Tanzania: Environmental Conservation in East Africa

Arrive into Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha (ARK) and meet your Program Leaders who will be with you for the duration of the program. Head to the guesthouse and settle in, relaxing after your long flight. Join the group for an orientation discussion about the week ahead, expectations for your adventure, and an introduction to the local culture.

Join the conservation community with a welcome from the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), a global nonprofit founded by the pioneering primatologist Jane Goodall. Meet students from JGI’s youth-led community action program, Roots & Shoots, who will be your service partners. Sit down with the founders and staff as they provide a broad introduction to wildlife conservation in Africa and its many components and challenges.

Spend the afternoon trekking through a local coffee plantation alongside your new friends, and sit in on a lecture at Mweka College, the pioneer institution of wildlife studies and ecotourism.

Join your Roots and Shoots partners on the slopes of the mighty Mount Kilimanjaro, where you will learn about the culture of the local community and partner with them on a development initiative.

Learn more about local conservation issues such as deforestation, the impact of climate change on the local ecosystems, and human-wildlife conflicts as you participate in one of JGI’s ongoing projects. Learn from the mamas of the local village and try your hand in traditional cooking and harvesting, and end your days playing soccer games in the evening. Join your group for a post-service debrief, discussing what you experienced and learned through hands-on work in the community.

Sit down with another conservation organization and learn about the critical issues they tackle and their ongoing, creative projects that help combat them, giving you a wider perspective of the diversity of conservation efforts in this country.

Immerse yourself in the historically powerful Maasai tribal culture as you head to Monduli. You’ll be greeted by the legendary Maasai tribesmen, your guides for the day as you learn about their relationship with wildlife and the environment around them. Weave through the bush on an extended educational walk, where they will teach you how they track animals, identify medicinal plants, and use the environment around them for shelter.

Rise with the sun today and hop into your safari cars and explore Tarangire National Park, home of the densest elephant population left in the world. Spend the night at a cozy campground over the Rift Valley and return in the morning to descend into Ngorongoro Crater, where zebra roam and lions lounge. Enjoy a scenic game drive as your experienced guides teach you about these animals, their behavior, and their environment.

At the end of each program, students reflect on their experiences and the issues they engaged with, and talk about how to apply this new understanding to their own worlds. During or after their closing discussion, groups participate in Rustic Ties, a unique and powerful activity that allows students to capture the memories and learning moments of their program to process and share with their communities back home.

Enjoy a delicious meal in town and do some last-minute souvenir shopping. Your Program Leaders will take you to the airport for your departure as you say goodbyes and reflect on your adventure.