Collecting My Fourth Stamp: From Amboseli to Cape Cod with IFAW
- Mboone Umbima
- Aug 22
- 8 min read
I have a running joke with the staff at IFAW : I’m collecting IFAW offices the way some people collect passport stamps. So far, I’ve proudly added Nairobi, London, Washington, D.C., and now—my most recent stamp—Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Four stamps down, and I’m not done yet.
But behind the humor of my little “stamp collection” is something much deeper. Each of these visits has been a window into the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)—an organization whose mission is beautifully simple yet profoundly ambitious: animals and people thriving together. Over the years, I’ve seen that mission come alive in so many corners of the world.
How It All Began
Our partnership with IFAW began in 2011, at the recommendation of Scott Delucchi. That introduction marked the beginning of what is now nearly a 15-year relationship between David Rio and IFAW.
In 2018, we became more deeply involved when I first met James Isiche and Vivek Menon at an IFAW event in San Francisco. Soon after, we welcomed them to our Chai Bar in San Francisco—and the rest, as they say, is history.
In 2019, I traveled to Amboseli with Scott, Lucas, and Kira Lowe, where we met Evan Mkala . That trip was transformative. We saw firsthand the scale of IFAW’s work with elephants, a keystone species whose survival shapes entire ecosystems. Evan’s humor and wisdom left a lasting imprint on us—so much so that one of his phrases, tuko pamoja (Swahili for “we are together in this”), has become part of our internal culture at David Rio.
That visit also laid the foundation for the David Rio Ranger Base, built in partnership with IFAW, and the close work we’ve done with women in the local community—tying conservation to livelihoods, dignity, and resilience.
As our partnership grew, Scott Lowe was appointed to IFAW’s Board of Directors, reflecting his lifelong commitment to conservation and sustainability. And in 2020, meeting Dr. Jimmiel J. Mandima was a turning point. He introduced us to the Room to Roam program, which reframes elephants as climate allies. By tracking their movements and understanding their role in carbon sequestration, Room to Roam demonstrates how elephants help humanity in our fight against climate change. It was a game-changer for how I thought about conservation—bigger, bolder, and intricately connected to our global future.
While my roots with IFAW will always be in Africa, this year’s trip to Cape Cod opened a brand-new chapter: marine conservation.
Visiting the Marine Mammal Rescue Center
Our Cape Cod visit began at the Marine Mammal Rescue Center, where we spent two hours with Brian Sharp and his incredible team. Cape Cod is the global hotspot for dolphin strandings, and what makes this program so remarkable is the collective effort—staff and more than 260 trained volunteers working side by side. Together, they have built a model of rescue and research that is recognized around the world.
It was here that we met Moby 2.0, the legendary dolphin ambulance. Purpose-built and custom-designed, Moby is nearly three times the size of a human ambulance and can carry up to twelve standard dolphins (about seven feet each) or six larger ones. Every detail was carefully engineered: a back ramp with the perfect slope for carrying heavy loads, life-size dolphin outlines painted on the side to eliminate guesswork, and even an EKG line taken from a real dolphin heartbeat incorporated into the design.
Inside, Moby is equipped with everything needed to stabilize dolphins or seals before release: EKG monitors, IV drips, tagging equipment, and veterinary tools. Once a dolphin is deemed healthy, temporary satellite tags allow the team to track it post-release and ensure it thrives back in the ocean.
Moby isn’t just a piece of equipment—she’s a community icon. Locals recognize her instantly, and when she’s spotted fueling up or heading to service, calls pour into the hotline asking if a rescue is underway.
The Largest Dolphin Mass Stranding in U.S. History
On June 28, 2024, Cape Cod experienced what would become the largest dolphin mass stranding in U.S. history. As Brian shared with us, a typical day might mean a single stranded dolphin—or, in rare cases, a group of six to twelve. That morning began like many others, with a call about one individual dolphin. Nothing unusual by Cape Cod standards. But then came another call. This time it wasn’t one dolphin—it was nearly 50 stranded together. Brian started heading back, mobilizing the team for what was already a large-scale rescue.
And then his phone buzzed again. The last text before he arrived read simply: “It’s over 100 dolphins.”
In that moment, the response transformed into something unprecedented. There was no playbook for this scale—necessity became the mother of invention. Moby 2.0 alone couldn’t handle it. Even with her custom-built capacity, she was never designed for a crisis of this magnitude. Moby 1.0 was pulled out of retirement. Volunteers flooded in. Other organizations joined forces. The community rallied.
Over the following days, the beach became a living laboratory of resilience, improvisation, and sheer willpower. Teams worked tirelessly under the weight of urgency—stabilizing dolphins, transporting them, releasing them, tracking them. It was exhausting. It was historic. And it was, against the odds, a success story. Out of 146 dolphins, 102 survived—an extraordinary 70% survival rate.
And to put this in perspective: over the past decade, Cape Cod has averaged 100 to 130 strandings per year. But in 2024 alone, there were 376 strandings—nearly triple the norm.
This historic stranding was featured in the new IMAX film Call of the Dolphin, which explores the remarkable world of dolphins—shedding light on their intelligence, complex behaviors, and the deep bond they share with humans. The film showcases groundbreaking research on dolphin behavior and includes powerful footage of the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s Dolphin Rescue Center in action, assisting stranded dolphins.
The IFAW Yarmouth Office: My Fourth Stamp
After the Rescue Center, we headed to the IFAW office in Yarmouth—my proud fourth IFAW stamp. Unlike the Rescue Center, which is built for urgent field response, the Yarmouth office is the hub where global coordination and strategy take shape.
