Kenya

Environmental History and Social Justice in Kenya
This faculty-led study abroad program considers the history of environmental conservation in East Africa with a focus on Kenya. This program is two weeks of class prior to departure and two weeks in Kenya.

Dates: expected to run summer 2026

Applications

Applications will open in January 2026.

Classes

HON 407: Environmental History and Social Justice in Kenya

The course will explore environmental history and the history of conservation programs, especially wildlife conservation, in Kenya and Africa more broadly. We will begin with a consideration of the early European colonial conservation efforts that were typically aimed at preserving animals for European interests (hunting, the ivory trade, and other reasons) with little attention or awareness of the desires and needs of the indigenous peoples in the region. We will also investigate the complex ways in which the dynamics of asymmetrical social and political power brought on by globalization have continued to have adverse effects on communities and ecosystems in Africa.

After the historical overview, the course will turn to consider Kenya more closely and the array of conservation efforts led by Kenyans today that attend more closely to the livelihoods of people in communities in the country while also protecting biodiversity. As part of the travel abroad experience, students will be introduced to some of Kenya’s most important ecological landscapes and learn about the different threats that exist in those ecosystems. We will visit indigenous forests, government-run national parks, and privately run community-based wildlife conservancies to learn more about the complex relationships between Kenya’s indigenous communities, land, water, and wildlife.

Excursions

We will take a game drive in Nairobi National Park to learn about conservation efforts and the impact of urbanization on animal habitats. Nairobi National Park is home to 4000 zebra, 1000 wildebeest, and 14 species of antelope (including eland and kongoni) at one point or another, throughout the year. We will stay at the Tsavo Conservancy (a corridor between the Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks) where we'll take part in several game drives in Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary and the larger Tsavo Conservancy. We will visit Tsavo East National Park which is home to the largest elephant population in Kenya as well as most of the other large mammals including buffaloes, giraffes, and lions. We will visit the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage to learn about their efforts to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned elephants and rhino. We will also have the opportunity to visit a traditional Taita basket-weaving group at Kasigau. Here we'll learn Taita culture and how women are affecting change in Kenya. We'll learn some craft activities such as basket-weaving and how to make paper out of elephant dung.