<em>By Amy Hanna
Wildlife Conservationist and Environmental Educator
Kampala, Uganda</em>

Even while I was a zoo keeper for eight years, I wanted to experience Africa to see what wildlife conservation organizations were doing in the field.  While working at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago Illinois, I was always interested in the Conservation and Science Department’s many programs.  Instead of waiting for a conservation job to come along, I saved up money and planned my first Africa trip in 2006 to South Africa and Zambia.  Then I volunteered again in Zambia in 2009 and 2010 for Munda Wanga Environmental Park.

Recently, I decided to take the jump and move to Uganda semi-permanently.  I spent the last two months in Uganda and Rwanda networking.  This experience showed me that zoos and their staff supporting field projects are making a difference.  I’d like to share a few personal examples:

<strong>The Kasiisi Project
Kibale National Park, Uganda</strong>

The Kasiisi Project was established in 1997 with the aim of supporting the local communities that live on the Western edge of Kibale National Park, and creating awareness of the importance of the forest and its species, especially the local  keynote species, the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).   There are five core schools in the target communities that are heavily supported by the project through programs that include environmental education, life skills, girl’s support, nutrition, secondary and tertiary scholarships, staff training and support and construction of infrastructure, all of which improve the learning environment in these schools.

In addition to the core schools, nine more in the area are included in The Kasiisi Project Conservation Education Program which supports initiatives aimed at producing a generation of local committed conservationists.  It is here that I saw the amazing impact that zoos can have on these kids’ lives.

For two years, Disney World Conservation Fund has paid for teachers who have never seen elephants or hippos to take field trips to three local National Parks: Queen Elizabeth National Park for savannah animals, Kibale National Park for tracking chimpanzees and Semuliki National Park for central African birds and the amazing shoebill stork (Balaeniceps rex).  Although these teachers live and work next to the park, most had never visited them.  Their experience is shared with about 6000 students and evaluation data showed that both teachers and their pupils showed increased knowledge and appreciation of their environment as a result of the trips.
Brevard Zoo has donated soccer and netball uniforms, with chimpanzee logos designed by Columbus Zoo.  Stuffed animal chimpanzees, and arts and crafts supplies for use by school Wildlife Clubs have also been a Brevard Zoo gift.

Cleveland Zoo is funding a water quality project where children from five Kasiisi Project schools will test water from a variety of sources both inside and outside the forest to study the impact of vegetation loss.

North Carolina Zoo is also involved in Kibale National Park.  It has supported the research of Dr. Jeremiah Lwanga who studies chimpanzees and rainforest flora. Support for Dr. Lwanga comes from the donation box at the North Carolina Zoo chimpanzee exhibit. NCZ also promotes conservation education through their UNITE program in forest edge schools to the south of the park.

I was invited to see the impact of zoo involvement in The Kasiisi Project’s environmental programs when I met the project director last year at a conference and mentioned I would be moving to Uganda.  Kibale National Park is a five- hour bus ride to the West of Kampala, the capital of Uganda where I live, and is certainly worth visiting and conserving.
<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1981" title="ugandan_students" src="http://aecetia.net/gws/aazk/wp-content/uploads/ugandan_students.jpg" alt="ugandan_students" width="637" height="371" />

Students pose for a group photo with their teachers and UWEC staff. (<em>Photo by David Musingo, Education Director at UWEC</em>)

I stayed for three nights in a research house with two other project managers who took me on walks in the forest. We ran into rare forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis), dung beetles (Scarabaeoidea sp.), red colobus monkeys (Procolobus foai), and L’hoest’s monkeys (Cercopithecus lhoesti).  There are 13 primate species in KNP, including 1400 chimpanzees, the highest primate biomass in East Africa.  By the end of the trip, I was invited to volunteer as an educator to help strengthen the Wildlife Clubs in 14 forest-edge schools.  I am very excited and grateful for this opportunity.

Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Uganda

The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary was established in 1997 as a safe breeding ground for white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum) and as an education opportunity to raise awareness and funds for the endangered species.  Every day, tourists are allowed to hike with the guides on foot to see the rhinos in the bush.  Along the way, the guides educate the tourists on…..

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