Samburu Regional Intitiative
VIDEO - See Earthwatch's Samburu Field Center in action.
About Samburu District, Kenya
From the rugged northern slopes of Mount Kenya to the arid expanses of Samburu, this region is home to a vast array of wildlife. Elephants, black rhinos, reticulated giraffes, Somali ostriches, oryx, gerenuks, lions, leopards, hyaenas, and threatened Grevy's zebras, range over a classic African landscape. Ironically, most of this land is outside protected areas, and 90 percent is privately-owned ranches.
The Samburu people have lived here in the vicinity of lions and elephants and other savanna wildlife for hundreds of years. Their rich culture is as much a part of the landscape as the spreading acacia trees that dot the horizon. Their knowledge of local resources is a crucial asset in effective conservation and future sustainability.
The Conservation Challenge
Kenya has one of the highest human population growth rates in the world, and the impact on the land and its celebrated biodiversity is telling. With rising populations and changing settlement patterns, the Samburu people and other local communities are increasingly finding themselves in conflict with wildlife.
Overgrazing by cattle and conversion of grassland to farmland threatens or eliminates valuable wildlife habitat. In turn, elephants, lions, and other wildlife destroy crops, prey on livestock, and even incur human injury and death. Both wildlife and livestock suffer from competition for watering holes in dry seasons. As a result of these conflicts some species, such as Grevy's zebras, are dwindling close to extinction.
Earthwatch's Role in Samburu
Earthwatch is working with local communities and partners, such as Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, to actively promote the conservation and well-being of wildlife, wild habitats, and human populations in the Samburu region. In collaboration with local partners, Earthwatch has developed a suite of projects that address the concerns of local stakeholders, from landowners to conservation professionals:
- assessing the quality of wildlife habitat both within and outside protected areas
- documenting and mapping water resources to assure safe water for people and minimize conflict with wildlife
- surveying the population ecology and habitat use of endangered Grevy's zebras
- recording the activities of large predators, from African wild dogs to lions, to minimize conflict with communities
- determining the uses and efficacy of traditional herbal medicines to support the sustainable use of these resources
Learn more about the Samburu Field Center and how you can make a difference to this unique ecosystem as an Earthwatch volunteer.