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Back to Tanzania by Sanne van Aarst
My Bachelors was in Tropical Forestry, attained at Larenstein. Aspiring a more constructive background in conservation, I enrolled in the Nature and Forest Conservation Masters program in Wageningen. Feeling strongly drawn to the Resource Ecology Group, I followed the prerequisite courses enabling me do my thesis with this group.
Some of the thesis possibilities on offer at the time were interesting enough, but did not give me the rush of enthusiasm I was hoping for. Fishing for promise of a great topic, particularly more applied research - an opportunity unfolded, nothing short of a dream come true. The topic was outlined briefly; essentially it came down to assessing the potential of establishing a conservation area in southeastern Tanzania.
I had many reasons to be thrilled by this topic and location. I have spent most of my life in the North of Tanzania, growing up in a peaceful town called Moshi. Moshi lays amidst a range of natural spectacles, in close proximity to some of the most renowned conservation areas in the world, all part of the so-called Northern circuit (i.e. Serengeti National Part, Ngorongoro Conservation area, etc.). The opportunity to see wildlife had already been granted to me in my youth, thus this was not what thrilled me most. I was more excited by the potential implications of the study I would be conducting, and the sensation of exploring an area of which very little appeared to be known. This feature touched on the dreams and imagination I had as a little boy, when I was often intrigued by the versatility of “old school” conservationists and explorers. Profoundly idealistic perhaps, but now it appeared that dreams were taking on a very real life form.
I prepared my proposal, seeking research questions that would enable me to determine the conservation worthiness of the area concerned. I revised my proposal with my supervisors, and made the necessary adjustments. Hence armed with enthusiasm, and somewhat intimidated by the nature of this project, I returned to Tanzania – making my first stopover in Moshi, where my parents still reside. |
Unfortunately it took months on end going through all the bureaucratic channels required in order to conduct this study, and preparation for the fieldwork took a fair amount of time. Nonetheless some of the preliminary work was exhilarating, in particular flying in a small Cessna plane exploring the Kilwa area (the Kilwa District was the focus area) from air. The kaleidoscopic views from this small plane were stunning, but equally distressing at times – mans imprint on the environment becomes so much more vivid from the air. Nonetheless as the plane settled over an area further south in the District, it dawned on me that this would be the place where I would carry out my fieldwork. This area characterised by two plateaus, carpeted with seemingly pristine woodland. A perennial river carves it way through one of the plateaus. The area appeared essentially uninhabited.
I spent over three months camping in the area explored from air, accompanied by my esteemed local field companions – with whom I developed an intense bond. With a small Suzuki I investigated the area, a vehicle with which I had a passionate relationship – we got stuck time and again, more so when the rainy season set in.
Although not always easy, the experience was fantastic, and will remain engrained in my memory for time to come. Exploring the area was just part of the practice, it was more of a personal revelation.
This experience is behind me now, nonetheless still very much part of me. It is somewhat awkward being back in the Netherlands, synthesising the knowledge I have of the area – analyzing data and drawing my conclusions. Life is so different under African skies. I give thanks to those that made this experience possible, and to others that contributed so much. Asante sana!
Sanne van Aarst
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