We have lost a dear friend, colleague and passionate conservationist, in Maalim "Mwalimu" Baadi, who passed away in the evening of Friday 7th December.

Mwalimu was one of the founding members of the Lamu Conservation Trust, playing a critical role since the organisation was formed, assisting Omari Twalib Mzee in running the whole LCT project.

Mwalimu was a father figure to many, and a mentor to many more. His name “Mwalimu” means teacher in Swahili…. and he was just that, a teacher to all of us, sharing his vast knowledge of the history of Lamu.

In more recent years, Mwalimu dedicated his life to conservation, and he was a founder of Save Lamu, a community-based organisation dedicated to the protection of Lamu's heritage and natural world. He fought tirelessly for the Lamu, using his knowledge and intellect to create awareness of the region, its importance and the need to protect the environment.

Mwalimu was also one of the main forces behind our Tree Nursery, the result of which has seen tens of thousands of trees planted in Lamu County - re-foresting our habitat.

Mwalimu we salute you and we will miss you every moment of every day. You have left a big hole in our lives, but you have also provided us with so much wisdom and we will all strive to be as committed, passionate and dedicated as you and we promise to keep fighting for what you held most dear… the natural world around Lamu and the culture that made you who you were.