Helping Naturalist Guides in Tanzania

Monica spent the past weekend at Lake Manyara National Park helping the Interpretive Guides Society (IGS) to accredit Tanzanian safari guides. IGS is a project of the PAMS Foundation. The main objective of IGS is to help members improve their knowledge as professional naturalist guides. To be accredited, guides undertake two or more weeks of field training, are tested on their knowledge of various subjects including birds, plants, invertebrates, and mammals, and receive certificates for each subject they pass. Standards are set by the International Ranger Federation, the African Field Guides Association, and the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas. This is a great way for guides to demonstrate their knowledge of the wondrous ecology and biodiversity of the African savanna and to raise the bar for all Tanzanian safari guides. We are happy to be a part of this worthwhile program.