PROGRESS REPORT

PROJECT TITLE: Enhancing conservation education using nature-based films shows to

local schools and communities living adjacent to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya

Project Aim: Increasing conservation knowhow with high turnover of young learners with

better understanding about wildlife, their habitats; wildlife conservation and management; and how

to work together by improving the community participation linkages

Objectives

To enlighten and trigger young learners and local communities eagerness to appreciate and

care for nature.

To enhance awareness creation by encouraging wildlife conservation related

initiative/activities such as tree planting in schools, community areas and homesteads;

To help in facilitating themed environmental talking compounds within schools and in

selected local shopping/trading centres with murals on building and walls.

To help strengthen existing/establishment of environmental clubs by initiating club

patrons’ network amongst the schools that will have been visited.

Discussion

The Rufford funded conservation education outreach project commenced well about 10 months

ago (since February 2015). Through the Rufford Small Grants, the project has continued to achieve

its aim and objectives stated above. Great achievements and success has been witnessed and

appreciated by the target audiences since the commencement of the project. The dedicated project

activities have been achieved mostly above 75%. This achievement has been attributed by: -

a) Provision of Rufford Small Grants to meet the cost of budget items;

b) Continued teamwork from the implementation team, organizations and other stakeholders;

c) Lastly the active and responsive audiences’ i.e. young learners and local community members.

The initial stage involved setting up a network and support links with key organizations particularly

with African Environmental Film Foundation (AEFF) – www.aeffonline.org and Laikipia Wildlife Forum

(LWF) – www.laikipia.org. The platform links were essential in acquiring over 25 environmental

themed films/documentaries a donation from AEFF and an easy access to most of schools and

academic authorities within Laikipia region through LWF established network. The project was

introduced to teachers in an interaction sessions during LWF education workshops while for the

local communities through Ol Pejeta Conservancy (OPC) community representatives from 18

designated zones. Further, the project was introduced to environmental educators from larger

Laikipia region during a ten (10) days training on environmental education held in Ol Pejeta

Conservancy in April 2015.

Photo 1: Project introduction session with

OPC Community representatives in Feb

2015 (The group enjoyed watching a Bee Trilogy

film a chance to sample what other community

members would enjoy watching)

Photo 2: Joshua Wambugu (project team

leader) during project introduction session (A

chance for the community representative to get the

glipmse about the project aim, objectives, expected

outcomes and their roles in ensuring the successful

reaching out to the larger local communities living

within their zones)

Photo 3: Interaction with OPC community

reps for a quick evaluation on their

understand or lesson learnt from the film

(Importance of bees as pollinators towards food

security, their role as agents of

change/environmental stewardship)

Photo 4: An introduction session with

environmental educators drawn from

Laikipia region (The message was on the key and

essential roles by any educators in ensuring clear

and better understanding of the conservation

messages being conveyed)

Photo 5: Interaction forum with a section of

teachers during an orientation workshop

organised by LWF (This was a vital and easy

break through to schools (both primary and

secondary) to ensure respective teachers and

environmental/conservation patrons create time

within the academic timetable to facilitate this

essential conservation education outreach project)

Photo 6: Another teachers' interaction

session with over

50 teachers during a workshop organised by

County Education Office on Information

Technology (most of them being

Headteachers/Principals) - the workshop was

running parallel with that of LWF but at different

venues. In both interaction forum with different

teachers were very fruitful with support of the

project.

Every opportunity that has been available to introduce or convey a conservation messages have been a golden avenue to ensure a widened target audiences reach. The acquisition of the audio visual equipment i.e. Gasoline and portable generator, projector and screen, DVD player, PA system (audible speaker, 2 microphones and receiver) and cameras where indeed and continue to be essential instruments to the project successes so far.

Photo 7: Gasoline and portable generator as part of needed audio visual equipment. The generator has continued to ensure efficiency power supply in location with electricity supply challenge

PROJECT PROGRESS AND SUCCESS The project aim has been to increase conservation knowhow with high turnover of young learners

with better understanding about wildlife, their habitats; wildlife conservation and management; and

how to work together by improving the community participation linkages. The ‘mini’ mobile

education unit composed as a result of this Small Grant has impacted greatly in creating the

conservation awareness amongst the local dwellers living adjacent to the conservancy.

