Wildlife conservation & community projects, East Africa
| country: | Kenya |
| departures: | 2009: 9 Jan, 13 Feb, 3 Apr, 8 May, 10 Jul, 14 Aug, 9 Oct, 13 Nov |
| price: | From £1575 (5 weeks) - £2585 (10 weeks) excluding flights. We can offer advice on flights from the UK. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
The expedition offers participants the chance to discover exciting African wildlife, work with local communities and enjoy the marine life of the tropical spice islands. Expedition members work between bases on the beautiful island of Wasini off the coast of Kenya and in Shimoni within the Kisite-Mpunguti marine National Park on the Kenyan border with mainland Tanzania. This expedition offers an in depth experience of East African wildlife and people, providing Expedition members with first class field work experience or simply an excellent knowledge base on which to build as they visit the delights of East Africa.
The expedition combines the following aspects:
We provide all training necessary, no experience is needed. This expedition offers an indepth experience of East African wildlife and people, providing Expedition members with first class field work experience or simply an excellent knowledge base on which to build as they visit the delights of East Africa.
Location: If you`re looking for an expedition in a truly exotic location, then this is the one! Shimoni lies at the tip of the Pemba Channel, 76km south of Mombasa, and is part of a large bay area making up the Shimoni Archipelago. The main base is on Wasini Island which is situated alongside the famous Kisite National Marine Park, opposite the remote fishing village and historical conservation area of Shimoni. A satellite camp is held at Shimoni village to study primates in the rare forest, and every five weeks expedition members spend a week camping and working on the borders of a National Park inland, normally Tsavo, working with anti poaching community groups, all in conjunction with local partners such as WSPA. There are daily sightings of dolphins from the shores of Wasini Island. You can walk the length of the island passing through mangroves and small villages, with views of the stunning marine park and its coral rag islands. There are several islands and atolls in the area that sport a variety of coral and marine life creating an ideal environment for marine research.
Training / Qualifications: Expedition Members receive training that is second to none and is continuous and rigorous. It encompasses both indoor lectures and field practicals. The first 2 weeks consist of presentations and field lectures, combined with practical field experience to build upon the theoretical knowledge. This provides a baseline and holistic understanding of all aspects of the region’s terrestrial and marine environment, on which to build throughout your stay. Training includes; oceanography, marine mammal idand behaviour, terrestrial environments, threats and conservation, English language teaching techniques (TEFL course), basic swahili lessons, ‘bush’ first aid and an internationally recognized first aid certificate.
Field Conditions: Accommodation will be in shared dorms in a traditional banda, a few metres from the sea and the mangroves. The base camp will have limity electricity powered solar panels and a generator. Showers are either in the ocean or bucket-style showers on base. Wholesome and varied meals will be cooked on a rotational basis and specific dietary requirements can usually be catered for. Camp duties including the cleaning and maintenance of the base and the preparation of all equipment necessary for each day’s hard work, will also be done on rotational basis. Laundry can be done by the local women for a small fee, usually around US $10 a week, or you can hand wash as most of the staff do! The lodge operates a water sports centre so rentals for diving and snorkeling are easy enough although this will be at your own expense.
volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you are looking for an adventurous trip with a purpose, or on a gap year or career break? If you want to make a difference in some of the world’s most important conservation areas - and in community projects - then volunteer trips are for you! Volunteers tend to have a sense of adventure, and come from a range of different backgrounds and from all over the world. Edward Abbey said 'sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul'.
how this holiday makes a difference
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This new expedition combines a variety of both marine and terrestrial research together with community development projects within the tropical environment of East Africa. The expedition looks at the biodiversity of the immediate region around the Wasini island, utilizing bases on Wasini off the coast of Kenya and in Shimoni on the Kenyan border with mainland Tanzania.
The expedition examines how the local communities affect and utilise the region’s natural resources, and aims to assist these communities to profit from their resources in a sustainable manner. As such this expedition will focus on three main elements, wildlife research and the impact of development upon it, marine mammal research (specifically dolphins) to determine trends related to tourism and populations and community development projects which together with many other activities will include teaching English, working in the local orphanage, adult computer classes. Through collaboration with local conservation groups, tourist operators, and local villagers, the expedition combines ecological research with grass-roots conservation efforts. The ultimate aim is the self-financing of conservation through regulated eco-tourism and resource use. Community interaction via English language and environmental education is central to the success of the expedition, alongside the scientific research itself. Expedition Members will get the opportunity to be involved in some or all of the following projects: population and distribution data on marine mammals, determine residence rates and habitat relationships, assess current anthropogenic impact on cetaceans, assist partners in developing a ‘code of conduct,’ population and behaviour studies of Angolan Black & White Colobus, wildlife conservation and community development projects around the National Parks, community conflict with wildlife, community environmental education programmes, low-literacy TEFL teaching through games, activities, art etc. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |