Today was very eventful and very different than any class days we had in Kenya. First thing after breakfast we jumped in the Land Cruisers and headed off for a whole day of Field Lectures. The first was on Kilimantembo (Elephant Mountain... more like a hill) where we discussed the human-wildlife conflicts that are different in Tanzania versus Kenya. For example, big game hunting is allowed in special game reserves in Tanzania where it was illegal in Kenya. We also got to see the entire landscape around the Rhotia and Karatu districts. A big problem is that certain habitats overlap into both districts but they each have separate (sometimes conflicting) wildlife management plans. 

Kenyan Sunset... nothing to do with the topic though

Then we got back in the Land Cruisers and went into Karatu for a guest lecture about the same topic by a local authority. He was extremely nice and helpful but you could tell he was sugar-coating the problems. I asked him about the relationship between the pastoralists (livestock ranchers) and the farmers when it came to sharing resources and my classmate, Shannon, started humming the song from Oklahoma ...The Farmer and the Cowman should be friends. I couldn't stop cracking up for the rest of the lecture. We decided that for our presentation to the community at the end of the program, we were going to incorporate that song into a skit :) 

Kili!

Today there was a lot more of missing Kenya talk, but  I can  tell that we are starting to adjust here. Though I do miss the beautiful view of Mt.Kilimanjaro that we had every morning in Kenya and our intense soka (soccer) games. 

Soka!

After lunch, we drove to Lake Manyara Ranch (conservation area that also promotes pastoralism) and drove around. It was nice to get to relax and look at all the beautiful animals that are in East Africa. And we even got to stop in town on the way home to get ice cream! Tanzania is a lot more "westernized" than Kenya in a lot of ways. 

My favorite part of this picture is the hippo in the background