A Framework for Community Monitoring of Rangeland Productivity in Amboseli, Kenya

Faculty Mentor

Erica Garroutte

Project Description

W&M students are working with Amboseli Ecosystem Trust to develop a community-led rangeland monitoring framework to support Maasai communities monitor and respond to the impacts of climate on rangelands and Maasai livelihoods.

Maasai pastoralists are long regarded stewards of Kenya's rangeland pasture and biodiversity, yet their practices are threatened by climate change and agricultural development. Rapid expansion of commercial agriculture has increased human-wildlife conflict and put strain on the water and natural resources in the region. With increasingly frequent climate-change driven droughts, Maasai pastoralists have been diversifying and adapting their herding practices to support livelihood resilience.

Maasai pastoralists have expertise and knowledge in management of dynamic rangeland pasture resources, but need a framework to document their knowledge and to monitor the impacts of climate change on rangeland productivity and diversity.

A W&M student will explore community science methods used in Kenya and around the world. The student will explore rangeland research approaches and will document Maasai pastoralist knowledge needed to design a community science framework for rangelands in southern Kenya.

Number of Students

1

Prerequisites and Required Skills:

Pre-req: Intro courses in Ecology and Statistics. Experience with R statistical software and with plant identification would be a plus but is not required.

Travel Required

Student will travel with two other W&M students to southern Kenya to conduct fieldwork and to work with AET to test methods. The student will stay in tents at a remote field station with limited wifi and electricity. Students should be prepared to walk on variable terrain and should be committed to the flexibility, self-reflection, and learning from communities from cultures different from their own.

Project ID - Format

25-005-25 - CRP Year