Sustainable Development Study Abroad Programs in Kenya

Immerse yourself in Kenya’s diverse ecosystems while exploring the role of wildlife health and medicine in conservation. Traveling from the Amboseli ecosystem to primate habitats near Nairobi to the Maasai Mara Reserve, you will study how disease, human–wildlife conflict, and environmental pressures affect elephants, lions, cheetahs, raptors, and other threatened species. Through lectures, field excursions, and discussions with experts, you will gain insight into the practices of wildlife health management and the ecological, social, and medical dimensions that influence conservation outcomes. By the end of the program, you will have a deeper understanding of how wildlife health connects to the broader future of conservation in Kenya.

The South Rift Valley of Kenya, stretching from the Maasai Mara National Reserve through Amboseli National Park, is one of the most spectacular wildlife areas on the planet. Earth Expeditions has partnered with the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden and the African Conservation Centre to advance community-based conservation in this dynamic landscape. This effort builds on the decades-long research of Dr. David Western, former head of the Kenya Wildlife Service, and the centuries-long research of the Maasai pastoralists, who have long co-existed with wildlife in an open grassland ecosystem populated by elephants, lions, giraffes, zebra, wildebeests, and a remarkable diversity of other species. With the rise of nontraditional lifestyles, private ranches, and fenced lands that prevent needed wildlife migrations, communities of the South Rift have recognized the need to understand the impact of these changes and work together for a better future. Before and following the field experience in Kenya, students will complete coursework via Dragonfly Workshops' Web-Based Learning Community as they apply these experiences to their home institutions.