Kenya: Pastoral Nomads and Wildlife Conservation

Instructor: Drs. Erika Barthelmess and Celia Nyamweru

Dates: May 16- May 31

Cost: $5,225 + airfare*  

Listing: AFS 248/BIO 248/ANTH 248

Units: 1.5 SLU Unit/5.4 Credits 

Course Description: This
course examines the relationship between pastoralism as a livelihood and
wildlife conservation in Kenya. In Kenya, about 93% of wildlife lives outside
of game reserves. The result is human-wildlife conflict, as both people and
wildlife try to eke out a living in a space where land use practices and
competition for access to land is fierce. The Maasai, a traditional pastoralist
people, have been marginalized and disenfranchised over time in part as a
result of a government-sponsored settlement program that led to the subdivision
of large tracts of traditional grazing lands. At the same time, wildlife
tourism (and ecotourism) makes up a large part of the Kenyan economy, and there
is a desire to increase tourism revenue. Further, conservation biologists
strive to protect the Serengeti, the last and largest intact grazing ecosystem
on earth and home to the famous “Great Migration” of wildebeest, zebra, and
impala. One conservation model is to connect wildlife corridors that allow for
the large-scale movement of wildlife outside of protected areas. Because
pastoralism requires large, undeveloped grazing areas, there is an excellent
potential to couple wildlife conservation with pastoralism as a livelihood. By
travel, hands-on training in wildlife monitoring, and cultural immersion with
the Maasai, as well as through reading, discussion, and reflection, we help
students consider the challenges of conservation and development in Kenya
through a variety of lenses.

  *This is an estimated cost for the
program, and is subject to change.

*Students may take one course in Kenya Summer Session 1 followed by another in Session 2. Students chosing this option will receive an $1,000 discount off the total program fees.