The office itself reflects IFAW’s ethos: it’s a green-certified building, with an atrium meadow donated by Margaret, who asked that it remain forever untamed—wild and free to grow whatever the earth chooses. It struck me as a perfect metaphor for IFAW: structured and strategic, yet always leaving space for nature’s wildness to thrive.
Our tour was led by Shannon Walajtys , IFAW’s Director of Disaster Response, joined by Jennifer Gardner . Both are remarkable leaders who have guided responses to hurricanes, earthquakes, and even volcanic eruptions, always balancing expertise with deep compassion.
And it wasn’t just the leaders who stood out. Meeting the staff who pick up the phones—the steady voices that respond when emergencies strike—was humbling. They are walking encyclopedias of knowledge, ensuring that no call goes unanswered, no report unchecked. The office radiated a sense of boldness, purpose, and readiness.
Party for a Porpoise
Our visit concluded with one of IFAW’s most joyful traditions: Party for a Porpoise (PFAP), their annual gala and one of the organization’s largest fundraisers. Hosted at the elegant Wianno Club in Osterville, Massachusetts, the evening was a beautiful mix of celebration and purpose. Guests arrived to cocktails and canapés, dressed in “Cape Cod cocktail” attire—a relaxed but refined take on traditional cocktail wear. The atmosphere was warm, generous, and filled with people united by their passion for conservation.
As supporters of IFAW through the David Rio Foundation, we were proud to host a table that brought together both our team and our cherished friends of the Foundation. At our table were Lucas Lowe , representing David Rio’s next generation of leadership; Kiyoe Nakazawa , the magician behind the chai; Alyssa Martin , our digital guru; Antonio Gray FMP and Magda Gray, CRME , longtime friends and champions of the Foundation; and our partners from Eurest USA , Suzanne Landry and Monica Kashi, MS, RDN, LDN, CSCS . It was a table full of commitment, community, and shared belief in IFAW’s mission.
The evening was also about connections that reminded me why this partnership feels like family. It was wonderful reconnecting with Azzedine T. Downes and Vivek Menon, whose vision and leadership continue to shape IFAW’s global impact. I was delighted to finally meet Alejandra Pollak in person, a board member whose dedication and insight I’ve admired from afar. Meeting Dr. Sarah Sharp was another highlight—her veterinary expertise has been vital to advancing marine mammal rescue and research. And it was inspiring to see Liz Fowler , whose steady leadership continues to strengthen IFAW’s reach and influence.
Party for a Porpoise is one of those rare gatherings where everyone shows up to give—not just financially, but with heart. It was inspiring to see people contribute what they could, knowing that every gift helps fuel the work that keeps animals safe, Moby stocked and ready, and volunteers trained to respond.
For me, PFAP was also a full-circle moment. It took me back to our 2019 visit to Amboseli. From elephants in Kenya to dolphins in Cape Cod, the journey of our partnership with IFAW has been nothing short of extraordinary.
It Is All Connected
The story of IFAW isn’t just about elephants in Amboseli or dolphins in Cape Cod—it’s about a shared ecosystem that binds us all together. The health of our oceans shapes the health of our climate; the survival of elephants shapes the survival of forests; the choices we make as people ripple outward to every living being.
Over the past 15 years of partnership with IFAW, I’ve witnessed this truth again and again. From building the David Rio Ranger Base in Kenya to standing beside Moby the dolphin ambulance in Massachusetts, one message keeps surfacing: every animal matters, every community matters, every action matters.
And it’s not just science or policy—it’s people. From Evan Mkala, whose words tuko pamoja (“we are together in this”) continue to guide our work, to leaders like Azzedine Downes and so many others who embody IFAW’s mission with vision and courage. From the staff who pick up the phone in Yarmouth, to the volunteers walking the beaches of Cape Cod, to the rangers and women in Amboseli protecting elephants and their habitats—it’s the collective that makes this work possible.
There is one thread weaving through it all: consistency of mission. Whether in Africa, Europe, Washington, or Cape Cod, IFAW lives its promise of animals and people thriving together.
And so, to borrow from Evan’s phrase: tuko pamoja. We are together in this—across continents, across species, across causes. From elephants to dolphins, from Amboseli to Cape Cod, it is all connected.
About the David Rio Foundation
The David Rio Foundation is the charitable arm of David Rio Chai & Tea, dedicated to supporting global conservation and community initiatives. Rooted in the belief that business should be a force for good, the Foundation partners with organizations like the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to protect endangered species, empower local communities, and promote sustainable practices. From building the David Rio Ranger Base in Amboseli, Kenya, to supporting marine mammal rescue in Cape Cod, the Foundation strives to advance a world where animals and people thrive together.
About David Rio Chai & Tea
David Rio Chai & Tea is an award-winning, San Francisco–based premium chai and tea company recognized for blending tradition with innovation. Since its founding in 1996, David Rio has been dedicated to crafting bold, distinctive chai blends that combine high-quality ingredients with a commitment to sustainability and social impact. With a global presence in cafés, restaurants, and specialty retailers, the company is also known for its dedication to wildlife conservation, naming its products after endangered species and supporting initiatives through the David Rio Foundation.
From the iconic Tiger Spice Chai® to innovative new offerings, David Rio continues to inspire tea drinkers worldwide while remaining rooted in its mission: to create exceptional products that bring people together and make a positive impact for animals, communities, and the planet.
To Learn More, Visit www.davidrio.com