AWF and Tanzania Celebrate Opening of New Visitor Center

A new Visitor Center at Lake Manyara National Park is bringing conservation messages to park guests, thanks to a partnership between AWF, USAID, and Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA). The new center educates visitors about the park's importance as an anchor in the Tanzanian landscape and explains ongoing efforts to conserve the natural resources of the area.

In a festive ceremony set in the dense vegetation of the park, Tanzanian and U.S. dignitaries opened the Visitor Center on April 6, 2004.

The Honorable Zakia Hamdan Meghji, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism of the United Republic of Tanzania, praised AWF's commitment to Tanzanian conservation and recognized AWF vice president Dr. Helen Gichohi's work to preserve Tanzanian wildlife.

The Lake Manyara Visitor Center is designed to enhance park visitors' enjoyment and satisfaction and as such is a key factor in building tourism within the park. It is the second such center built in Tanzania by AWF and USAID; the first is located at Tarangire National Park. Both Centers highlight landscape-based conservation efforts that benefit both wildlife and local communities. Information is provided in both English and Kiswahili to provide an educational experience for both local visitors and tourists.

Both Visitor Centers were constructed under AWF's PORI 4 project with funding from USAID. AWF was involved in every phase of the project, from developing the proposal to seeking funding to overseeing construction.

Other dignitaries present at the opening of the Lake Manyara Visitor Center were Mr. Michael Owen, Charge d'Affaires and the Acting Ambassador of the U.S. in Dar Es Salaam, Mr. Dan Moore, Team Leader/Environment and Natural Resources Program (ENR), USAID Dar Es Salaam, Mr. Gerald Bigurube, the Director General of Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), Mr. Emanuel Severre, Director of Wildlife, and Dr Helen Gichohi, Vice President of AWF.