DAY TWO: PREPARING FOR THE NEXT LEG
Jetlag—argh! Up about half of the night with insomnia. The insomnia was probably aided by the fact that Kellee and I, who were lucky enough to score an air-conditioned double, thought it was a little too cold the night before, so we each, separately, adjusted the air conditioner’s temperature setting, resulting in a room that didn’t feel air conditioned at all. I thought I was just running a fever or something.
Conrad Savy, a CI biodiversity analyst, arrived at the hostel late last night to join us on our trip, and his sunny disposition provided a nice contrast to my own lethargy. We spent a leisurely morning in search of money and a sim card for his phone and were only partly successful. ATMs are not working for us so far; let’s hope that trend does not continue. Conrad now owes me money, and I’m not certain he’s good for it.
We will head to Morogoro in a few hours to visit Sokoine University for a few days. There, Kellee will teach a short course on cartography and GIS software for students and faculty, some of whom have—with the support of CEPF and the GEF-UNDP Conservation and Management of the Eastern Arc Mountain Forests project—been working on developing an up-to-date assessment of forest cover and change in Tanzania and Kenya from 1990 to 2007.
I’ll be getting photos, video and interviewing participants.
Conrad, meanwhile, will present a seminar on tools for mainstreaming nature conservation into development planning. He is also serving as interpreter for Kellee and me, as he speaks both Swahili and wildlife biology—two languages in which I’m far from conversant.
I’m eager to see Morogoro, which is west of Dar es Salaam at the foot of the Uluguru Mountains, one of the key CEPF investment areas. Conrad lived in Morogoro while lecturing at Sokoine a few years ago, and sings its praises.
The Ulugurus are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests of Tanzania and Kenya hotspot where we have invested $7 million in support of civil society conservation efforts. According to the Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania, they are home to three endemic species of birds, as well as significant populations of other bird species found only in the Eastern Arc Mountains. The Ulugurus also support many other plants and animals that are either endemic or are shared only with other Eastern Arc Mountain forests. They serve as the catchment for moisture passing inland from the Indian Ocean, providing the water supply and hydropower for millions of people, as well as industry, in Dar es Salaam and other areas of Tanzania.
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