Volunteer Activities
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The
following are a summary of the areas where WTW
requires your help. Steve (the project co-ordinator),
and Alison (the UK volunteer contact), will be
able to further discuss each area of work with
you. We are also open to your suggestions and
welcome students with research ideas
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1. Conservation & Research
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| Beach
patrols Patrols are undertaken each night
at varying hours and at early morning. The beach
currently covered in this way amounts to 4-5kms.
The patrols serve several functions:
· Search for
nesting activity
· Search for
any evidence of nests hatching
· Check nests
already laid
· Search for
any turtle strandings, whether sick or dead.
· Look out for
illegal fishing activities within the marine park.
Individuals are
not expected to conduct these patrols on their
own. A community member undertakes most of these
patrols and can be assisted by volunteers.
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Nest
excavations Occasionally turtles lay their
eggs in unsuitable places, such as where they
might be flooded by high spring tides. In such
cases the nest is excavated, and the eggs are
carefully moved and re-buried. This is hard work,
as care has to be taken to make sure that each
egg is lifted, transported and re-buried without
rotating it.
When the nest is in a safe place the nest is left
to hatch naturally, but after it hatches it is
excavated to see what proportion of eggs have
hatched successfully.
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| Assisting
with turtle net releases and research Releasing turtles is a
popular activity with volunteers, but it should
be realised that we can not determine where or
when one will be caught so volunteers should be
willing to work irregular hours. Help with this
work and the related driving is important to the
project, so drivers please bring your driving
licence.
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Light
surveys
Once a month a
light survey is undertaken to evaluate the impact
of disturbing lighting on the nesting habitat.
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| GPS
mapping We map turtle nest sites, but also
want to map a range of other sites including fish
landing sites, turtle foraging sits, turtle
capture points etc...
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| Marine
park lagoonal turtle counts Transect surveys within
the lagoon spotting turtles. This can be done
with snorkelling equipment at different times and
locations to build up a picture of turtle
populations and movements.
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| Mida
creek survey Depending on future boat
availability, volunteers can assist in a creek
survey, mapping out the basic geographical
features, performing turtle counts and
researching fishing activities in the creek.
Persons with experience in biology and geography
field research would be most able to assist here.
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| Local
movement patterns of juvenile foraging turtles Again depending on future
boat availability, we have plans for this
research on net release turtles.
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| Undercover
patrolling of the town and beach areas We have heard several
reports of tourists being approached and offered
turtle shell and meat for sale, as well as cowrie
shells in both the town area and on the beaches
to the north of the town. We need people to play
the interested tourist and find out: who, where
and how much? We do not expect any volunteers to
take any personal risks and this work would be
carefully guided.
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| Compile
information on the history and cultural beliefs
of the area and local tribes A good understanding in
this is important to the development of effective
conservation programmes.
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| Contacting
CERS (Malindi) and Fisheries to compile general
information on fisheries in Kenya CERS = Coast Environment
Research Station. Reviewing documents to find out
basic info on:
· How are the
fisheries organised by the government?
· How many
fishermen are there?
· Catch size,
composition etc?
· The relative
importance of subsistence consumption vs
commercial sales?
· What is the
relationship between the industrial and the
artisanal sector?
· How is fish
processed?
· How many
people involved? etc..
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| Evaluation
of the impacts and potentials of tourism in
Watamu and Mida creek In the pipeline.
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| Broad
based tourism survey of the Kenyan coast This is planned in 2003
dependent on funding, to evaluate basic status.
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| Survey
of riparian strip We are looking for someone to
research the riparian strip, identifying flora
and fauna species. There is a resident naturalist
who could provide training in species
identification. Persons with experience in
biology and geography field research would be
most able to assist here.
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2. Education & awareness
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| Signage Are you artistic?
Producing and distributing conservation related
signs in Park & Reserve areas is an ongoing
activity.
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| Assisting
the development and running of the Local Ocean
Marine Centre. Displays in this Centre will be
periodically changing and we would love your
input, especially artists. The Centre will also
need volunteer help in guiding visitors.
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| Conducting
hotel talks These are a means to both educate
the public and raise funds for the project. We
have designed our own slide show.
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| Further
development and implementation of the WTW
education programme WTW undertakes a vigorous
education campaign in the local area. The
education team requires assistance in further
developing and implementing this programme.
Artists, writers, dramatists and teachers could
make contributions here. Examples of some areas
of work include:
· Design school
and fishing community education talk topics &
activities (eg. using drama, art, song and games)
in subject matter concerning marine environment
and turtle conservation
· Design
educational poster display boards for hotels,
public meeting places etc.
· Plan marine
conservation awareness events
· Design
educational booklets, info leaflets and
newsletters.
· Assist in
carrying out educational workshops and activities
· Development
of a conservation puppet show for schools
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3. Community development
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| Recycling The infrastructure in
Kenya is very under developed. People are not
given any help or education with regards to waste
disposal or useage. We feel that a recycling
project would not only help to tidy up our area
and engender respect, but also give people
employment. All done in the name of the Watamu
Turtle Watch, which we hope would send out
positive conservation vibes. We need ideas!
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| Sport Sport is not exploited or
supported at the coast. Sport brings people
together, encourages team spirit. In co-operation
with one local young man we recently started one
local football and netball team associated to
conservation, but this project needs further
development.
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| Alternative
employment Developing ideas for fishing
community members to generate alternative incomes
to unsustainable marine resource exploitation and
so reduce pressures on the environment and its
species. We have started one very small local
crafts activity, but want to expand this type of
work. Volunteers with initiative and experience
in community development work, or just an
entrepreneurial attitude to life, could be of
assistance in this area.
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4. General
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| Developing
income generating programmes for WTW. For example developing
and promoting the WTW adoption and membership
schemes, fundraising events, links with
international schools, local craft designs etc....
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| Administration
work Such
as:
- Upgrading the
WTW website
· Developing an
index system for our literature so that it may be
accessible to interested parties.
- Inputting and
analysing turtle research data on the computer.
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| Communications
We
want to build a communication network with local
and international schools, clubs and even
businesses....tour operators for example. They
might learn something from us and visa versa. For
schools it is to do with getting the message
across in a fun but serious way. We would hope
that it might encourage schools to use this
incredibly bio-diverse area for field trips. This
is also a very good vehicle for fundraising.
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| Languages We need people who can
help us with translations into Italian, German,
Spanish and French.
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| These
are just some examples of how you can help. If
you have any other ideas, before or during your
participation, please do not hesitate to tell us.
Whilst we want you to use your own initiative and
come up with new ideas we request that you check
with the project co-ordinator, or one of the
committee, before you implement any of them. This
is simply because there might be something that
you are unaware of which your idea might come
into conflict with. We also instruct you not to
represent WTW at any public function without
clearing it with us first. |