Shaping pro-environmental behaviour through conservation education in Melako Community Conservancy, Kenya

As human populations continue to grow, wildlife is increasingly threatened at a global scale. Zoos Victoria’s (ZV) international programs work with local communities, governments, and NGOs to help alleviate community needs... [ view full abstract ]

As human populations continue to grow, wildlife is increasingly threatened at a global scale. Zoos Victoria’s (ZV) international programs work with local communities, governments, and NGOs to help alleviate community needs that threaten wildlife; facilitate sustainable alternatives; and encourage community support for conservation. One such program is ZV’s partnership with the Melako Community Conservancy (MCC), which began in 2008. MCC is home to approximately 17,000 nomadic Rendille pastoralists whose livelihood revolves around livestock. However, the region is under extreme pressure from drought and development. The shared vision of the partnership is to foster sustainable development that promotes a balance between community and wildlife needs. ZV’s on- site model for visitor behaviour change is called Connect-Understand-Act (C-U-A), and utilises best practice conservation, education, and social science to drive wildlife-friendly values and behaviours. ZV is testing the efficacy of C-U-A in situ through the conservation-based sports program called Kicking Goals for Wildlife. The program advocates Rendille warriors play football (soccer) as an alternative to harming wildlife and/or engaging in intertribal conflict. Using a phenomenological approach, data were collected from semi-structured interviews of average 20mins duration, from 300 warriors and coded for thematic elements. Program outcomes were assessed through self-described changes in pro-wildlife attitudes (Connect), knowledge of wildlife threats (Understand), and program participation (Act). Ecological data included reduction in species’ flight distance, as a measure of reduction in harassment by warriors. Reduction in flight distance of key species is recorded by community rangers along designated transects. This presentation will discuss the efficacy of an in-situ application of the C-U-A model and specific results associated with Kicking Goals for Wildlife.