The outreach forum through conservation film shows has witnessed the desire by young learners

to initiate more and frequent conservation education forum. For the local communities, it has been a

long due opportunity for them to understand conservation aspects and get a comparison on how

best they can wisely utilise natural resources by borrowing examples from some of films. For the past

10 months since its commencement, the project has been able to reach out to 83 schools tallying to

slightly over 16,000 young learners and over 5,000 community members through organised ‘Barazas’.

The project progress and success are discussed below in respect to every project objectives: -

a) To enlighten and trigger young learners and local communities eagerness

to appreciate and care for nature.

In achieving this objective, the nature-based films shows has worked in an excellent way with

success film and interaction forum(s) of over one hour in every school visited. Below are pictorial

sample of few selected sessions;

Photo 8: Film show at Matanya Primary School keenly following 'Elephants in Perils’ film; and in Photo 9: Pupils enthusiastically raising hands to answer a question (post-evaluation session) after the film show.

Photo 10 and 11: Students from Thome Boy's High School during the film show 'Running dry' film (Theme: Water conservation). The students were keenly amazed by the conservation effort done by different communities but also worried by the effect of deforestation to our water catchment zone/forest.

Photo 12: Post-interaction forum with students at Malek Girl's High School on their understanding about the conservation themes and how they are agents of change for the future of conservation

Photo 13: Njoguini Primary School pupils following up the film show on 'Fastest Family' a chance for the pupils to know different habitats and how the cats’ families are vital on food chain. This helps them to connect with theory part of science.

Photo 15: Mercy Njeri (Conservation education intern in OPC Community Development Section) engaging pupils at Mwituria Primary school with a quick welcoming clapping as energizer for the film show session

Photo 14: Pupils, teachers and parents at Wathituga Primary school following a film show. This was a great example to showcase the great collaboration of the school administration and parents (from the few invited parents) showing the desires to acquire knowledge about conservation together with their children.

Photo 16 and 17: (Below) Film show sessions at St. Augustine Secondary School (left) and Sweetwaters Secondary School (right)

b) To enhance awareness creation by encouraging wildlife conservation related

initiative/activities such as tree planting in schools, community areas and homesteads;

Photo 18: The project continues to involve and encourage schools through wildlife/environmental clubs to exercise on conservation activities that help pupils/students to connect well with their surrounding environment e.g. the waste recycling like the above birdfeeder initiative.

Photo 19: A tree planting session at Njoguini Primary School. The school boy (right) is planting Whistling pine tree that adapt very well within this area/school compound. The initiative is not just about planting but to ensure the success growth of the individual trees planted by pupils.

Photo 20: Tree planting demonstration (above) at Njoguini Primary school. The demonstration is an important exercise to have pupils understand on how best to plant a tree as it also determine its success and particularly not to plant tree with their plastic casing.

Photo 21: Wathituga Primary School pupils (above left) display their tree seedlings ready for planting within their school as well as extra one to take home for planting; and Photo 22: Sorting indigenous trees for planting at a local community member tree nursery (above right). Purchasing of trees locally encouraged local community members to feel appreciated of their role in bring change on environment in their effort to have tree seedlings banks as well as contribute to their improved livelihood through the small token in return (thanks to the grants).

c) To help in facilitating themed environmental talking compounds within schools

and in selected local shopping centres with wall murals.

In effort to ensure that the conservation messages revolves around the mind of young learners and local

communities, the themed posters, taking compounds (e.g. tree naming and labelling) and wall murals

serves as very good reminder about conservation. Young learners both in primary and secondary are

engaged in writing articles about their experiences to be compiled into a newsletter to be distributed to

schools as follow-up interaction.

Photo 23: This is themed poster highlighting the choice the local people would want for a better future of environment - an opportunity to 'Make a Choice' that focuses on sustainable energy.

