School visits to protected areas are an important
feature of community outreach and education
programmes
in many protected areas in Kenya, such as Meru and
Tsavo West National Parks. These visits are designed
to
give school children a firsthand experience of the
protected area on their doorstep and, when
accompanied
by interpretation and talks by PA staff, can be an
important mechanism for improving the wider
communities’
understanding of the values and functions of the
PA. These school visits are usually linked to an
education
centre established within the PA concerned, where
interpretation talks and other educational
services
are provided and the school party can if necessary
stay overnight.
In addition to the awareness-raising activities to
be implemented under Action 1.3 above, this
management
action therefore addresses the establishment of a
new community education centre in the MMNR, which
it
is proposed will be co-located with the existing
Mara Research Station. The proposal to establish an
education
facility at the research station was first mooted
in the previous 1983-1988 MMNR management plan,
but never implemented. The development of the new
education centre will be carried out in close
collaboration
with KWS, who manage the research station and also
have significant experience with developing and
operating similar educational facilities elsewhere
in Kenya. The action will entail the construction of new
or
conversion of existing buildings in order to
provide an appropriate meeting room with associated
interpretative
displays and education materials, as well as
dormitories for overnight school parties (including
separate
accommodation for teachers) and associated
amenities (e.g. kitchen and washrooms). All such
developments
will make use of existing buildings wherever
possible, in order to keep construction to a minimum and
reduce
the centre’s overall footprint. Once
completed, MMNR management and KWS will raise awareness
of
the new facilities, and enlist the support of
other organisations such as the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya in
organising
school visits to the Reserve.
