Park Trip

Despite living on its doorstep, few local community members have ever had a chance to visit Katavi National Park.  Each year, we organize fo park visits to community members from villages bordering this park through our program “ Park Trip”.  The goal of this program is to give locals a chance to visit this area of great natural beauty, learn about wildlife and the environment to encourage them to participate in its conservation, bestow an understanding of the importance of its protection, and maintain the bond between Tanzania National Park (TANAPA) (the park’s staff) and the community.

During “A Park Trip”, people visit many of Katavi’s finest sites including; Lake Chada where the Mpimbwe god ‘Katabi’ is thought to have herded his hippopotami, and the extensive Katsunga plain which harbors a large number of herbivores. They are also given talks by TANAPA Park Wardens and Rangers on the benefits of the park and emphasize on the role of the locals in ensuring the long-term survival of the park for the benefit of the current and future generations.

This project in Mpimbwe was started under MIMAMPI but is now coordinated by LCMO in collaboration with Katavi National Park (KANAPA). In 2011 funds were raised through TUSK Trusk and Nomad Trust to purchase a coaster bus that was dedicated by TANAPA for community park trips especially for school children.