Elimisha outreach project: using art for conservation

Project overview

In recent times, the climate crisis has accelerated loss of wildlife, water scarcity, pollution and other environmental issues fuelling anxiety and transforming life as we know it. This scenario is replicated and is currently being experienced in Laikipia central Kenya. The once thriving conservation landscape is quickly changing affecting livelihoods and driving biodiversity loss. Overall, Scientists warn that ignoring climate change and biodiversity loss will yield "untold suffering" for humanity. The Elimisha outreach project will work with teachers and students to raise climate change awareness and undertake practical activities to protect and guard their immediate environment and livelihoods through a creatively designed board game.

Project aims

• To create awareness, increase knowledge and information on climate change impacts both negative and positive and to foster positive attitudes in young learners in Laikipia County in Kenya
• To increase the level of awareness on climate change impacts in the immediate environment of the school localities
• To foster student led activities to address negative impacts in their immediate environment and in their communities
• To build a network of young champions of sustainable practices and conservation

Key activities

• Develop a manual for the conservation themed board game for training of trainers and teachers
• Print and distribute the climate awareness game and manuals to 100 schools and resources centres to be used as teaching aids in classrooms and outdoor activities
• Organise and train conservation educators from the various partners who will in turn train the teachers and students in the different schools and outreach centres
• Install ground human version games at two outreach centres in two conservancies
• Facilitate our partners and outreach centres to visit over 100 schools across the county and collaborate on other outdoor activities

Expected conservation impact

• By the end of the project, the Elimisha outreach programme will have increased awareness on climate change issues and introduced practical measures to improve the immediate environment in the schools and communities
• Increased appreciation of the environment and natural resources by students, teachers, and the community at large
•  Increased adoption of sustainable environmental school practices by the schools
• Through the themes explained through the game, there will be an increased understanding of the dangers of environmental degradation, harmful practises and the knowledge will spur an action oriented young generation to be environmental ambassadors

Expected outputs

• By December 2023, The Laikipian will have printed 300 copies of the Nexus Dicey board game and teaching manual and distributed them to over 100 schools
•  The Laikipian will have installed two human version of the board game at two resource centres in Ol Pejeta Conservancy and Mt. Kenya wildlife conservancy
• Reached out to over 25,000 school-going children and over 100 teachers
• By interacting with the game, there will be increased awareness of the impacts of climate change and introduced simple activities that each student can be a part of
• In the schools, continue strengthening the activities undertaken by the school wildlife clubs in taking care of their environment

Project team profiles

mercy_njeri_waithira.jpg

Mercy Waithira (2021-22) Project lead Mercy is a Wildlife Ecologist, Conservation educator and an independent conservation researcher based in Kenya. She is a Co-director at The Laikipian, an Art for Conservation enterprise that is focused on conservation education and developing relevant content for conservation and climate change awareness. Previously, Mercy has managed projects focusing endangered species protection, habitat restoration and management, and socio ecological resilience programmes. She is a Conservation Leadership programme alumni and has worked for Zoological Society of London, Ol Pejeta Conservancy and Birdlife International Africa Secretariat.

External contributors