DSWT Community Outreach Report February 2017

COMMUNITY OUTREACH MONTHLY REPORT

February 2017 SUMMARY: In February 2017, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust hosted 5 fully sponsored school trips and 6 wildlife film shows. Additionally, the DSWT participated in the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya coastal region conservation rally.

SCHOOL TRIPS Five groups of school children and their teachers were sponsored for a full day’s game drive in Tsavo West National Park. Tsavo West is home to various species of wildlife and recent volcanic activities, and it is a great place for both primary and secondary students to learn about conservation. Each field trip starts at 6:00am when students are collected from their schools and taken to Tsavo West’s Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) information centre at MtitoAndei gate where they are introduced to the status of wildlife in Kenya and the features in Tsavo. From the information centre, students are then guided by the DSWT to the main areas of interest in Tsavo West National Park including the Shetani lava and Chaimu hills, which are both amongst the world’s most recent volcanic activities. The Mzima Springs is also visited which is where the children learn about the importance of the Chyulu Hills Water tower as the source of the Mzima springs and other springs like Umani springs in Kibwezi Springs, whilst learning about aquatic biodiversity.

During the trip, using the DSWT spotters guide in the trip booklet, participants carry out animal counts. An average of: 26 buffalos, 61 elephants, 48 giraffes, 15 oryx, 102 zebras, and several small antelopes were spotted on each trip. Most of this wildlife was spotted around the watering holes along the trip route.

Name of School Chyandulu Primary School 1 Muusini Primary School 1 Muusini Primary School 2 Isingiluni Primary School 1 Chyandulu Primary School 2

Date of school 13th Feb, 2017

Park visited Tsavo West

No. of Kids 25

No. of Teachers 3

17th Feb, 2017

Tsavo West

25

3

20th Feb, 2017

Tsavo West

25

3

22nd Feb, 2017

Tsavo West

25

3

24th Feb, 2017

Tsavo West

25

3

125

15

TOTAL

WILDLIFE FILM SHOWS In February 2017, we hosted 6 wildlife film shows all showing ‘Gardeners of Eden’, reaching out to 1,434 students and adults.

Gardeners of Eden illustrates the field work of the DSWT ranging from the rescue of orphaned elephants, caring of the orphaned elephants and anti-poaching and de-snaring work. The film has raised a lot curiosity amongst school children who are now asking more questions on the threats of poaching elephants.

Name of school

Date of Video Show

Miangeni Secondary School Miangeni Primary School Mavindini Primary School Mavindini Secondary School Kyusiani Primary School Kyusiani Secondary School TOTAL

16th Feb, 2017

No. of Audience 136

16th Feb, 2017

434

18th Feb, 2017

368

18th Feb, 2017

181

21st Feb, 2017

218

22nd Feb, 2017

97 1434

CONSERVATION RALLY On the 18th of February, the DSWT took part in the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya coastal region wildlife awareness rally held at Voi Secondary School. The rally, which had a theme of “Wildlife Our Heritage� was attended by 400 secondary school students from ten different schools, county government officials from coastal counties, the Kenya Wildlife Service, and the United Nations Science and Cultural Education and the DSWT. The day was marked by students participating in conservation themed drawings, songs, and poems. Guests representing different conservation organizations made presentations on their projects in environmental conservation. The DSWT encouraged the students to be involved in conservation issues irrespective of the career choices they will make after high school.

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is reliant on your kind support in order to keep our community outreach projects running.

For more information about these projects please visit www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.com/community or email info@dswt.org