Monkey conservation projects in Kenya
| country: | Kenya |
| departures: | Departures can be arranged at anytime to suit you |
| price: | From £1399 - £1699 (21 - 28 days) excluding flights. This price includes all food, accommodation and transfers between the airport and reserve. We can arrange flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Monkey conservation projects in Kenya
Set in a beautiful forested plot, right on the beach, the cottage is an office, research base, information centre, primate rescue facility, and home for the staff and volunteers. It is also home to a troop of Colobus monkeys, which reside almost entirely within the boundary of our plot, making it an ideal site for ecological and behavioural studies or to just come and watch. Other primates you are likely see are the vervets, sykes and baboons. Accommodation: You will share a room and bathroom with other volunteers. Facilities include electricity, gas, showers, overhead fans, mosquito net, cleaning and laundry service. The cook will prepare good quality African meals. The house and office is located on beachfront property. Nestled in the forest, the house overlooks the Indian Ocean and the white sand beach. Camels often rest in front of the stone fence and quarantine and rehabilitation cages for monkeys are also situated there.
the project
During your placement you will work with other volunteers and permanent staff. Because of the nature of the programme there are no guarantees as to the type of conservation work you will get involved in. Your placement may include assisting in the following: a day in a life of a volunteer
As all the work is based on the needs of the project at the time there is no ‘typical’ day as such. Whilst on your placement you will spend your days working with and assisting the staff and other volunteers. This could involve anything from working at the trust head quarters to assisting out in the field where the various species of primates roam wild. Your normal working week will be Monday to Friday 0800 to 1700, and some help on Sunday with care of monkeys in rehabilitation. Saturdays and evenings are your own, and you are free to take time out during working days, as long as all your assigned work is completed. You are also welcome to take time off to experience some of the amazing national parks of Kenya.
volunteer travel - what's it all about?
Are you 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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The organisation relies purely on donations and contributions, therefore the contribution from your placement will assist them greatly. As a local cause participants are eco-volunteers so you will help with the conservation of the primates in the area. The previous political crisis in Kenya has hit them hard. The organisation is apolitical and caught in the cross fire witnessing, firsthand, the collapse of tourism in Kenya. It depends on overseas volunteers as the backbone funding of our work so your help is greatly needed.
They need help desperately. The organisation's future is in jeopardy, along with that of its staff. Through volunteering you will help to overcome this crisis and make a real difference. It was established in 1996 in response to an outcry from local residents about the high number of deaths of Colobus monkeys in the Diani area. Now, nine years later, the organisation has numerous projects concerning the wildlife and the citizens of Kenya, including animal welfare, biological/ecological research, community development and education, forest protection and eco-tourism awareness programmes. Volunteers help make a real difference in their cause as the organisation severely relies on the help given. Projects completed include the Translocation of 14 Colobus Gurezza. The Colobus survival was threatened by habitat degradation, poaching for their distinctive coats and persecution as agricultural pest. The Colobus were moved to a protected forest where they are regularly followed to monitor their progress. The organisation frequently works with other conservation establishments and projects. Recent examples are the East African Whale Shark Trust, Camps International, WWF & The Cheka Cheka Medicinal Woodland Group. The accommodation is locally owned and field staff (who oversee and participate in fieldwork) are all local and very experienced and as a not-profit organisation all fees go straight into the work and for paying for the 11 local staff. The aim is to conserve and protect the Angolan Colobus and its habitat, to inspire interest and participation in primate and environmental conservation, to promote the welfare of primates and to reduce the impact of human development on the environment. We seek to further understanding of the primate species, to be able to respond and deliver a high quality primate rescue and rehabilitation service, and to become a role model for other conservation based charities in Kenya to follow and emulate. |
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. |
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