Giraffe and Lion Conservation in Kenya School Trips
Projects Abroad
Join our Conservation Programme in Kenya in the Rift Valley area and help protect endangered wildlife while preserving the area's natural ecosystem.Human activities keep threatening the environment through poaching, pollution, and urban expansion.
With the help of volunteers like you, we can take action to address these challenges and safeguard Kenya's remarkable wildlife.
Beyond conservation work, you will also engage in cultural activities during your stay, interact with local communities, and explore Kenya's iconic landmarks on weekend excursions. Home to a spectacular array of iconic species, this programme is set in a conservation park in the Rift Valley area of Kenya and has a truly remote feel.
By joining us on this project, you and your students will be supporting a community-managed initiative and be able to make a tangible difference in our local conservation efforts.
During this project, you will:
- Research: Conduct surveys, research and observations using tools such as camera traps to understand the extent of different species' populations, their behaviour and their interaction with the wider ecosystem. This is crucial to shaping future conservation efforts.
- Maintain and improve infrastructure, such as waterholes, to facilitate easier observations by providing a focal point for all species and supporting their well-being during dry periods.
- Clear invasive plant species to support the growth of more native species and the viability of all populations within the ecosystem.
As with all conservation projects, local community engagement is key. You will raise awareness among people who have a genuine stake in the health of the ecosystems and who, in many cases, also make a living from them. Understanding this perspective and considering the steps possible to balance the needs of nature and the community will be a valuable learning outcome for your students.
This highly practical, scientific, and physical programme will provide your students with a truly memorable, inspiring experience. The activities will be varied and educational and contribute to the initiative's ongoing goals.
Teacher Checklist
Risk Assessments Inspection Visits Free Places for Teachers Resource Packs LOtC Quality Badge Expedition Providers Association Tailor your trip
Example Itineraries
Day 1 - 2: Arrival and Induction
A Projects Abroad staff member will be waiting to collect your group from Nairobi Airport (NBO). You will then be taken by minibus to your accommodation at the Soysambu Conservancy in Nakuru. During this three-hour drive, everyone will have the chance to observe the scenery and let the fact that you are in Kenya sink in!
Receive awareness training and embark on a guided tour of the local area before heading to your placement to familiarise yourself with the facilities, meet placement staff, and discuss your expectations and work schedule.
Days 3 – 6
Over the following days, work closely with expert conservationists to learn more about our efforts to preserve the biodiversity in this area. The task assigned to your group will depend on the needs of the Conservancy at the time of your trip. It could include monitoring lions, assessing the vegetation, designing and marking new roads, removing invasive species and maintaining waterholes to ensure vital water access to wildlife. You will develop new skills in animal and plant identification, setting up camera traps, studying animal behaviour, and conducting various types of surveys that are crucial to our conservation efforts.
Engage with the local community through outreach work, such as community clean-ups and tree planting, to ensure the best impact of this project. Through these tasks, you will learn more about the locals, their lives, and who benefits from our volunteer work.
To help you connect with the traditions and culture in more depth, our Projects Abroad team will plan activities for your group throughout the trip, including learning Kiswahili, participating in a cooking class, and learning a traditional Maasai dance!
Days 7 & 8
Take a break from the Conservancy and discover more of what Kenya has to offer.
Visit the country's largest volcano caldera and second largest on the continent: Menengai Crater. The crater is believed to have been formed around 8,000 years ago, while the volcano itself is estimated to have been created over 200,000 years ago.
Head to the Maasai Market on Sunday to find affordable and unique souvenirs to bring home. Local artisans make everything from paintings and prints to wood carvings and jewellery.
Later, your group will have time for swimming—the perfect way to round off a weekend of exploration!
Days 9 - 13
Continue your work with the expert conservationists.
After a week of conservation work, you have found your rhythm in the Conservancy and have a better understanding of the importance of the jobs carried out. As the week goes on, reflect on your efforts' positive and long-term impact as a group and discuss the real difference you made.
Through your time in Kenya, you and your students will have developed many new outdoor skills and gained a rich understanding of a stunning ecosystem and the struggle to preserve and improve it. You will also have developed their resilience, perspective, teamwork and leadership skills while contributing to a longstanding and meaningful initiative.
Day 14
It’s been a fantastic journey for the group. You’ve all gained a deeper understanding of conservation efforts in Nakuru, developed a strong connection with the Maasai community, and become immersed in Kenya's culture and history.
As you leave Kenya, know you are always welcome back! We look forward to hearing what amazing things you all achieve in the future.
For a detailed day-by-day itinerary, don't hesitate to get in touch with us by completing the form.
A Projects Abroad staff member will be waiting to collect your group from Nairobi Airport (NBO). You will then be taken by minibus to your accommodation at the Soysambu Conservancy in Nakuru. During this three-hour drive, everyone will have the chance to observe the scenery and let the fact that you are in Kenya sink in!
Receive awareness training and embark on a guided tour of the local area before heading to your placement to familiarise yourself with the facilities, meet placement staff, and discuss your expectations and work schedule.
Days 3 – 6
Over the following days, work closely with expert conservationists to learn more about our efforts to preserve the biodiversity in this area. The task assigned to your group will depend on the needs of the Conservancy at the time of your trip. It could include monitoring lions, assessing the vegetation, designing and marking new roads, removing invasive species and maintaining waterholes to ensure vital water access to wildlife. You will develop new skills in animal and plant identification, setting up camera traps, studying animal behaviour, and conducting various types of surveys that are crucial to our conservation efforts.
