Erica’s Second Update from Kenya!

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Loft educator Erica Garroutte is currently in Kimana, Kenya to work at the School for Field Studies station to study wildlife of the Rift Valley and involve local communities in local conservation projects.

Here is her latest update all the way from Kenya:

For the next month I will be working on research to determine the differences in species diversity within parks compared to the dispersal zones to determine how the animals are moving in the drought. Also I will be doing interviews to see how people are currently viewing the parks and how often they go into the parks as visitors or to herd cattle.

I have realized already that the conservation issues are so complicated that it is necessary to look at all factors affecting the situation, and even then there is no clear solution. For example, the law in the national park areas are that people cannot bring in livestock, however, in the drought some of the only water is located in the parks. Since there is a drought, maasai are taking their cattle across the country to find water, so how do you tell them that they must turn back? They would probably loose many on the way back, and once they get back there is no water there either. Without proper nutrition disease spreads quickly, so they know the importance of getting their cattle to the water. It is very complicated.

Also, an interesting aspect is that there are many tea and coffee farms that harvest coffee exported to the states. Also there are many places that harvest exotic plants that are also sent to the US. Interestingly, these farms receive much of the water available because it is such an important income to the people.

The issues are messy, and it really makes you rethink conservation of wildlife. Conservation of the ecosystem and the animals is essential not only for the environment but to the native people, but for conservation to be effective it must be holistic. Public health, human welfare, economics, politics, and the environment are all connected and effective conservation works to provide a solution that benefits all aspects.

Check back for more from Erica next week!