My Three-Month Journey with Laikipia Wildlife Forum – Sickler Akaka

I undertook a three-month educational attachment at Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF) from 12th May to 31st July 2025 as part of my Community Development course at Laikipia University. During this period, I gained hands-on experience through various activities such as field excursions, tree planting initiatives, conservation education programs, and report writing. Some of the notable activities I participated in at LWF include:

Tree Planting at Doldol

We had tree planting sessions hosted by Dedan Kimathi Foundation in partnership with LWF on 21st May 2025 around Doldol. We planted over 800 trees. We also had different stakeholders, including the Chief Officer of Environment, Tourism, and Natural Resources, Mr. Stephen Lapian , the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), a team from Ng’arisha Mtaa and the area chief.

The schools that we coordinated with during the session included: Dol Dol Primary School, One More Day Rescue Centre, St Francis Girls’ High School and Dol Dol Boys High School. Our collaboration with these schools and the area Catholic Church for community involvement has left a lasting impact on the Dol Dol community.

I am grateful to LWF for the chance to join the Doldol field trip in Partnership with Dedan Kimathi Foundation. It was a truly eye-opening experience that not only helped me grow but also inspired me to continue contributing to such initiatives. Planting trees at various schools and the church brought home the importance of teamwork and getting involved with the community, aligning with my course.

 

Conservation Education

As part of our Conservation Education program, we visited several schools, including Nkandone Primary School, Daraja Academy, Mukima Primary School, Shilo Naibor Primary School, Lairagwan Primary School, Muramati Primary School, and Brookwell Harmony Academy, to teach students the importance of conserving  our environment for its sustainability.

At Nkandone Primary School and Daraja Academy, we used the interactive Nexus Dicey game to teach students about the interconnectedness of ecosystems. The students loved it, and it sparked great discussions about how their actions can have both positive and negative effects on the environment. At Brookwell Harmony Academy, we also used the Nexus Dicey game and planted trees with the students and teachers.

We also partnered with the Leo Project at Shilo Naibor, Lairagwan, Mukima and Muramati schools.  Together, we used the Nexus Dicey game to explore the positive and negative impacts of different actions on the environment.

In all the schools, we had interactive sessions using charts and the Nexus Dicey game. The students rolled the dice to play the game, hence understanding the positive and negative actions affecting the environment. We are proud of the students’ enthusiasm and commitment to making a difference to the environment.

In conclusion, conservation education is vital for our future. By engaging young minds through innovative tools like the Nexus Dicey game and hands-on experiences like tree growing, we can inspire a generation of environmental stewards. Let’s work together to make a lasting impact on our planet.