MSc Biodiversity and Conservation fieldtrip, Kenya, 2008

Lone fisherman, Lake Baringo, Great Rift Valley

The overseas fieldcourse module (part of the new MSc Biodiversity and Conservation) took place in and around the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, eastern Africa. The course, which was run jointly with the University of Leicester, was based primarily out of two tented camps, one located in the Rift Valley near Lake Bogoria and the other at the Ewaso Nyiro River Camp on the Laikipia Plateau. Other locations visited included Lake Baringo and its catchment, Lake Nakuru National Park and Lake Naivasha. Dr. Ian Donohue and Professor David Taylor were the TCD academic staff involved with organising and running the fieldcourse.

Examining recently-formed gullies caused by overgrazing

Overgrazing is a serious problem in many parts of eastern Africa, where grazing animals, notably cattle, have immense cultural value, in addition to economic and nutritional worth. In the above photograph overgrazing has led to changes in local hydrological conditions with quite devastating consequences.

Baringo is a large freshwater lake, which is unusual for surface water bodies in the Great Rift. As such it is a critical resource for humans, and an important habitat and feeding location for wildlife. The water is highly turbid, however, as a result of soil erosion in its catchment. A recent rapid increase in lake level has also wiped out much of the fringing vegetation, and with it important cover for many animals, notably birds.

Visiting Lolldaiga Hills Ranch on the Laikipia Plateau.

Lolldaiga Hills Ranch supports exceptionally high levels of biodiversity (including 20-30 lions and several hundred elephants that roam free over the property and adjacent land!) while also operating as a commercial cattle farm and surrounded by high densities of human populations. It is an ideal location to study potential human-wildlife and conflicts, notably those caused by elephants and lions.

Conservation in Kenya does not simply involve ecotourism and wildlife preservation. The above photograph shows students on the fieldcourse meeting and discussing conservation and habitat management with local Masaai women, who have formed their own conservation co-operative that aims to manage semi-arid grasslands in a sustainable way.

Some comments on the course from the class of 2007/2008:

'As a learning experience regarding biodiversity and conservation I thought the whole trip was excellent. For me, one of the most important learning experiences was visiting and gaining first hand knowledge of a developing country - something I had never done before. I found that it gave real context to a lot of conservation issues I had read about (e.g. overgrazing). I think the trip was a real eye-opener for a lot of people, including me...In summary, I thought the trip was brilliant - genuinely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.'

'For me the best aspect of the trip was how much it confirmed that I had definitely made the right move by doing this masters, I am now 100% sure that a career in conservation is what I was to do, especially in areas such as Kenya, where the problems associated with conservation are so prevalent and in urgent need of attention...The overall experience was life changing on my behalf, and I really think that a field course of the same sort should be run every year so students can really see what kind of work is available to them before being put out in the "real world"'

'It really really was one of the best experiences of my life, I really hope to be able to go back/work in E Africa in the future'

'The trip really made a lot of concepts that we talked about in class very clear. You really understand many concepts (sustainable use, African conservation etc.) much better when you see it yourself. Though it really made it clear how complicated the issues are in Kenya. We also got to catch a glimpse of how it would be to pursue a career in conservation in Africa - amazing'