Isaack Kinyanjui, a wildlife guide and naturalist who has led Doane College groups on safari in Ke
nya, returned to campus for his second visit and a presentation Tuesday, Sept. 30. Kinyanjui shared the true Africa with audiences as he presented a slide show and talk titled "Kenyan Wildlife and Conservation," in Heckman Auditorium. Sponsors were Doane's Liberal Arts Seminar and Hansen Leadership Program.
This is a return visit for Kinyanjui, who came to know the campus and its community in-depth in April of 2007 as he visited more than 25 Doane classes and the college's Roots and Shoots chapter.
He shared with students the bigger picture of Africa, beyond the images of poverty seen on television, contrasting it with the county's riches, including its deep respect for life, spirit, environment and tradition.
This year Kinyanjui is serving as a cultural informant and wildlife specialist as part of the Doane Liberal Arts 101 Seminar 2008 focus on Africa. In addition to his visit, all first-year students will get a taste of Africa as they read "Africa on Six Wheels: A Semester on Safari," a book Doane English professor Betty Levitov wrote of her experiences leading students on interterm and semester-long study in Africa.
Kinyanjui plans to stay in the United States for 2 ½ months and will also participate in panel discussions on Oct. 7 and 22 at 7 p.m. in the Conservatory on the Doane campus. Both are open to the public.
Kinyanjui and Levitov met in 2002 in Kenya, where Kinyanjui was serving as a guide for a safari tour company. The East African wildlife expert now is an independent guide and has also worked as a researcher and tracker in most of Kenya's national parks.