Week 2 in Tanzania

Hi friends!  Its been a great 2^nd week, but hot!  Especially for doing field surveys during the dry and dusty season.  Red dust and sweat seem to coat our clothes and skin, but nothing a swim in the river, or a bucket shower can’t take care of.  We are having a lot of fun with our host organization, KVOC and the staff is amazingly helpful in keeping our water supply in check, our meals prepped, and driving us to and fro when needed.  They are also instrumental in teaching us Swahili, and their patience will pay off!!!  Here is a photo of Emmet and Amelia with Mushaka, one of KVOC staff. 

We had our first day of teaching at the schools last week; a 5^th grade class at Igota Primary School (elementary) and a Conservation Club at the Lupiro Secondary School (equivalent to our high school).  We taught about the trophic food chain, energy pyramids, web of life, and what happens when you take an organism out of the system.  The kids had not been formally introduced to this before and had a great time with the activities we presented to them. For us, we were all eyes too, entering a frenzy of school uniformed children, with big grins and in-unison choruses of Ndyo (yes) answers to our translated questions.  The kids were completely mesmerized by Amelia and Emmet too, as you can imagine.

school ground in Lupiro

very excited to take a photo!

The following day we conducted a local community survey to assess how important wildlife and local management planning are to the people.  We heard some great stories (all translated) from families that live right here in Kitchangani village.  One elderly woman (maybe about 80 years old) is a medicine woman, and makes her own medicines from the local forest products.  She in particular is very interested in the local efforts to protect the forests, and how to expand her business to areas away from her local village.  Her grown daughter and son are learning her craft, and practice in nearby villages where they live.  The main point others had were that baboons and bush pigs destroy crops (mainly the only wildlife in abundance surrounding villages where humans inhabit the landscape), and that the government has introduced community land use meetings, but has not followed through with any action to-date.

We finally had our first, much anticipated futball (soccer) match with the local Tanzanians! Our team consisted of our KVOC volunteers (3 British, 1 French, 4 Americans (that’s us)), and four 4 Tanzanian KVOC staff.  Our rival, the Tanzanian Kichangani pickup team, which ranged from 15-25 years I would guess.  So much fun, and the hardest we have all run in quite some time!  Believe it or not, we won!!! 2-1 after a 1.5 hr game of intense competition. Photos to come later…

plot surveys in the young teak plantation

field surveys in the open miombo forest

Then, off to the field for 4 days of camping and wildlife surveys in the nearby protected forest area of the Kilombero Valley Teak Company lands.  This is the main project we are working on, surveying the 28,000 hectares of land that they administer, 20,000 of which is ‘protected’ land, and the other 8,000 hectares (scattered and patchy throughout, is a teak plantation growing different aged stands of teak trees in a 20 year rotation.  

A typical day at our field camp:  Bird surveys start at 6:00am and we finish up by 8:30am (kids get to sleep in). We then eat our morning rations of bread and black tea and head into the field as a team. We hike to the designated plot and collect data on human disturbance, mammal sign, and trees within each of our plots.  Amelia has become our GPS and photo point recorder.  Emmet is helping find wildlife scat and tracks on the forest floor.  We head back to camp by 1pm or so for a hot lunch of rice and beans (which can make you even hotter that you were prior to lunch).  Then we relax around camp in the heat of the day, play cards, write in our journals, or find a swimming hole if there is one nearby.  This week, there was none.  Then by 4pm, we head out again for another couple hour trek for track or wildlife camera trap surveys.  Back again by 6pm for dinner of rice and beans, and an evening of conversation, cards, and group/personal time.  By 7pm, the sunset fades to dark skies filled with an endless array of stars and the night sounds begin- the yelp of a hyena, the hoot of the African Barred Owlet, the rustling of an elephant shrew in the dry leaves.  Mosquitoes, thank goodness, have hardly been an issue and nothing a long sleeve shirt can’t protect against. Oh and a present one night… a bush pig left a large scat just next to Angel’s tent during the night! 

gecko in camp

scarlet breasted sunbird

We are back at KVOC tonight, generally cleaned up, and a few essential laundry items hand washed.  Our family and 3 other volunteers are taking the bus to Mikumi National Park in the morning to spend a few days on safari.  We’ll be staying at Tan-Swiss and have 2 days of safari throughout the park.  We will report back on our lion, giraffe and elephant sightings!  Until then, usiku mwema (goodnight).

Love from the Bondis,

Kim, Steve, Amelia, and Emmet