups and charitable initiatives, we aim to help safeguard the destinations our travelers explore for generations to come.
Partner
Brigada Aliança
Each September, fires sweep across the Brazilian Amazon, threatening one of the world’s most vital ecosystems.
Brigada Aliança, a grassroots firefighting organization formed by members of the Kamayura Tribe in the 6.5-million-acre Xingu Reserve, works to combat these fires across the Amazon Basin. The brigade trains local firefighters, promotes responsible agricultural practices, and empowers communities to protect their land—creating a vital frontline defense against deforestation.
Led by rancher John Carter, the team coordinates rapid-response efforts that help safeguard both forests and local livelihoods. Carter's conservation works was documented by The Economist in 2005.
Through training, education, and direct action, Brigada Aliança helps protect the Brazilian Amazon and the communities that depend on it.
Partner
Great Plains Conservation
Great Plains Conservation is dedicated to protecting Africa’s remaining pockets of pristine wilderness through a model that balances conservation, community development, and sustainable tourism. Their camps in Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Botswana are located in some of Africa’s most extraordinary ecosystems and are managed with long-term preservation in mind.
Ker & Downey proudly supports Great Plains Conservation and their Rhinos Without Borders initiative, which relocates endangered rhinos from poaching hotspots in South Africa to the safer landscapes of Botswana, where strict anti-poaching policies are enforced.
Since the program began, 87 rhinos have been successfully relocated, helping establish a growing population that now includes new calves. Great Plains Conservation was founded in 2006 by National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence Dereck and Beverley Joubert.
Partner
WildAid
WildAid is a global nonprofit working to end the demand for illegal wildlife products. Their message is simple: “When the buying stops, the killing can too.”
Founded in 2000 by Peter Knights, the organization focuses on large-scale education and awareness campaigns designed to reduce global demand for wildlife products. Their efforts are amplified by an influential network of supporters including HRH Prince William, David Beckham, Leonardo DiCaprio, Yao Ming, Jackie Chan, and Lupita Nyong’o.
WildAid’s campaigns have already produced measurable results, including an 80% reduction in shark fin consumption in China. The organization also works to protect elephants, rhinos, tigers, manta rays, and pangolins while promoting marine conservation and climate awareness.
Ker & Downey is pleased to support WildAid in their efforts as a philanthropic partner. We have participated in the prestigious WildAid Gala, donating several custom journeys to their auction fundraiser.
Partner
Pin Oak Charity Horse Show
The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show is one of Houston’s premier social and equestrian events and among the top multi-breed horse shows in the United States. Founded in 1945 by Houston visionaries including J.S. “Mr. Jim” Abercrombie and Leopold Meyer, the event was created to raise funds for a children’s hospital—ultimately helping provide seed funding for what became Texas Children’s Hospital.
Today, the two-week event attracts more than 60,000 spectators and features competitions across numerous equestrian disciplines. Over the decades, the show has raised millions of dollars to support children’s medical care.
Pin Oak continues to benefit Texas Children’s Hospital, the Ronald McDonald House Family Rooms within the hospital, and the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Family Alliance, helping provide critical support for families with seriously ill children.
To learn more about the project and how you can help, please visit their website.
Partner
Grootbos Foundation
The Grootbos Foundation works to conserve the unique Cape Floral Kingdom while empowering surrounding communities through education, employment, and sustainable development. Their initiatives focus on creating long-term livelihoods while protecting one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems.
Key programs include Green Futures College, which trains unemployed young adults in eco-tourism, horticulture, and hospitality, and the Football Foundation, which promotes youth development through sports, leadership training, and community engagement.
Following a devastating fire in 2006, the Future Trees Project has planted more than 7,500 indigenous trees to restore the region’s historic White Milkwood forests. Ker & Downey supported this initiative for many years by contributing to the program for travelers visiting South Africa.
Medical Missions and
Mosquito Net Distribution
Our Commitment to
Global Communities
Over the years, we've supported a diverse range of projects through both ongoing partnerships and emergency response initiatives.
Our approach combines sustained support for long-term conservation and community development projects with rapid response assistance during times of crisis. When natural disasters strike the regions we know and love, we mobilize quickly to provide meaningful aid. We've raised funds for Australia's wildlife rehabilitation efforts following the devastating bushfires and supported earthquake relief efforts in Turkey, helping communities rebuild and recover.
Whether through one-time emergency assistance or sustained partnership support, our goal remains constant: to ensure that the places we visit and the people who call them home continue to thrive for generations to come.
Join Us in Giving Back
Your donation—no matter the size—creates lasting impact in the regions we love and explore. Help us change the world, one journey at a time.