Submitted by Natalie Gross on the 2020 winter session program in Tanzania sponsored by the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology…
It’s been really interesting to learn about the ways of life of the local people of Tanzania. At the beginning of our first week, we arrived near Arusha National Park and stayed in a camp right next to Olasiti Village. We were able to spend a day visiting the village and learning about local government, agriculture, and traditional beliefs. Because the communities in Tanzania are much smaller, one of the largest differences between being here and being in the United States is the fact that everything is much more localized. Groups of people work together here to share food and construct new buildings, as well as conserve natural resources. I was surprised to hear that the Iraqw, a small indigenous group living near the Nou Highland Forest, actually collaborates with eighteen other small communities in the region to monitor and conserve the local watershed upon which they rely for watering their cattle and crops. I’ve really enjoyed learning from the people, and everyone has been extremely open and welcoming to us.