Above: The school children of Vanga receive their first dolphin education
Hot on the heels of Majoreni, the UNEP / CMS Year of the Dolphin, supported by tour operators TUI and Pollmans, was taken even further afield by the Kenya Wildlife Service education team, right down to Vanga, a small fishing community that sits on the border with neighbouring Tanzania. Credit for much of the recent work reported for Year of the Dolphin goes to many hard working and creative individuals on Kenya’s Year of the Dolphin committee, who have asked me to acknowledge that the main commercial partner in Year of the Dolphin , TUI, organised the events under the leadership of TUI-Pollmans Special Executive Abdulaziz Abdalla, who has a long track record of work for conservation of Kenya’s natural heritage.
Above: A group of Vanga Primary School’s girls get involved in dolphin education activities
Rachel and Emanuel travelled down to Vanga, a community that has been idenetified as a crucial target for this year’s initiative. The fishing activities here at Vanga put the dolphins at risk of accidental by-catch – if they become entangled in the fishing nets, the dolphins can drown, being unable to surface to breathe. Vanga is also suspected to be one of the few remaining locations in Kenya where the endangered dugong, or manatee, is thought to still exist, although reported sightings are now rare.
Above: Rachel and Emanuel explain the threats that exist to Kenya’s dolphin populations
The KWS education team taught the children about the different species of marine mammals they have, their importance, the threats they face from fishing practices and pollution and of course how their communtiy can make a difference and help protect them. Once again, for this isolated community, it was both an educational and exciting day. A unique opportunity for them to learn to both appreciate and protect their natural resources for future generations.
Above: By bringing some basic technology with them the KWS team give the children an insight into the marine world they would otherwise never have
Donations made here are
Apr 29th Antonio C USD 55.00
4 Comments
Great post! Will Rachel be working with the fishermen of Vanga, as well to educate them on dolphin safe fishing practices? Very sad to hear these manatees are not faring well. Probably, many fall victim to collisions with propellers. Thanks to everyone involved with this on going effort to help both these young people and the precious marine life there.
hi send me dolpines picters and infromason
Hi Theresa, sorry I’ve been offline for a while! Rachel has finished her volunteering with KWS and is taking a well earned break (I hear she’s bugee-jumped at Victoria falls!) but she will be back to visit us again. TUI and Pollmans, the corporate sponsors for UNEP / CMS Year of the Dolphin will be doing their utmost to ensure that all key communities get the education they need this year.
It’s nice to see KWS educating the youths on their habitat. This is their future.
Ifika.net
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[...] KWS Take Dolphin Education All The Way To The BorderA unique opportunity for them to learn to both appreciate and protect their natural resources for future generations. kids-watching-the-marine-world-on-the-big-. Above: By bringing some basic technology with them the KWS team give the …GVI Kenya – http://gvikenya.wildlifedirect.org [...]
[...] if I’m going to make a success of …Star Shaped Peg – http://starshapedpeg.wordpress.com|||KWS Take Dolphin Education All The Way To The BorderA unique opportunity for them to learn to both appreciate and protect their natural resources for [...]
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