The national park model of wildlife conservation has been widely used in many countries. With population growth and the ensuing increase in pressure on land and resource use, however, conflicts have escalated among local farmers and pastoralists trying to sustain themselves and park officials trying to protect the wildlife as a valuable national and global resource. This doctoral dissertation project will study two national parks in Kenya in order to illuminate the complex socioeconomic and ecological problems involved in national park wildlife conservation efforts. Interviews at the levels of family, village, and local conservation officials will be used to identify the social factors that shape the success or failure of conservation. This project will provide valuable information about the perceptions and attitudes of local people toward wildlife and how these in turn relate to the role that local people might play in the conservation of wildlife. This project also will provide an excellent opportunity for a promising young scholar to continue to develop independent research skills.
