Dabaso Creek Conservation Group (D.C.C.G) is a community based organization officially registered with the Kenyan Ministry of social services in Kilifi County Malindi Sub County since 2002. D.C.C.G works with and enjoys support from the community and stakeholders in all its conservation activities along Mida Creek in the Coastal region of Kenya.

D.C.C.G approaches are bottom-up (or grass-root) activities that bring individuals together to work towards achieving desired environmental goals. These approaches are fueled by a community force that exerts pressure on government agencies. Commonly referred to as localization or subsidiarity this force reflects peoples’ desire for a greater say in issues that affect them. While government agencies may set strategies and prepare plans and policies, their ultimate success depends on the support of a wide spectrum of society, so this desire for involvement needs to be acknowledged and acted upon.

People are usually proactive in protecting things of value to them, and it is in this context that biodiversity conservation initiatives have to be understood. Dabaso Creek Conservation seems compelling because it starts from the most fundamental principle: individuals will take care of those things in which they have a long-run, sustained interest.

The rationale behind D.C.C.G is that, by working together, people are able to achieve more than individuals or organizations working on their own, and involving those affected is likely to result in a better and more acceptable long-term solution. These desired outcomes have led to increased acknowledgement of participatory activities as a means of achieving environmental and sustainability goals.

D.C.C.G operates at a local or community level. D.C.C.G tends to be voluntary, people-centred and participatory, with community members making management decisions. Expertise may be provided by outside agencies but management responsibility remains with the community group.