- About 30 learners are using photography to explore nature and strengthen environmental awareness in Kwale County.
- The initiative combines practical conservation lessons with creativity, observation and opportunities for children to express environmental concerns.
- Organisers hope early exposure will nurture environmentally responsible learners who influence conservation within their communities.
Children in Kwale County are being introduced to photography as a way of promoting environmental conservation and raising awareness about the need to protect nature.
The initiative, known as Child Nature Photography for Environmental Conservation, is being piloted at Mekaela Likunda Academy, with about 30 learners having participated so far.
The programme allows children to explore their surroundings, photograph plants, animals and other natural features, and learn about the importance of preserving the environment.
Project implementer and child psychiatrist Dr Lynne Jones said the programme was aimed at helping children develop an early interest in environmental protection.
Jones said photography enables learners to observe their surroundings more closely and understand the value of the natural resources within their communities.
She noted that the images captured by the children also provide them with a platform to express their experiences and draw attention to environmental problems affecting their areas.
According to Jones, spending time outdoors while taking photographs also supports the learners’ wellbeing by encouraging exploration, creativity and curiosity.
Mekaela Academies General Manager Shadrack Kalisa said involving children in conservation activities would help create a generation that understands the importance of protecting the environment.
Kalisa said photography had made conservation lessons more engaging because learners were able to combine classroom knowledge with practical experiences.
He added that the photographs could also be used to create a record of the environment and encourage other people to take part in conservation activities.
Photography carries conservation message
Environmentalist Ezekiel Okenye said the programme was giving learners an opportunity to communicate conservation messages through the photographs they take.
Okenye said the children were also learning practical skills such as planting trees and caring for them.
His involvement in conservation work on Kenya’s South Coast is independently supported by previous reporting on colobus conservation, which identifies him as being involved in field research on the coastal Angolan black-and-white colobus.
He said exposing learners to conservation activities at a young age would help them develop responsible attitudes towards the environment and encourage them to influence conservation efforts in their communities.
One of the participants, Penelope Nickson, said taking part in the programme had enabled her to learn more about nature and appreciate what exists around her.
Nickson said she photographed flowers, monkeys and trees during one of the sessions and discovered how different parts of the ecosystem depend on each other.
She called on residents to protect trees and wildlife, saying conserving nature was important for the benefit of future generations.
Capturing nature for future generations
The programme introduces conservation through an activity children can participate in directly rather than relying entirely on classroom instruction.
By photographing their surroundings, learners can document changes in the local environment while developing greater awareness of plants and wildlife within their communities.
For Kwale, where the natural environment includes habitats supporting the nationally threatened Angolan black-and-white colobus, conservation education among young people can also contribute to broader efforts to protect the South Coast’s biodiversity. Previous conservation work in the area has combined research, tree planting and education programmes.
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Through the pilot programme, photography is therefore becoming more than an artistic activity for the learners. It is providing another way for children to observe, understand and communicate why the environment around them needs protection.
By Shaban Omar
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