Envirovet Summer Institute 2000
Yulee, Florida and Kenya, Africa Schedules

In June of 2000, Julie Fairbank enrolled in a five week program entitled "Envirovet Summer Institute 2000".  It was a concentrated effort to provide a comprehensive educational/field experience program on terrestrial The Lure Of The Wild
wildlife and ecosystem health to twenty-five veterinary students, veterinarians, and wildlife biologists.  The Envirovet program highlighted the transdisiplinary, cooperative nature of work required for effective wildlife and ecosystem research, management, and long term problem solving.  It brought to the fore-front, the state of global Satellite Immiging
ecosystem health in terms of population expansion, growth of economics with related urbanization and industrialization and environmental degradation (habitat loss, contamination, simplification and fragmentation).  The students enrolled in the program were   from around the world, United States, Germany, England, South America, Africa, etc..  Eligibility for participation in the Envirovet program required evidence of a firm commitment to a career in wildlife and ecosystem health, as well as either at least two years of veterinary school or an advanced degree in a relevant discipline with a defined animal health component.

Her first two week period, Session 1, was spent in Yulee, Florida, at the White Oak Conservation Center.  The session was entitled "Terrestrial Wildlife And Ecosystem Health In A Developed Country Context."  Her days consisted of concentrated hours of learning, which left very few hours for leisure time.  Each week consisted of 60 - 70 hours of instruction.  Talks and discussion time went far into each day and ended well into the evenings.  Topics such as:  Conservation Ethics, Ecosystem Health, The "Ark" Approach, Terrestrial Ecology And Population Biology, Wildlife Immobilization, Wildlife Telemetry, Environmental And Wildlife Law And Regulations, Careers In Ecosystem Health, and many others.  She met many informed people from  Invaluable Lecture Information the industry while at White Oak, there were
as many as forty instructors/talks during the session.  She said the food and lodging was outstanding but that the time passed too quickly.  Little did she realize what was in store during their Session 2 series, a three week exploration in East Africa.
Stay Away From His Domain

              Don't get in my way!!

 

 

 

 She spent a week at home in Georgia before leaving for New York and Kennedy Airport.  She flew to Amsterdam, where she spent an eleven hour layover.  There, she rejoined some of her classmates for the second leg of their five week course, "Wildlife And Ecosystem Health In An International Development Context."  After reboarding the flight, she flew non-stop to Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa.  She spent about half of her time at the Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute in Naivasha, Kenya.  The other half of the three weeks was spent on safari,
  Field Instruction
shuttled in lorries.  While based at the institute, talks centered on the Lake Naivasha watershed and ecosystem; aquatic sample collection, toxicology, water hyacinth and Salvinia biological controls, ecological impact of horticulture and other agricultural industries, conservation initiatives and tourism development.  She learned of Lake Nakuru National Park, the effects of restricted (island) parks and fencing on management - e.g. inbreeding, overcrowding, mineral deficiencies, disease, rhino conservation strategies and initiatives at the park, national, regional levels, flamingo ecology and impacts from development, pollutants, Flamingo Ecology  and changes in water catchments/ climate, impact of Nakuru town, sewage and industrial waste, on wildlife health and the lake ecology.  For the next five day period, she traveled across the Laikipia Plateau to visit private ranches which had set up innovative conservation and multiple land use initiatives.  They camped overnight at one such ranch, the Ol Jogi Ranch.  Another, Mpala Ranch, has been  doing collaborative conservation research with Princeton University and Smithsonian Institution.  She visited Meru National Park, a remote northern park where much of the wildlife had been poached, resulting in a significant reduction in tourism and various vegetative and other ecosystem imbalances.  They set up camp for four days at this park.  They toured the park and adjoining Kora National Park, (Adamsons/Born Free).
  Learning Through Participation
They learned of giraffe translocation and radio-collaring of elephants.  The return to Naivaska from Meru was approximately seven hours travel time.  During some of their lorry traveling, they were accompanied by armed guards because of roving Security In The Bush
groups of marauders.  A lorry, while traveling in the bush, is not like driving our pickups on Interstate 95.  There are usually no rest areas with soda/snack machines, or rest rooms.  It's men on the right side of the lorry and women on the left, and "air dry", no paper left behind, so to speak!     
A Most Uncomfortable Lorry

Instruction Under The Trees
Her final field trip was to the world renowned Masai Mara Game Reserve 
 Wildebeest Migration
at the height of the wildebeest migration. The Mara is part of the greater Mara/Serengeti ecosystem, and a prime example of a vast open park with  Elephants Being Observed In Their Natural Habitat bountiful wildlife.  They set up camp at the Kenya Wildlife Service Research Station after another grueling lorry ride.  There, the main thrust was centered on:  Mara/Serengeti ecosystem and 
Come Join Me For A Cooling Off Period
ongoing initiatives, wildlife disease problems, the domestic animal/wildlife interface, rural development issues - group ranches and agriculture expansion, tourism development and carrying capacity.  It was then back to Nairobi and a thorough review of the three week session.  
Tagging And Health Evaluation
When asked what she enjoyed most in her African venture, she remarked, "seeing all of the native wildlife in their own habitat, running free, and unencumbered.  After awhile, the wildlife were as commonplace as the gray squirrels in my backyard in Georgia."  She enjoyed meeting many locals, natives, and was happily  surprised at how friendly they were.
A Memorable Time Was Shared By All   When asked what she liked the least about her experience in Kenya, she said she had hoped going on this trip would satisfy the yearning she had always had to go to Africa, but instead, it only made her more anxious to return..  She summed up her adventure as a tremendous learning experience, eye opening adventure, and a "yearn to return".

Time To Say Good-Bye