This project was made possible by the full support of The ANNENBERG FOUNDATION and EXPLORE.ORG. They have our highest respect and warmest appreciation for helping us realize this dream.
Valerie May, Executive Producer and Creative Director
Carol Kaufmann, Editor
Suzanne Patrick Fonda, Editor
Michelle Harris, Researcher
Thomas B. Allen, Writer
Brittany Steff, Writer, Editor
Ilene J. Levine, Writer, U.S. curriculum
Beverly Dezan, Writer, U.S. curriculum
Illustrations - Field Guide and Wild Cards
Lavinia Grant: A locally renowned naturalist, writer, and artist, Grant’s work is featured in several Laikipia Wildlife Forum publications. She has also written and illustrated two delightful books about her life on a Laikipia ranch: On a Kenya Ranch andNyamaluki: Small Piece of Africa.
Steven White: By day, White is a web developer, designer, and producer in higher education. In his spare time, he is an artist and freelance illustrator with a sense of humor good enough to enjoy adding animal tracks and scat to his portfolio.
It is with great appreciation that we acknowledge the photographers who contributed to this project. Their magnificent imagery captures the grandeur that is Mpala. It is a credit to the Mpala Research Centre that so many are willing to support its efforts. Individual photos are also credited throughout the site.
Once again acknowledging the loyalty and support Mpala Research Centre engenders, we thank the following researchers for their gracious support and assistance in getting our facts straight and posting the most up-to-date information about the wild denizens of Laikipia.
Most especially we thank the hippo folks, who helped craft and support this project from its inception.
Anne-Marie Claire Hodge: Blotched genet and common genet
Lynn Isobell: Vervet monkey, leopard, baboon
Daniel Rubenstein: Grevy’s zebra and plains zebra
Rhinoceros: Special thanks to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, who gave us access to their amazing sanctuary and facilitated all the rhinoceros videography and photography on Mpala Live! May their heroic efforts to protect these magnificent and highly endangered creatures succeed.
Our primary source material for the species descriptions of mammals in the Field Guide was Mammals of Africa: Volumes I-VI by Jonathan Kingdon. We thank him for this magnificent series of books and highly recommend them to anyone with interest in the animals of Africa.
Classroom
We’d like to acknowledge the dedication and generous support of Nancy and Daniel Rubenstein in helping develop this section. The Kenya curriculum is based on materials developed by them and a group of collaborators for the North Kenya Conservation Clubs, an initiative started by Nancy some years back to introduce Laikipia school children to the natural world around them. The U.S. curriculum was adapted from this material. They have also been instrumental in establishing a Princeton University internship program which continues to develop educational materials for this section.
Northern Kenya Conservation Clubs Curriculum Guide
Written and Compiled by: Nancy Rubenstein and Laurie Thier
(Revised Edition 2014)
Advisers:
Daniel I. Rubenstein, Princeton University
Shem Mwasi, Moi University
Louise Bradshaw, Saint Louis Zoo
Martha Fischer, Saint Louis Zoo
Bill Toone, San Diego Zoo
Belinda Low, Grevy’s Zebra Trust
Peter Rikapo Lentiyoo, Grevy’s Zebra Trust
Faith Riungu, Northern Rangelands Trust
Celina Butali, Northern Rangelands Trust
Arnold Rapango, formerly of Northern Rangelands Trust
Teachers from the following schools: Leparua Primary, Lewa Primary, Sessia Primary, Ngaroni Primary, Mpala Primary, Wamba Boys, Sere Olipi Primary, Westgate Primary, GirGir Primary, Lerata Primary, Kiltamamy Primary, Lorubae Primary
We would like to extend special thanks to a team of alumni and students of the Program in Teacher Preparation, Princeton University. In the summer of 2014 they revised three units of the Kenyan curriculum cited above for use by teachers in the United States. Their generous contribution and hard-work provided Mpala Live! with outstanding lesson plans and classroom activities focused on student-centered instruction and assessments.
Participants:
Helen Yang ‘15, is pursuing teacher certification with the Program in Teacher Preparation and a certificate in Environmental Studies. She majors in English.
Dayton Martindale ’15, is majoring in Astrophysical Sciences and is interested in science education and journalism.
Colleen Kent ’11, teaches Social Studies and History at the Pingry School, N.J., and was one of two Princeton Fellows at the Sherborne School, United Kingdom.
Julianne Davis ’09, majored in Environmental Engineering and teaches middle school science in Mt. Laurel, N.J.
Kate Miller ’08, taught high school physics and math at the Brooklyn Latin School. In the fall of 2014 she began science curriculum development at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
We’d like to especially acknowledge Anne N. Catena, Ed.D., Director of Professional Development Initiatives, Lecturer and Program Administrator of the Teacher Preparation Program. Anne headed up the internship program and was responsible for the success of the project. Many thanks, Anne!
Stories from the Bush
We greatly appreciate the generosity of Dr. Meg Crofoot of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute as well as River Camp Productions in allowing us to post their videos about research underway at the Centre. River Camp Productions was a documentary video project involving students from Kenya and Princeton University. Special thanks to Daniel Rubenstein for granting permission to post this material.
Website Development
A special thanks to long-time collaborators, NewCity Media. As deadlines changed, concepts juggled, and the challenges of working in three times zones and two continents multiplied, they rolled with the punches.
Andy Hebrank, Developer
Brian Maddox, Creative Director
Sara Andrew, Art Director
Ellen Rockett, Designer
Steph Mueller, Designer
Phil Pelanne, Director of Technology
Glen Williams, Quality Assurance and Training Coordinator
Matt Simmons, Client Strategy and Business Development