Engage with the local community through outreach work, such as community clean-ups and tree planting, to ensure the best impact of this project. Through these tasks, you will learn more about the locals, their lives, and who benefits from our volunteer work.
To help you connect with the traditions and culture in more depth, our Projects Abroad team will plan activities for your group throughout the trip, including learning Kiswahili, participating in a cooking class, and learning a traditional Maasai dance!
Days 7 & 8
Take a break from the Conservancy and discover more of what Kenya has to offer.
Visit the country's largest volcano caldera and second largest on the continent: Menengai Crater. The crater is believed to have been formed around 8,000 years ago, while the volcano itself is estimated to have been created over 200,000 years ago.
Head to the Maasai Market on Sunday to find affordable and unique souvenirs to bring home. Local artisans make everything from paintings and prints to wood carvings and jewellery.
Later, your group will have time for swimming—the perfect way to round off a weekend of exploration!
Days 9 - 13
Continue your work with the expert conservationists.
After a week of conservation work, you have found your rhythm in the Conservancy and have a better understanding of the importance of the jobs carried out. As the week goes on, reflect on your efforts' positive and long-term impact as a group and discuss the real difference you made.
Through your time in Kenya, you and your students will have developed many new outdoor skills and gained a rich understanding of a stunning ecosystem and the struggle to preserve and improve it. You will also have developed their resilience, perspective, teamwork and leadership skills while contributing to a longstanding and meaningful initiative.
Day 14
It’s been a fantastic journey for the group. You’ve all gained a deeper understanding of conservation efforts in Nakuru, developed a strong connection with the Maasai community, and become immersed in Kenya's culture and history.
As you leave Kenya, know you are always welcome back! We look forward to hearing what amazing things you all achieve in the future.
For a detailed day-by-day itinerary, don't hesitate to get in touch with us by completing the form.
Which Curriculum Subjects do we cater for?
Cultural
Students will get stuck into a variety of social and cultural activities during their stay in Kenya. From a Kiswahili language lesson to a Maasai traditional dance class, the group will leave feeling fully immersed in Kenya's vibrant cultures and traditions.
Through food, we believe people can learn a lot about a country's history and values, so students are also invited to take part in a cooking class where they can learn how to make a delicious Kenyan dish.
Environmental Science
Due to human activity, poaching, pollution, and damage caused by residential and commercial development have become major threats to Kenya's wildlife. Students will learn more about the knock-on effects of human activity on the environment and take steps to combat the impacts on the area.
Through crucial outreach in the community, students will share the importance of sustainable and conscious living. Their conversations with the local people aim to inspire change and action, triggering long-term positive change.
Conservation Wildlife Animal Care
Students taking part in our Kenya Conservation Programme will work alongside experts to ensure the survival of precious wildlife species, completing tasks such as:
> Researching the Rothschild giraffe
> Lion monitoring
> Wetland and terrestrial bird surveys
> Learning skills in animal identification
> Setting up camera traps and studying animal behaviour
> Maintaining waterholes to ensure vital water access to wildlife
Community Projects
Your group will engage with and give back to the local community as they take part in community clean-ups and plant trees. This is a great opportunity to develop connections, learn about a different culture, and teach others the new environmental knowledge they have gained during their time in Kenya.
What size groups do we cater for?
All group sizes of 5 or more. Free staff place with every 9 students.
Access for visitors with disabilities?
Disabled facilities can be offered on request.
Visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)?
Visitors with special educational needs can be catered for on request.
Anything else?
Projects Abroad provides an individualised service and schedule planning, which is backed up by excellent pre-departure preparation and by a dedicated and highly experienced local team in each destination.
We aim to provide a challenging and rewarding experience for every student, promoting self-belief, resilience, leadership, teamwork, reflection, and a new perspective on the world.
Get in touch today! Our partnerships team is happy to answer any queries and guide you through the process of booking the school trip of a lifetime!
We aim to provide a challenging and rewarding experience for every student, promoting self-belief, resilience, leadership, teamwork, reflection, and a new perspective on the world.
Get in touch today! Our partnerships team is happy to answer any queries and guide you through the process of booking the school trip of a lifetime!
Who are Projects Abroad?
Projects Abroad arrange challenging, meaningful, educational, and safe overseas service and internship programmes.
We have been taking students overseas since 1992 and work in over 20 developing and emerging countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Key to our work is the dedicated in-country staff whose diverse skill sets, local knowledge and love of their community allow us to develop relevant, immersive and worthwhile schedules for school trips which give the students responsibility and teach them to see the world through a different lens.
We offer programmes in community development, conservation, construction, education, sports, empowerment, human rights, and healthcare, among many others. These projects are designed to contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, broadening the student experience to see the contribution of a few to a movement for global change.
All school trips are individualised. We realise that each school has its own goals and interests, and the students have their own passions. We work with the school to develop a tailored itinerary that reflects their values and allows the students to make a connection with the community in which they serve.
Teacher Checklist
Risk Assessments Inspection Visits Free Places for Teachers Resource Packs LOtC Quality Badge Expedition Providers Association Tailor your trip
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