Education for Conservation
Each year we have more than 90 students actively engaged in school Mazingira Clubs. Our Education for Conservation curriculum involves a mix of in-class lessons, outdoor activities and field trips that address locally-relevant conservation learning and skill development aimed at empowering students to take care of wildlife, habitats and the ecosystem services they provide. Lessons are taught by our locally employed Maarifa Educators who visit the schools throughout the year to deliver these sessions. Each year a new cohort of students is selected to join the program.
Lesson 1: Amboseli & Mara Ecosystems
These lessons introduce students to the ecological significance of their local ecosystem where they live and highlights some of the major natural values and the benefits of protecting their unique biodiversity.
Topics covered include:
- Introduction to ecology and conservation biology
- The Amboseli and Mara ecosystems
Lesson 2: Threatened Species
These lessons provide an overview of the threats facing wildlife in their local area and the challenges surrounding conservation solutions. With schools in the Amboseli ecosystem, we focus a lot on elephants and introduce students to the term ‘key stone species’. In the Mara, we talk a lot about lions and their role in the ecosystem and why they are also under threat. Rhino are no longer found in Amboseli and very very few are left in the Mara – the ‘why’ is discussed in great detail.
Topics covered include:
- Why species become threatened
- Human-wildlife conflict
- Conservation solutions and success stories
Lesson 3: Ole Peenko's Journey - Story reading & discussion
In these lessons, students will read the Ole Peenko’s Journey series, written by Kenya Wildlife Trust. These books contains fictional stories focusing on the real-life conservation challenge of human-wildlife conflict
Lesson 4: Fences & Wildlife Movement
Fencing and land subdivision has become a common, yet unfortunate side effect of increasing population pressures. Too much fencing and use of inappropriate styled fencing, has seen a spike in injuries to wildlife and significant disruptions to natural wildlife movement.
But not all fencing is bad. Some fences keep animals off roads, some keep threatened species safe. In these lessons we illustrate how fencing is used well in conservation, and also discuss the innovative alternatives that can be used where traditional fencing is not the best option and should be avoided.
Lesson 5: Natural Resources & Climate Change
These lessons introduce students to the foundational concepts of natural resources and the complex, yet vitally relevant topic of climate change. how these resources are affected in their areas by human activity. Pertinent threats to Amboseli and the Mara’s natural resources include land use change, overpopulation and the illegal wildlife trade.
- What are natural resources and why we need to protect them
- Threats to natural resources, including waste and pollution and how they affect climate change
- Sustainability and reducing the impacts of climate change
- Creating resilient communities and ecosystems
Field Trips
Annual field trips to the private wildlife conservancies that their families dedicated land to – Selenkay Conservancy in Amboseli and Mara Ripoi and Ol Kinyei Conservancies in the Mara. It is so important we don’t just talk about the environment and conservation in classrooms. This is only part of it. We must show them and have them experience nature if we ever want them to truly appreciate it. Although on their doorsteps, many of the students would never have the opportunity otherwise to visit these significant and biodiverse protected areas.
Sponsor our educators
We employ educators from the local community to deliver our Education for Conservation program. Joyce, Danson and Angella are our only paid team members. From the community, and dedicated to delivering engaging lessons for each years’ cohort of Mazingira Club students.
Fund a field trip
Donations are needed to help pay for fuel, educator wages, as well food and drink while out on game drives. We are grateful to Gamewatchers Safaris for providing safari vehicles and our Maarifa Coordinators for giving up their time to lead the field trips (did you know, Ben and Daniel are Silver-Rated Safari guides yet still make time to volunteer at The Maarifa Foundation).
