Academic News

The highlight of the last two weeks was the expedition to Tsavo West and Chyulu National Parks. Prior to leaving for Tsavo, faculty took the students through the expected academic activities and made a comprehensive overview on the ecological characteristics of the Tsavos and Chyulu Hills, and their influence on the ecology and dynamics of the system. During the expedition, two field exercises were conducted. One exercise was on animal-habitat relationships and the second one was on mammal identification and social organization. On the second day of expedition, students and faculty traveled to Chyulu Hills where a lecture outlining the different types of conservation models and their characteristics in relation to protected area systems was given. From a vantage point on top of one of the peaks on Chyulu Hills which presents a great view of the vast Maasai Group Ranches that straddle between Chyulu/Tsavo West National Parks, the Mt. Kilimanjaro ecosystem and the expansive Tsavos, an overview on the hydrological value of the Chyulus, their ecological characteristics, as well as its role in supporting the Maasai pastoral system and supply of other vital resources such as medical plants was made.

During a visit to Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary situated within Tsavo West National Park, faculty elaborated on the rationale and the necessary prerequisites of establishing such sanctuaries for the conservation of specific species. On the third day of expedition students had a lengthy discussion which examined possible solutions to the conservation dilemma in the Tsavo-Amboseli region.

The expedition was very successful and students got a clear picture of the ecology of the system. They were also able to concretize the underlying challenges to wildlife conservation among other vital resources such as water in the region while taking cognizance of the need to improve the socioeconomic welfare of the local Maasai community. They appreciated the value and role of expedition as an integral component of SFS experiential and field based learning approach.

For the last two days students have embarked on their summer research projects where all participate in data collection. By so doing they get exposed to a variety of issues and concepts that the three faculty are addressing within their respective research agenda. In the next few days faculty will help their respective student groups analyze their data after which they will write individual papers for grading. Before embarking on their data collection, students went through a rigorous preparation. This included the conceptual framework for their respective research projects including the main theme, theoretical background of the projects and objectives that they were to address for this summer. They were also taken through project design, data collection procedure and methodology, data analysis, and scientific paper writing techniques. Dr. Simon K. ole Seno, Center Director

Student Reflections

Jambo! This trip is somewhat of a culture shock, but in a great way! The local people are friendly and there are plenty of great things to buy from the 'mamas' at the market. Even walking around town is quite an experience. The scenery is unbelievable, especially when you get a view of Mt. Kilimanjaro right from the campsite. Last week, we did community service at the local Kimana Secondary School and interacted with the students. I think a lot of us will walk away with new friends and possible pen-pals. Trips to the national parks (such as Amboseli) will leave you breathless at the site of all the beautiful animals this land is famous for. Our first day in the park we saw elephants, zebras, giraffes, hyenas, lions, and many more! We also recently got back from a five-day camping trip to Tsavo West National Park. This park also holds so much beauty (as well as history with man-eating lions). Our time here is going fast, but everyone seems to be enjoying every minute of it. It is such an unbelievable opportunity for us, and everyone learns so much about the land, culture, and life in general through this experience. Until the next update ~ kwa-heri! Linda Yeany, Bloomsburg University

The students at KBC have been extremely busy for the past four days. As soon as we got back from the expedition at Tsavo West National Park, we split into three groups for Directed Research. My group is supervised by Dr. John W. Kiringe and we are researching the poaching of wildlife for bushmeat in the Tsavo-Amboseli region. Today was the last day of collecting data. For the past four days, with the help of interpreters, we interviewed members of the local community. Heather Edwards and I were partners and we had a blast playing with children, taking lots of pictures, petting newborn cows and goats, and eating under acacia trees. Yesterday as we were walking back from one of the bomas, Heather and I found numerous bones left from a poached giraffe. As Professor Okello would say, “My cup of joy was overflowing.” As we got into the cars early this morning we had no idea of the amazing surprise waiting for us. The “bush meat” group got to enjoy a short walk through Tanzania. This evening we had the opportunity to interview Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) guards, Mbirikani council members, three local Tanzanians, and three local Kenyans. There is only about a week left at KBC for the 2006 summer II students. I am sure that although we are going to be working hard on research papers, we are all going to make sure to enjoy every second of the time left in paradise. Mihaela Piron, Lynchburg College

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