Kenya Ecology & Conservation

Now accepting applications!

DATES: January 3 - 18, 2013

Participants should plan to leave the US on January 2nd in order to arrive on site for the first day of the program on January 3rd. Also, US-bound flights leaving Kenya on January 18th will arrive on January 19th.

COST: Approx. $5,000 Group international airfare can be arranged, but is NOT included in this price.

HOUSING: Tented camp safaris, lodges and Guest Houses.

CREDITS (3) : Seeking credits from Biology (435), Environmental Science and Public Policy (490), Geography and Geoinformation Science (399), or New Century College Experiential Learning (399).

Graduate credit in EVPP can be arranged. Departmental approval required.

VIDEOS: Check out cool videos from prior trips:
Study Abroad video ad featuring KENYA

Winter 2012: course overview

Winter 2011:  course overview
Winter 2011:  CGE giving
Winter 2010:  course overview
Winter 2010:  wildlife encounters

PHOTOS:
2010 winter
2011 winter
2011 summer
2012 winter

ARTICLES:
Smithsonian ZooGoer Magazine and Podcast
Mason Research
Soysambu Conservancy Wildlife Direct

 

Student Journals/Blogs:

Winter 2012:

Abby

Summer 2011:

Erica

CONTACT: Erin Mateu (703) 993-3864

Apply now!

This winter break see Africa’s megafauna while on safari to study wildlife conservation! Due to the sensitive nature of the region, this group's size will be limited, so we suggest you submit an application online sooner rather than later. Read more about the academic director Ryan Valdez's research and how this program began in an article recently published by Mason Research.An engaging exploration of Kenya's vast and diverse ecosystems, this course will put you in close proximity to some incredible and charismatic wildlife.


View KENYA Ecololgy & Conservation larger map

Participants will have an incredible experience viewing wildlife, while learning about current challenges facing terrestrial megafauna that include the classic big five (lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and rhino).  We will accomplish this by visiting multiple national parks, meeting key conservation biologists, and being introduced to a wide range of current wildlife management issues. Here is a list of some of the places we will go:

Giraffe Manor
Maasai Mara Game Reserve 
Lake Nakuru National Park   
Soysambu Conservancy 
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust  
The Ol Pejeta Conservancy  
Kenya Wildlife Service
Lake Naivasha
Sweetwater's Chimpanzee Sanctuary

At both the applied and academic level, topics will include the conservation biology and behavior of species, landscapes and the conservation of protected and non-protected areas, human-wildlife conflicts, and the complexities of community-level interactions.

Program developed and led by faculty director Ryan Valdez:

Ryan Valdez is a research fellow at the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park and a Ph.D. candidate at George Mason University. He is studying landscape-ecology as it applies to predator and herbivore recovery in savanna ecosystems of Kenya.  Ryan has worked with the National Zoo's science initiatives (currently the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institutie) for the past 10 years in exhibit, education, and research capacities, as well as managing a geospatial science program for the Amazon region.  Prior to the Smithsonian, Ryan spent much of his time in the field studying wolves, ocelot, and sea turtles, among other species of wildlife.  He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University and a Masters degree from Yale University.

Our student group will experience an educational wildlife safari (using JK Safaris) in two large, 4-wheel drive Land Cruiser vehicles with detachable roof tops. These vehicles will always travel together and offer plenty of window and roof-top viewing. During the entire duration of the course, the group will be accompanied by an in-country field coordinator. We will have a very comfortable and safe journey while exploring Kenya's wild landscapes.

 

 

*CGE reserves the right to make changes to a program in light of currency fluctuations, changing security and safety conditions, or any other unforeseen circumstances.