Modules at Anglia Ruskin University take many forms. It is unlikely, however, that many require a trip to tropical Africa! That is the setting for a module on 'Tropical Ecology and Management' undertaken each year by 20 students from the Department of Life Sciences in Cambridge.

After flying to Nairobi, we set out on a two-week circuit of southern Kenya, travelling by minibus. The first part of the trip takes us to Lake Nakuru National Park, a soda lake which is home to thousands of flamingos as well as a healthy population of white rhinos.

The next major stopping point is Kakamega Forest. This forest represent a real example of montane "jungle" and is the most easterly fragment of the extensive belt of rain forest which used to girdle much of west and central Africa. The forest is characterised by some huge specimen trees of Mount Elgon Teak and Strangler Fig (amongst others) and treats us to some fantastic calls and aerial acrobatics from black and white Colobus monkeys, red-tailed and blue monkeys.

Our next port-of-call is the famous Masai Mara Game Reserve which borders Tanzania and continues there as the Serengeti National Park . The Mara has been the setting for numerous wildlife programmes, such as the recent "Big Cat Diary" on the BBC. It is a truly stunning wildlife habitat, with huge vistas which make the animals very visible. These included the well known members of the 'big five' such as elephant, buffalo and lion, but also some of the "characters" of the animal kingdom such as wart hogs and baboons. Our accommodation here is in a permanent tented camp. Slightly unnerving when you can have elephants passing close to the camp during the night and lions roaring in the surrounding scrub!

We travel from the Masai Mara to the freshwater Lake Naivasha, reputed to be home to 400 bird species. Although our stay here is brief, you may have a chance for a bird-watching trip on the lake or a visit to Hells Gate National Park - which has had "appearances" in films like "Tomb Raider" and "Lion King".

Our route then takes us into the more arid regions to the east of Nairobi. We spend four days at a community field centre run by the Maasai which is situated north of Amboseli National Park
The Centre proved an excellent spot for individual projects undertaken by students on topics such as ants, antelopes and birds. A visit to the local school is also an enlightening experience. We spend a day in the Amboseli National Park set against the splendid vista of Mount Kilimanjaro. The park is famous for its large herds of elephants which rely on the swampy areas in the park to provide water and food. This is a stark contrast with the rest of the park which is dry savannah.

Alongside the natural splendours of Kenya, it is difficult not to become very aware of the contrasts between the affluence of tourism, the abject poverty in which many Kenyans live and the sometimes conflicting needs of conservation and development. These can generate both social and economic distortions in Kenyan society which have clearly not been resolved. However, all of this provides a very valuable learning experience - how to see conservation in the tropics in a much broader context than is typically shown on television.

For further information, please contact Dr Alvin Helden

Photos from our field trip.....

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