Tanzania 2023

Instructor:

Dr. Jeremy Kerr
University of Ottawa
jkerr@uottawa.ca
https://www.macroecology.ca/

Catherine Sirois-Delisle (csiro098@uottawa.ca), PhD candidate at uOttawa, will join us in the field as a co-instructor.

Dates:
Departure is August 11, 2023. Departure points are Toronto and Ottawa.

Location:
Tanzania - a transect of national parks across its northern frontiers, including Mkomazi NP, Arusha NP, Lake Manyara NP, Tarangire NP, Ngongoro Conservation Area, and Serengeti NP.

Course Description:
This course brings students on wildlife safari through some of the world’s most extraordinary and iconic ecosystems, found across northern Tanzania, an area visited by many thousands of tourists each year. Ecosystems in the area include different kinds of forests, savannahs, and higher elevation ecosystems on the slopes of extinct volcanoes. Parks to be visited include Mkomazi, Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro, Tarangire, and Arusha). We will discuss how ecological interactions in this region are shaped by climate, wildlife migration, volcanic history, and human use of different habitats. We will observe species’ behaviour and interactions in the field and some introduction to human-wildlife interactions (including zoonotic diseases).  

Evaluation:

• Participation in course activities (as well as course credit) is only possible following completion of the Risk Management assignment (pass/fail) AND risk waiver.

• 15% oral participation and safe engagement with course activities.

• 15% oral presentation in the field based on elements of the field experience in Tanzania. Oral presentation is researched and prepared in advance of field course.

• 35% field book: observations and responses to questions completed in the field.

• 35% final essay: expanded and scholarly presentation of material covered in the oral presentation for the course, using primary scientific literature (i.e. journal articles) as sources.

All components of the course must be completed, including risk management participation.

Before the course, each participant will be asked to become the "course expert" for a particular ecological or conservation topic and to prepare a short seminar on the subject, which will be presented informally to the group during evening in the field. Formal reports must be submitted within three weeks after return to Canada.  

Participants must be able to hike for moderate periods in warm weather and at elevations. Safety rules in the field must constantly be observed. Participants must contact a travel physician prior to the start of the course regarding necessary vaccinations, preventative medications and to receive advice regarding personal medical requirements (e.g. asthma or allergies). All participants must have a passport that will be valid for six months past the end of the course. Citizens of most countries (including Canadians) require a visa before departure. Travel abroad involves inevitable risks; consult the Foreign Affairs travel web site. Additional information on risks will be provided.

*For your enrolment numbers please show the total enrolment with your reserved seats in parentheses; e.g. 12(4) would indicate total enrolment is 12 with 4 seats reserved for the home university. 

An Average Day – What to Expect
(a)    Daily timeline

An average day in the field in Tanzania begins around 0700 with breakfast prepared by camp crews.Safari will begin around 0830, including hours of wildlife and ecosystem observation during the morning. The warmest parts of the day in places like Serengeti will be when lunch is served, followed by a short rest period. If we will be on safari or travelling during mid-day, packed lunches will be provided. Later in the afternoon until early evening, we will usually head out again. Safaris do not take place after dark. Dinner will be served in camps after return. Class activities after dinner will include presentations by students, discussions amongst participants of the day’s events, notable sightings, interpretation of observations, and/or some “downtime”. There could be a few days where we leave camp very early.

(b)    Working environments & Physical exertion 

A significant part of the course is in the form of safari, which is in big Toyota Land Cruiser-type vehicles. However, some gentle hiking is also likely. Sometimes, these will involve cool temperatures and potentially some rain. No course events take place at elevations that risk altitude sickness. Safari and walks can sometimes be dusty: bring a mask that can filter out very fine dust.

Walking safaris in national parks will only be in safe areas and will include armed rangers. 

(c)    Common activities

·   Common activities include high elevation walks in areas with abundant wildlife. 

·   Associated risks relate mostly to discourteous interaction with local peoples and are mitigated by students simply remaining polite and respectful of local cultures and customs. Some wildlife species present risks, particularly mosquitoes that may carry malaria. This risk is mitigated through the use of travel medication that prevents the disease and bug spray and appropriate clothing to prevent/limit mosquito bites. While we will be in close proximity to large wildlife species, like elephants and buffalo, and top predators, like lions, we do not approach these animals outside our vehicles. We may encounter them at a distance on walks in the presence of expert guides. This is part of the experience of this course.   

(d)    Weather, dehydration, & other biting insects

·   Because most visited regions of Tanzania are at high elevation, it is less warm than most people expect and some areas are cold, requiring jackets. The course will take place during the dry season, so significant rainfall is rare. Sunburn happens fast in dry, tropical environments but this risk is mitigated identically to a day outdoors in Canada (i.e. sunscreen). The course is supported by a camp crew that distributes and manages pure water supplies, so dehydration will not occur provided students monitor do not avoid drinking water and do not ignore reminders from course directors and guides.

