African Environmental Conservation

Your adventure in Africa begins as soon as you board the flight to Tanzania. Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) in the evening and settle into the guesthouse. Your Program Leaders will lead an orientation that will introduce you to the local culture and prepare you for an exciting adventure ahead.

Get to know your group and leaders through some icebreakers and dive into a discussion about conservation and the issues you’ll be learning about throughout the program. Drive through the countryside, passing the beautiful Usambara Mountains as you head toward the coastal town of Tanga.

Meet your marine conservation partner, Mwambao, a locally based NGO that supports coastal communities and the marine habitats they interact with. Mwambao develops and implements community-centered conservation projects with local coastal communities, with a special focus on empowering locals to be part of the environmental change in their own backyard.

Kayak through the surrounding mangrove forest and explore the rocky tide pools nearby the eco-lodge to immerse yourself in the coastal marine habitat your service project will be protecting over the next several days.

Dive into service with one of Mwmabao’s coral reef recovery projects and get your hands dirty constructing reefballs, artificial reefs made from cement that are proven to restore ailing coral reefs and create new marine habitat. Spend your afternoons swimming in the ocean before settling down to reflect on the power of community-centered conservation.

On your final afternoon of service, hop on a boat and head to the reef site and observe how these reefballs are expertly deployed.

Step aboard a dhow, and Arabic-style sailing boat, as you sail and snorkel the beautiful blue waters and sandy islands of the Indian Ocean. Keep your eyes peeled for seabirds, flying fish, and other marine life as you unwind and discover the marine habitats that you have been working this week to help restore and conserve.

Sleep or journal as you drive to the small but bustling city of Moshi and get a good night’s rest in a comfortable guesthouse. Share your reflection of your experiences so far in a mid-trip discussion at the guesthouse in the evening as you prepare for the next chapter of your conservation-based adventure.

Begin your next service project with the Jane Goodall Institute, a global nonprofit founded by the pioneering primatologist Jane Goodall that “empowers people to make a difference for all living things,” and its youth-led community action program, Roots & Shoots. The founders and staff of Roots and Shoots will provide a broad introduction to wildlife conservation in Africa, and its many components – deforestation, soil science, data collection, community education, and community development. You’ll soon learn that effective conservation entails addressing an ecosystem of related causes!

Immerse yourself in the local community with Roots & Shoots volunteers of similar age, who will work with you side-by-side. Head to a rural village on the slopes of the mighty Mt. Kilimanjaro, where you will learn about the community and partner with them on a development initiative. Possible projects include building fuel-efficient stoves, building trash cans, planting trees, or cleaning the litter scattered throughout the area. Participate in traditional cooking and harvesting, and end with a rousing song-and-dance routine!

Later, visit the pioneer institution of wildlife studies and ecotourism, Mweka. Drop in on a lecture and listen to one of Mweka’s notable professors, who are reputed experts in this growing field in East Africa.

As you’ve learned with your time with Mwambao and the JGI, one of the most important aspects of environmental and wildlife conservation is combining sustainable community development with community-led conservation. Contribute a project that supports these goals, working with your Roots & Shoots counterparts throughout the project.

Explore the slopes of Kilimanjaro through a different lens today: sustainable agriculture. Trek through a local coffee plantation and learn about how sustainable agriculture plays a vital role in the mountain’s watershed and climate. Taste some fresh brews then say your final goodbyes to your friends from Roots & Shoots.

Rise with the sun this morning and load up into your safari cars… you’re going to Tarangire National Park! You’ll spend the day driving through Tarangire, known for its high density of elephants and baobab trees. While observing Tanzania’s resident mammals, like zebras, wildebeest, and gazelles, learn about animal behavior, conservation efforts, and human-wildlife interactions. On your last night, reflect on your trip and all of the experiences and friends you have made along the way.

Enjoy a Swahili meal in town for your last taste of local cuisine, and then hit the markets and practice your bartering skills as you browse the stalls for popular souvenirs like paintings, Tanzania soccer jerseys, wood-carved masks, the Masai tribal blanket called a shuka, and more!

Return home to the loved ones who will greet you at the airport as you say goodbye to your newfound friends. Take a moment to pause and reflect on what you and your group accomplished, what challenged you, what you learned, and how you’ll share your experience with others.