Watamu Turtle Programme, Kenya
Volunteer Opportunity
Submitted: 2010-10-26 05:01:06
Contact: Victoria McNeil Victoria.McNeil@workingabroad.com
WWW Link: http://www.workingabroad.com/page/180/watamu-turtles-kenya.htm
Period
Projects are between 4 and 8 weeks (can be longer) and start from dates varying between 05.01.11 and 21.12.11. Please follow the link to our website for exact dates.
Location
Watamu, Kenya
Watamu / Malindi Marine Parks and Reserve (WMMPR) covers an area of 229 km2 and is part of a United Nations Biosphere Reserve, that also includes the Arabuko Sokoke Coastal forest. The WMMPR protected areas consist of two Marine Parks: Malindi in the North, and Watamu in the South. This amounts to approximately 30kms of coastline, with a fringing reef along its entirety, as well as numerous patch reefs. The fringing reef forms several lagoons, some of which are still rich in coral and fish species. The Parks and Reserves provide an important residing and feeding habitat for sea turtles, while the 5km beach within Watamu Marine Park is a key turtle nesting ground in the country.
Background Information
Volunteers can join this programme and take part in marine and turtle conservation work involving research and monitoring of nesting turtles, education and outreach.
Local Ocean Trust/Watamu Turtle Watch
Local Ocean Trust (LOT) began its existence as a local turtle conservation project called Watamu Turtle Watch (WTW). WTW was formed in 1997 to continue and further develop the marine turtle conservation efforts of a local naturalist Barbara Simpson, which she had been undertaking in the area since the 1970's. Very quickly WTW came to realise that the survival of the marine turtles in Watamu was intrinsically linked to the well being of the surrounding marine environment and to the protection of turtles across their migratory range.
Concerned by the widespread degradation of the Kenyan marine environment, and national exploitation of marine turtles, WTW broadened its conservation efforts to encompass these issues while maintaining a focus of its turtle activities in the Watamu / Malindi area. To reflect this growth in the project WTW spawned a “big brother”, the Local Ocean Trust, in October 2002. LOT now undertakes the general marine conservation work of WTW both locally and nationally. WTW is retained as the LOT flagship program, focusing specifically on sea turtle conservation.
LOT is a registered Charitable Trust, which works in close co-operation with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Fisheries Department, Kenya Marine Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) and the Kenya Sea Turtle Conservation Committee (KESCOM), of which it is a member.
Duties
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers are needed to help for 4-8 week durations (can be longer) on the following projects listed below. We are happy to discuss each area of work with you and are also open to your suggestions and welcome students with research ideas.
1. Conservation & Research
Beach patrols
• Turtle patrols are undertaken each night at varying hours to monitor and help protect nesting/hatching activity. These patrols can involve walks of up to 8km per night. The nesting population is small and has an irregular season at Watamu, so seeing nesting events are by no means guaranteed.
• Marine patrols to collect information on illegal/destructive fishing activities and turtle mortality.
Volunteers are not expected to conduct these patrols on their own. A community / LOT field officer undertakes most of these patrols and the volunteers provide him with very useful assistance.
Nest excavations
After a turtle nest hatches it is excavated to see what proportion of eggs have hatched successfully.
Assisting with turtle net releases and research
Participating in turtle releases and related research is a popular activity with volunteers, and is something that you are sure to be involved in during your time with us.
Turtle rehabilitation
There is the possibility that during your stay with us we may have a turtle in rehabilitation at the office. Volunteer assistance is required in feeding, keeping the tank clean and taking turtles for sea baths/swims.
Other conservation/research work:
• Light pollution surveys
• GPS mapping
• Marine park lagoon turtle counts
• Mida creek survey
• Local movement patterns of juvenile foraging turtles
• Mangrove replanting
• Evaluation of the potentials of community driven ecotourism in Watamu and Mida creek
• Research data analysis
2. Education & awareness
• Signage - Producing and distributing conservation related signs in Park & Reserve areas is an ongoing activity.
• Assisting the development and running of the Local Ocean Marine Centre - helping with designing displays, games for children, guiding visitors, group visits etc.
• Displays in our marine centre are periodically changed and we would love your input in designing these. The artistic and creative are Educational materials and activities
• Awareness Days
• Further development and implementation of the LOT field education programme in local schools and fish landing sites
3. Community development
• Alternative income generation
• Developing ideas for fishing community members to generate alternative incomes to current unsustainable marine resource exploitation.
• Local crafts activity and community development work.
• Improved awareness and practice in recycling and composting.
4. General
• Fundraising events, links with international schools, local craft designs etc....
• Languages and help with translations
Requirements
You should be 20 years old and over, fit, healthy and capable of carrying out manual work in all conditions in a hot climate. No specific skills are needed, but those with previous experience of sea turtle monitoring, conservation work, community development projects etc. would be particularly useful, as well as those who are self-motivated, as you will get more out of the project if you are. We are also looking for volunteers who can take their own initiative, and who don't always need to be told what to do, and who work well in a team. The project will especially appeal to those with an interest in marine biology. Anyone with additional skills, such as arts and creativity, languages and education are especially welcome.
Benefits/Costs
The cost for 4 weeks is £980 and for 8 weeks is £1885, which covers all project costs, including one day time meal at lunchtime on weekdays (the rest is self catered), quality accommodation in the Lallies House, airport transfers from Malindi, all training and supervision by Project Manager and Volunteer Co-ordinator, WorkingAbroad Projects backup and placement support, and so on. In addition, you will get the use of mountain bikes to use whilst you are there. Cleaning is also included in the price and laundry can be done at minimal extra cost paid in local currency.
Additional Contact Information
To apply please submit an online application to www.workingabroad.com or email Victoria.McNeil@workingabroad.com