·   The two main insects that are irritants in the field are Tsetse flies, which are like horseflies in southern Canada, and mosquitoes (see above). Tsetse flies are managed by park staff using baited traps that usually reduce tsetse populations very substantially, and tsetse fly bites have been very uncommon in the past.

(e)    Toxic/poisonous, wildlife/ plants

We have not encountered plants that are poisonous on contact, though many plants are poisonous if consumed (as in Canada). Do not touch or consume vegetation. Most work on safari prevents any contact with snakes, but it is not impossible to encounter a snake (which may be poisonous) in a campsite in some areas. Students will always wear their hiking boots when walking around campsites. Mobile ant colonies called “Safari ants” can be irritating if stepped on but they form distinct groupings that can be avoided by stepping over them. Students must pay attention to where they walk.

(f)     Sleeping, washroom & laundry facilities

·   There are tents for students, who will pair up overnight appropriately. 

·   Many washroom facilities are similar to those that would be found at provincial parks in Ontario, with flush toilets and toilet paper. Students should bring their own toilet paper, just in case.

·   There will be limited laundry facility access. Students should bring enough clothes to make it through and be ready to hand wash a few critical things.

(g)    Meal plans & food allergies

Staff cooks are experienced at accommodating diverse dietary needs, including vegetarianism, veganism, and kosher/halal diets. They also have experience in catering for those with allergies.

(h)    Non-academic responsibilities

Students have few camp responsibilities beyond being courteous with camp crew staff and packing up their things as we move to new locations. Camp staff break camp and set it up elsewhere. Cooking is done by the camp crew also, as is the driving. 

(i)     Degree of isolation 

·   Camp crew can charge phones and cameras regularly using equipment in camp. 

·   Cellular service in Tanzania is better than in many remote areas of Canada and cell signals are available in most locations, although it may be faint in some of the most remote locations. Bear in mind that cellular network costs can be exorbitant if they are not managed carefully and in advance. This is an individual responsibility and choice for students exclusively to manage.

(j)     Alcohol & drugs

No drug use is permitted under any circumstances, as this is illegal in Tanzania and can be punished severely. Responsible alcohol use in camp is permitted, but care is required. Reactions to alcohol under safari conditions may be more negative than students have experienced.

(k)    Vaccinations/ Insurances

Vaccinations must be assessed in consultation with a travel doctor. This may include vaccination against hepatitis A and B, typhus, and a series of regular boosters if those are out of date. Oral prescriptions for drugs that prevent malaria (e.g. malarone) are likely to be provided by a travel doctor. Instructors cannot advise students on their personal medical needs.

(l)     Social Situations

Students will be working with a team of peers in a close group for a period of about two weeks. There is little time in urban environments, but urban environments present distinct risks, such as traffic or aggressive street sellers, that should be avoided by remaining without the hotel/compound.

(m)  Final comments

This course has been described by many previous participants as “the best experience of my life”. We designed the class to encompass the most beautiful places we know from this part of the world. Safety remains our primary concern at all times. It must be yours too.

Risk management presentation (PDF) is here.

Photo primer (PDF)

Packing list recommendations (PDF)

Waiver and acknowledgement of risk (PDF)*

Risk Management assignment details (PDF)*

*mandatory to participate in the course/Program

Basic field gear requirements

Very little is required in terms of specialized field gear. It is not necessary to go out and equip yourself with “safari stuff” or to buy specialized clothing that most people in Canada do not already possess. We are camping everywhere except when we are in Moshi, the city where we will spend two or three days at the start of the course. Students will be paired up in tents.

I try to fit everything into one large suitcase (which gets checked) and one regular-sized backpack. We have to carry all the suitcases with us, which means they need to be strapped to the top of the safari vehicles. Don’t overdo it.

We are travelling during the Tanzanian dry season. As a nearly-equatorial country, Tanzania doesn’t have a hot and cold season like we do here. Summers in Toronto or Ottawa are often hotter, far more humid, and far less comfortable than what we will experience in Tanzania. Expect a high temperature of about 28-30 degrees C in the Serengeti (at the hottest point in early afternoon) and low temperatures around 17-18 degrees C. It can be COLD in some areas, like at the top of the crater around Ngorongoro, so you need a jacket and effective sweater/fleece to stay warm in such areas.

You need to be prepared for two major environments in terms of clothing: urban and safari. In urban areas, we’ll be around many Tanzanian citizens, and we must dress appropriately. Tanzanian society is somewhat conservative, which means that both women and men should avoid “revealing” clothing. Tops should cover shoulders and chests and stomachs more or less completely, midriffs should not be exposed, and pants/skirts/whatever should be on the long side. The basic idea in cities is to attract no negative attention and to attract no negative/unwanted attention. On safari, things are more relaxed. Tanzanian guides are well used to our western summer attire and shorts and relaxed tops won’t cause undue trouble. Remember that exposed skin is often going to be burned skin if you neglect sunscreen.

