They stalked leopards, snuck up on elephants and set up camp at anthills, all in an effort to capture the best wild moments on camera. 23 wide eyed children from six schools surrounding the Samburu National Reserve were fully immersed in their world in a whole new way when they underwent extensive photography training, in the comfort of their backyards this April.
The three day event, complete with several pre-training sessions, was carried out by professional wildlife photographer and film maker Robbie Labanowski in program organized by Save the Elephants, Samburu Intrepids and Kenyan Kids on Safari.
We had the privileged of watching children transform before our eyes, suddenly more aware of their environment, more observant, more alive. It is one thing to take children out to see wildlife from the safety of the vehicle – a rare thing for them in itself – it is quite another to watch them use a skill to understand wildlife behavior, movement and demographics. It felt like we were watching future conservationists being born.
With cameras clicking into immortality everything from crimson sunsets to their own brightly beaded regalia, these select children now have a special skill that might lead them right back to their backyards to fight for wildlife when they grow up.