Photo 24 (Above left): Themed graphic poster 'Agents of change' aimed at highlighting to the audiences about their collective roles to ensure a better environment in their locality; and Photo 25 (Above right): Another themed posters highlights the needs for water conservation particularly vital water catchment/towers as this will result to enhanced recreational activities within the localities i.e. uncontaminated rivers, flourishing wildlife reserves/conservancies, beautiful snow-capped peaks with less melting effects amongst others. Photo 26: This themed poster depicting the human- wildlife conflicts experienced in the wildlife prone areas just like Ol Pejeta Conservancy. The well done graphic helps elaborate to the audiences (particularly to the local communities) that a good collaboration with law enforcing agencies i.e. Kenya Wildlife Service helps in reaching amicable solutions such as translocation of problem animals, compensation for crop destruction or killed livestock rather than local communities killing wildlife.

Photo 27: Wall mural replicating the 'Agents of change' themed poster at Sweetwaters Primary School (the rolling of 'carpet' is an indication of the positive change initiated by the conservation messengers (young learners and local community) for a better and greener environment. Three more of wall murals are in progress at Irura Primary School and Matanya Trading Centre borrowing from the posters themes.

d) To help strengthen existing/establishment of environmental clubs by initiating

club patrons’ network amongst the schools that will have been visited.

The schools’ visits during the film show created a chance to interact with most teachers apart for the

club’s patrons’ where clubs existed. These interactions created an opportunity for teachers to

appreciate their roles to assist in enhancing connection and nature appreciation by the young learners. It

has also involved encouraging teachers to be on the forefront to initiate collaborative network amongst

them as this is the first step to succeed in conservation education.

PROJECT CONTRIBUTION AND OUTCOMES

Conservation efforts aim at ensuring harmony amongst the involved stakeholders and particularly the

local communities who are known to be the key custodians of these essential natural resources.

Further, conservation is about nature and people. Conservation education is a key factor in helping

bridge the existing gaps about the knowhow and understanding the conservation aspects.

In line to the organization’s rhyming objectives, visions and mission on wildlife conservation, the project

has seen tremendous outcomes so far: -

1. The conservation education outreach schedules have created opportunities to reach out

to wider target audiences in some remote zones beyond the five kilometres radius (often

the operational zone for OPC Community development. The opportunities have helped local

communities to feel appreciated with the consideration to enlighten then about wildlife

conservation.

2. Through the nature film shows, the participating audiences - young learners and local

communities have had a chance for a virtual experience about wildlife, their behaviours,

sustainable utilization of available natural resources borrowing from other practical programs as

show in different nature films. Apart from the great excitement by the audiences, these forums

have help in increasing awareness; insights about wildlife conservation and how to be

conservation messengers afterwards thus a multiplier effect across the community zones.

3. Through the OPC community ‘barazas’ (meetings) the local and critical conservation issues

has been discussed with focus on all dimensions particularly towards a suitable solutions

where issues are out of hand. This is particularly with human-wildlife conflicts challenges. The

conflict- resolution seeking related documentaries helped in triggering the debates.

CHALLENGES

Despite the project progress, successes and outcomes, the project has experience some challenges such

as;

a) Poor road network making it very challenging particularly on rainy condition. This

means disruption of the activities schedules due to accessibility. We are glad to have LWF

on board that apart from their schools network within the region; often they have boosted

the project with provision of a four-wheel drive vehicle for fuelling to enable access to tough

terrains.

b) The assumption that most target audiences would have an idea about conservation but that

isn’t the case as some audiences have no idea about conservation education or don’t connect

but the project has made it simplified with use of Swahili versions of nature films that

offers quick understanding.

c) Teachers’ strike experienced for over a month (precisely six weeks between September

– October) , that totally disrupted the school schedules but the project hope to recover much

of this lost schedules once schools reopen in 2016 and take advantage of less busy

months of January and February before the project ends.

d) From the initial planning, the project hoped to engage and have all young learners (total

school populations) in all schools scheduled to be visited. Unfortunately, due to different

school learning programme and approaches, most school continue to restrict number of

pupils/students which has led to decline in the target output in number of young learners

reached.

CONCLUSION

The project continues to address all the objectives set and positive outcomes witnessed. The

conservation education outreach is indeed very successful despite the highlighted challenges. Though it is

tricky to measure the audience satisfaction by a general observation particularly of the behavioural

change, the perception and attitude exhibited by the target audiences after every session is quite

encouraging. We hope to maximize on the remaining project period to ensure maximized outcomes.