I always wear shoulder-covering tops and usually wear synthetic fabric pants. I use button-up, synthetic fibre shirts more than t-shirts because they are cooler and better ventilated. They are also perfect for preventing sunburns on shoulders, chest, and back. I bring a few synthetic fibre t-shirts that move moisture away from your body. Always have a hat and sunglasses. Baseball caps are fine for protecting your nose but excellent at failing to protect ears and the back of your neck. So, I rarely use them in the field and NEVER without a lot of sunscreen. Broad-brimmed hats are a better choice.

Sunscreen. High SPF and water resistant in case you sweat a lot. Unless you are lucky enough to have skin that never burns, equatorial sunlight in the dry season is nasty for sunburns.

Cameras. Any kind of camera is fine. Many people have wonderful success with cellphones. I shoot a lot of fun wildlife/ecosystem pictures on a cellphone. Even on a really good cellphone, however, optical zooms are weak (if they are present at all) and you need strong optical zoom to see many of the organisms you’re travelling to Tanzania to experience.

These days, I bring more more powerful photography gear with me and will be happy to share photos with everyone on the course. Others may do so also, so everyone should have access to a pretty terrific set of photos.

Binoculars. I strongly suggest you bring binoculars with you. These do NOT need to be expensive. I won’t advise you on what binoculars are best, as everyone has different views about what works best for them. It’s a personal choice. I use older, slightly beat-up, MEC-branded binoculars. They have 8X magnification and an objective lens diameter of 42mm (that is, 8X42 binoculars). I suggest that 8-10X magnification is about right. The second number (42mm) has to do with how much light the binoculars let in. Bigger numbers are better, but we’ll be working in full sun most of the time. Small, dim, dirt-cheap binoculars are vastly better than none at all. Big magnification numbers are problematic on binoculars because it is very hard to hold them steady enough to see things well. I would not go above 10X magnification.

Sleeping bag. Yes, you need one. I use a summer sleeping bag.

Sleeping mat. There are foam rollouts to sleep on but some people don’t like them. I sleep on a 3/4 length thermarest that self-inflates. When I’m feeling sore, I put this on top of an ultra-light camping cot.

Sunglasses. It’s really bright out there. Sunglasses are critical, in my view. Ensure they’re UV-filtered. Polarized sunglasses might be slightly better on occasion, but the benefit is small. They don’t need to be expensive to be effective.

Batteries/power: Our camp crew has always been able to field-charge our electronics using their generator. You must bring your own chargers and cables. If you want to bring a USB power supply, these can be good for a couple of extra days of power for cellphones and the like. Tanzania uses UK-style plug adaptors.

Water bottle: We will have bottled water in the field with us at all times. It is redundant as a consequence to have a water bottle, but this is at your discretion. Make sure it stays clean, if you bring one.

Reading materials: It’s a pretty social course, but if you like to read before bed or on long drives in between places, bring something along. I will probably bring a Kobo and some e-books in addition to a cellphone. Bringing physical books is cumbersome and heavy. You can bring what you want but you have to carry them.

Photocopies of passport and visa: Everyone MUST bring a photocopy (not a digital photo, a photocopy) of their passport and the visa that is issued by the Tanzanian High Commission prior to departure (more on that at a later date).

Sunscreen and insect repellent: I usually use SPF30 or higher and always use water-resistant stuff. Getting a burn can make for an uncomfortable trip and creates unwelcome long term health risks, so be careful to avoid this. There are some mosquitoes but, in the dry season, they are uncommon. If we find a patch where they are present, mosquito bites should be avoided because of malaria risk. So, bug spray with Deet is part of your recommended course kit. I will have some.

Flashlight: Yes, you need one and no, a cellphone light is insufficient. A dedicated flashlight is better. I’d recommend you use a compact LED light of some sort: battery life can be very long and they are bright enough to illuminate a fair distance ahead of you. Here’s the basic rule: you need to see if a buffalo is standing 20 or 30m ahead of you if you head to the bathroom in the darkness while we are camping in the Serengeti. Such lights are inexpensive.

Travel medication and other personal medications/toiletries: Please follow medical advice. Typically, you will be prescribed Malarone or something like it as an anti-malaria drug. You might also be prescribed a small package of antibiotics (like Cipro) in case you get a nasty bout of food poisoning. In advance of travel, you may also be prescribed various vaccines or oral medications to reduce or eliminate risks of hepatitis A (associated with food poisoning or contaminated water), typhus, and a variety of standard boosters, like MMR. We will not be entering a yellow fever country, so a yellow fever vaccination has never been required in the past.