Problem

The national parks of Kenya are a primary classroom for The School for Field Studies students whose research there is crucial to ongoing data collection and conservation work. The rugged roads in the bush are brutal and exact a heavy toll on our Land Cruisers. To keep these vehicles safely running requires almost constant service and repair. Coupled with the rising price of fuel, field expeditions are a very costly part of our research work.

The Gift

Research teams at the SFS Center for Wildlife Management Studies must travel to the heart of the bush and into national parks throughout Kenya to conduct game counts, meet with Maasai leaders, interview park rangers, conduct elephant research and assess the impact of tourism, among many other field-based activities. The nature of these roads requires the use of four wheel drive vehicles, in our case, Toyota Land Cruisers. Ongoing repairs, parts, and fuel are all necessary to maintain these vehicles daily in the parks as they traverse massive pot holes and mud, all on poorly maintained dirt roads. By sponsoring one Land Cruiser for a day, you provide eight students with the most important component of their field-based program: the opportunity to witness wildlife in their natural habitat while gathering crucial data to assess wider environmental issues.