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Academic News

We at the Center for Wildlife Management Studies (CWMS) are experiencing a great fall session. The students have settled down and embarked on the academic program as well as enjoying Kenya. Our case study this fall is evaluating the ecological factors and land use influences on wildlife and other natural resources in Amboseli-Tsavo area of southwestern Kenya. The question the case study is attempting to answer is: How can land use practices and resource potentials found in group ranch land (Kuku-Kimana-Mbirikani), be sustainably managed to enhance the economic livelihood of the local population and at the same time promote wildlife conservation? We are using an interdisciplinary approach to answer this question and we are doing this by evaluating how ecological, socioeconomic, and political factors are influencing exploitation and integrity of natural resources, particularly wildlife in the area.

As an introductory part of the program, students were given a brief overview of what to expect over the course of the semester taking into account SFS' pedagogical approach of using a case study. They were then provided with information on Kenya's political economy in general, in addition to being taken out on a field lecture and exposed to natural resource interaction within the Amboseli ecosystem. This grounding on what constitutes Kenya as a developing country and the specific information of ways in which resources are used in marginal areas will be very useful to the students insofar as understanding the complex issues facing inhabitants of these areas. The field lecture was particularly exciting to the students as this was the first time that they were being taken deep into the expansive African savannah and were able to have a class whose backdrop was an assortment of free ranging large mammals. Lastly, so as to have a connection with the past and the most probable future trajectory available to those involved with wildlife management in Kenya, students were taken through the evolution of wildlife policy and the effects it has had on current wildlife scenario.

To equip the students with a basic understanding of Kenyan wildlife, lectures were given on taxonomy and the general behavioral ecology of selected mammalian species common in the East African savannahs. Such topics as social organization, evolution of social and mating systems, and types of social units were covered. These lectures prepared the students for an extensive field exercise on mammal identification which was conducted in Amboseli National Park.

Finally, students have been given an overview on the status of biodiversity in Kenya, conservation initiatives that have so far been put in place or attempted to try and save the country's biodiversity including challenges experienced towards this endeavor. This has been done in a series of lectures covering background information on the ecology, dynamics and threats to the ecological integrity of the Tsavo-Amboseli Ecosystem and their implications to wildlife conservation. Dr. Simon K. ole Seno, Center Director

Student Reflections

Greetings from Kenya! 

I sit here, contemplating what exactly to write in this first update from the field and I find myself almost at a loss of words. The fact that after arriving in Kenya only eight days ago and having been able to already experience the most extraordinary of emotions and feel as though I have too many good moments to describe is exactly what to expect from a place like this. This country is unapologetically real and I still wake up every morning in practical disbelief that I am here. Here I am, though and look forward to that continuous realization that occurs every time Mt. Kilimanjaro finally reveals itself in the early morning sun. Classes have begun, and undoubtedly there is no other place to be in school. Climbing Olosoito (The Rock in Swahili) in the KuKu Group Ranch and learning about natural resources from a lookout point of 1,800 meters in elevation is a sure way to guarantee an interested group of students. Without even participating in an actual safari, we have been able to see zebra, giraffes, and even elephants in the wild!  Now as time progresses, I look forward to being able to experience all that Kenya has to offer and hope to leave with more knowledge and understanding of not only the area but conservation issues of which I hope to someday be able to positively influence. Amanda LaVoie, University of New Hampshire

We are currently sitting outside our chumba, reading or making walking sticks, taking advantage of the little down time we have here. These past two weeks have been intense and filled with new experiences. At a first glance, one may not appreciate all that we have in our small location, but slowly and gradually, we have become familiar with all the little nuances. Nature walks in the morning turns a tree next to a chumba into a tool for making walking sticks or toothbrushes. A slow walk on the perimeter fence turns an arid terrain into a bird paradise, where one student has already recorded 102 different bird species. One night, someone saw a scorpion near one of the facilities, and instead of running away from the venomous arachnid, the creature draws many curious eyes. During our down time, we either play soccer, or other American sports, or we practice throwing a Maasai spear. We have had one day off so far, and even that day was busy. We traveled to Loitokitok and saw a beautiful rock formation that is a waterfall during the rainy season. After a morning of travel, we returned to Kimana to hang out at the weekly market and interact with the locals. A 6:15 a.m. wake up call is getting harder as we are all starting to settle into routines, making KBC more like home. It is beginning to dawn on us how long we are going to be here for and how we need to take advantage of every minute. Annie Putnam, Boston University

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