SIT Study Abroad Zanzibar - Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management

  • Home
  • Tanzania
  • Zanzibar
  • SIT Study Abroad Zanzibar - Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management

SIT Study Abroad Zanzibar - Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management Check out the Zanzibar: Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management program at: http://www.sit.edu/studyabroad/ssa_tzz.cfm.

SIT Study Abroad's undergraduate semester abroad program based on the island of Zanzibar located off the coast of Tanzania. "SIT provides a learning space through which students can directly interact with the local culture, feel empowered to serve the community, and learn dynamically from host institutions. I was astounded by how much more I was able to give through my independent research project

after orienting myself through the class sessions. Immersion with a host family was also truly valuable; I was welcomed into the arms of an extended network in Stonetown."

-- Lindley Mease, Stanford University

Due to COVID-19, the program is on hiatus this semester. Nevertheless, the SIT office has contributed to environmental p...
03/10/2020

Due to COVID-19, the program is on hiatus this semester. Nevertheless, the SIT office has contributed to environmental projects in Zanzibar. In May we collaborated to conduct a coral bleaching survey at Chumbe Island (results shared with CORDIO), in August we documented a colony of roseate terns (Sterna dougallii) nesting at Chumbe Island (photo attached), and recently we collected baseline information about micro- and macro-bat populations. Our Tanzanian colleagues have been central to these activities. Thank you!

14/06/2020

SIT-Zanzibar students completed the Spring semester remotely due to COVID-19. Despite the unique circumstances, they produced wonderful ISPs on the following topics: meteorological trends during the last generation and their alignment with farmer observations of climate change; the blue economy in Seychelles; impacts of climate change on whale shark migration and feeding patterns in the western Indian Ocean; fresh water and the informal water economy in Kikwajuni and East Africa; artificial octopus dens and a strategy to create more sustainable harvests; economic approaches to pro-poor growth through tourism; and, tuna and rabbitfish fishing and conservation practices in Zanzibar and Seychelles. Thank you wonderful students for adapting to our unique circumstances and for doing great work! We at the office miss you. Now you are program alumni in our SIT family.

28/03/2020

SIT students returned home early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the students will complete their ISPs remotely, from the U.S.! They are a remarkably good group of students, so I know that they are up to the challenge. Said and the entire SIT-Zanzibar staff are doing well. At the moment, there are less than 15 documented cases of COVID-19 in Tanzania and only one confirmed case in Zanzibar. Stone Town is quiet. Most residents have returned to the country-side. Take care!

We're four weeks into the Spring semester. Recently, the SIT-Zanzibar group visited Mafia Island and Chumbe Island Coral...
22/02/2020

We're four weeks into the Spring semester. Recently, the SIT-Zanzibar group visited Mafia Island and Chumbe Island Coral Park. Our wonderful group of students observed a whale shark, a hawksbill sea turtle, nudibranchs, a school of juvenile pickhandle barracuda (harmless to humans), and an ornate rock lobster, among other marine animals. Next, we visit Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park!

22/01/2020

SIT students for Spring 2020 - Travel safely! We will see you at the Zanzibar airport for pick-up on January 25th. Warmly, SIT-Zanzibar Team

15/01/2020

...more guidance for Spring 2020 SIT-Zanzibar cohort:

-Our program begins on Saturday, January 25th. If you arrive in Zanzibar prior to the 25th, please contact the Program Chair (Dr. Walz: [email protected]) ahead of time to ensure you have proper accommodation. You are responsible for all costs prior to the 25th.
-As regards the academic program, you will take four courses in Zanzibar: 1) Swahili Language, 2) Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management, 3) Research Methods and Ethics, and 4) Independent Student Project (ISP). Each course has its own readings and excursions that relate to the overall program theme. Each day we will do activities. Our primary multi-day excursions are to Mafia Island, Pemba Island, Seychelles, and mainland Tanzania (Dar es Salaam and Mikumi National Park).

Welcome to our program in the Zanzibar Archipelago!

