Saving Sweetwater's Rhinos

  Kenya

Nairobi

Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks
Dates: Inquire for specific dates.

Description: Research Mission
Help bring black rhinos back from the brink of extinction.

Situation Report
Sweetwaters Black Rhino Reserve, Nanyuki, Kenya - In the past 30 years, poaching has reduced Kenya's black rhinoceros population from 20,000 to a mere 400. Fenced-in, scout-patrolled sanctuaries like this 100-square-kilometer reserve have kept rhinos on the map, even bringing their number back to about 500. But in the wake of this success, new concerns have arisen: potential competition with giraffes and elephants, calf predation by hyenas and lions, even having too many rhinos in enclosed reserves. Only a close examination of interactions between these competing large mammals and the sanctuary's carrying capacity will maintain a healthy ecosystem and preserve the last black rhinos. You will help Dr. Geoffrey Wahungu (Moi University) study the ecology and behavior of the black rhino in an enclosed savannah habitat.

Meals and Accommodations
After hot days in the field you will return to the comfortable Sweetwaters Reserve Research Center, with an open veranda and a campfire for evening chats. The center offers single rooms (two doubles available for couples), either in the main building or in rondavels (traditional thatched huts), with potable water, electricity, toilets, and wood-fired warm showers. An excellent cook prepares all meals, including dinners of Nile perch, nyama choma (grilled meat), potatoes, vegetables, casseroles, and pasta, topped off with peerless Kenyan coffee and tea.

Highlights: On the Expedition
Working in a classic African savannah landscape, your activities will focus on gathering data on the distribution of rhinos and other large herbivores, including elephants and giraffes. You will also measure the composition and condition of the vegetation that these competing animals eat, patrol for rhinos, measure acacia trees to determine vegetation growth, conduct vegetation plot surveys, monitor herbivore damage to acacia trees, and observe the behavior of a captive rhino at close quarters. Long hours of trekking over uneven terrain on the equator can be demanding, but well rewarded by abundant wildlife, including lions, leopards, zebras, buffalo, impala, baboons, hippos, and many other species, including 232 kinds of birds. An adjacent chimpanzee reserve is worth a visit in your spare time.

Qualifications: Earthwatch volunteers are enthusiastic to learn about the research topic and are willing to contribute their time and energy to support leading scientists in conducting field research. Volunteers will be trained upon arrival at the research site. Teams have a minimum age of 18, unless accompanied by parent or legal guardian, in which case the minimum age is 16.

Cost in US$: 2,846

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Earthwatch expeditions appeal to a variety of people: educators gain new knowledge and develop exciting lesson plans; students explore career options and build research skills; writers, photographers and artists contribute their skills and share their experiences through a variety of media; businessmen and women, doctors and nurses, engineers, homemakers, retirees . . . people from all walks of life choose to volunteer on research expeditions each year. Volunteers are actively engaged on a daily basis with the research project, develop global perspectives, and explore new cultures and environments.

Age Range: 18 - 90

This Program is open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Kenya Independently

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 8-10

Scholarships are Available. - Fellowships may be available, mainly for high-school students and educators. Visit our website for more information.

Application Process Involves:

• Other
• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Written Application

Earthwatch Institute's Mission Statement: Earthwatch Institute engages people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. Through a unique method of funding, the volunteers Share of Cost contributes directly to the support of the research projects. Earthwatch enables scientists to pursue research goals and members of the public to gain hands-on experience with science. Each year, over 4,000 people from 46 countries directly contribute to scientific research by working alongside scientists, local community members and other volunteers. Earthwatch volunteers can track sea turtles; join archaeological digs; observe animal behavior; collect rare plants, study dolphin behavior and more. The Earthwatch community also includes 20,000 global members, 4,000 eager volunteers each year, 50 collaborating conservation organizations, and 50 corporate partners, all of whom work together to make a difference. Below you will find out more about our leadership, employment opportunities, and contact information.

Year Founded: 1971