Thanks,
SIT-Zanzibar Team

07/01/2020

..more guidance for SIT-Zanzibar group in Spring 2020:

We want to reduce your anxiety so that they know what to expect at the Zanzibar Airport when you arrive in late January.

Please follow these instructions:

When you enter the Airport building, you may be asked to show your yellow vaccination card and passport. Be prepared with your documents. Then, complete the country entry card supplied to you at the airport. Have a pen ready. The card asks for an in-country contact name, phone number, and the place you will stay in Zanzibar. The contact name is "Said Omar" (our SIT Office Coordinator), his cell number is +255-774689907, and your place of stay for the first few days is "Garden Lodge in Stone Town". Proceed to the customs window. You want a TOURIST visa and will be asked to pay 100 USD. The payment can be made by major credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or American Express) or USD (bills from 2013 to present). The customs agent will stamp your passport. It is important that you know a tourist visa is only good for 90 days. Of course, our program is longer than 90 days. During the first few weeks of your stay, our SIT office will process a residence permit and student research permit on your behalf (at no additional cost to you) that allows you to stay in Zanzibar for the full length of the program. Once you are cleared through customs, collect all your luggage. Your luggage will then be scanned as you exit the Airport. Move all the way through the baggage hall and exit the airport building through the large awning. A representative of SIT will be waiting immediately outside the exit with a sign that reads "SIT". We will then load you and your luggage into a taxi and drive 15 minutes to Stone Town; there, we will check you into a room at Garden Lodge. If you plan to arrive earlier than Saturday, January 25 (the start of the program), then you should make your own arrangements for earlier accommodations. Regardless of your arrival date, we are still happy to collect you at the Zanzibar Airport.

Thanks,
SIT-Zanzibar Team

03/01/2020

...more reminders or pieces of information for SIT-Zanzibar group in Spring 2020:

1) As of June 1, 2019, visitors to Tanzania cannot bring plastic bags into the country. For environmental reasons, the sale of plastic bags also is illegal on the mainland and in the Zanzibar Archipelago. Please use paper bags or cloth bags for packing within your luggage.
2) As a reminder (full list of items sent to you by SIT in previous documents), be certain to bring a wide-brimmed hat, SteriPen, water bottle, closed-toed walking shoes, beach shoes (e.g., tevas), and facemask-snorkel-fins.
3) There is a water dispenser at the SIT office in Stone Town.
4) There is a courtyard at the SIT office in Stone Town where it is possible to do hand-washed laundry.
5) The office has a small number of GoPros for student use during marine activities.
..more updates soon.

Thanks.
SIT-Zanzibar Team

02/01/2020

Happy new year to everyone in the SIT-Zanzibar family!

17/12/2019

...first pieces of advice for SIT-Zanzibar group in Spring 2020:

1) Please remember to get a yellow fever vaccination and bring your vaccination card with you to Zanzibar. This vaccination is necessary for travel to Seychelles and may be requested at Zanzibar ports of entry (the airport and ferry terminal).
2) Bring rechargeable batteries. There are no proper disposal facilities for used batteries in Zanzibar.
3) Bring reef safe sunscreen. Certain sunscreen compounds pose a threat to coral reefs. The following sunscreen ingredients can kill corals or cause bleaching: Oxybenzone (benzophenone-3, BP-3), Butylparaben, Octinoxate, and 4-methylbenzylidene camphor (4MBC). We recommend products with titanium oxide or zinc oxide (which are harmless to corals).

Thanks,
SIT-Zanzibar Team

In Spring 2020, we welcome a new group of students to Stone Town and the Tanzania-Zanzibar program. On this site, we wil...
17/12/2019

In Spring 2020, we welcome a new group of students to Stone Town and the Tanzania-Zanzibar program. On this site, we will post information about Spring 2020 ahead of the semester, including information relevant to preparations and arrival. Stay tuned! You have a remarkable semester ahead: friendships, field science, and travel to engage the people, places, and human-environment issues of East Africa and the Western Indian Ocean. Welcome!

Address

P. O. Box 3040
Zanzibar

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when SIT Study Abroad Zanzibar - Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share