Ngorongoro Lengai UNESCO Global Geopark, Tanzania
Geoeducation in Tanzania
School education programme at Engaruka primary school and a training session in Karatu District with 4GEON project support was realized. The last picture documents a meeting with local community at village Eyasi in Karatu district on 4GEON mission, activity implementation and other geopark issues.
Geo-educational training for teachers in Tanzania
Teachers from schools in the area are being trained in geopark-related topics.
Youths involved in Geodiversity Day celebrations in Tanzania
The School Scout Troop of the Geopark was fully involved in the Geodiversity Day celebrations.
Ngorongoro progress presentation
Intense cooperation with schools in the region, a new geopark club and geopark competetition, etc. Good job reported from Tanzania!
International Geodiversity Day at Tumaini Junior School
With the support of the 4GEON project, the International Geodiversity Day was celebrated at Tumaini Junior School by team members from the Ngorongoro Lengai Geopark, Tanzania.
About the geopark
Ngorongoro Lengai is located in northwestern Tanzania, received official global geopark status from UNESCO in 2018. The geopark covers rocky hills, lengthy underground caves, lake basins, a hominid discovery site, and the active Oldonyo Lengai volcano. The main highlights are Ngorongoro crater, Olduvai Gorge, Olmoti crater, Laetoli footprints, Nasera rock, and Olkarian Gorge. One of the Geopark’s central features, the Ngorongoro Crater, harbors a great diversity of wildlife species, like elephants, black rhinoceri, lions, gazelles, and other large mammals, living in co-existence with humans. The geopark’s highest point is the Oldonyo Lengai (2,962m) a sacred mountain for the Maasai community (‘Mountain of God’ or ‘Holy Mountain’ in Maasai language) which is also the unique active stratovolcano of calcarenite in the world. The Geopark’s geological history begins 500 million years ago with granite sand gneiss seen in the North (Gol Mountains) and in the West around Lake Eyasi. Geopark’s territory lies in the eastern arm or branch of the Great Africa Rift Valley which emerged in the Early Miocene, dating back to 20 million years. The geopark is home to some 30,000 large animals, mostly hooved (ungulates), and boasts the highest density of mammalian predators in Africa - including lions, leopards, cheetahs. It also supports one of the largest animal migrations on Earth, including zebras, Thomson and Grant gazelles, and over 1 million wildebeest. In addition, there are over 500 different species of birds in the geopark, including flamingos, ostriches, and colorful lilac-breasted rollers. The geopark is also home to a wide variety of flora, ranging from giant trees in rain forests on the eastern flanks of the volcanic highlands to short grasses and thorny bushes in very arid areas. An array of wildflowers exists throughout the geopark as well. Visitors to the geopark will have opportunities to learn from local guides about the unique flora and fauna near their homes.
The Geopark is home to multiple ethnic groups. The most prominent are the Masaai peoples who migrated southeast from the Nile area in the 18 th century. Also present are the Datoga, Irawq, and Hadzabe Tribes. The Maasai and Datoga are pastoralists, while the Iraqw are agriculturalists. The Hadzabe Tribe is an indigenous ethnic group located in the Lake Eyasi area. With a population of less than 1000, they are hunter-gatherers and are not closely related to any other ethnic group in the area. The differing cultures and cultural heritage of these groups is in part a reflection of differences in local plant and animal ecologies, which, in turn, are controlled largely by differences in local geology and weather. Thus, the geopark offers a unique window into the complex interplay among geology, weather, plant life, animal life, and human cultural development. The geopark is also rich in local heritage and lore. The different tribes each have their own unique ways of life that, together, provide a variety of traditional practices, legends, tales, songs, and dances. One of the geopark’s main purposes is to explore, support, and celebrate the amazing diversity of cultures within its borders. Geopark support local residents earn a sustainable living from these geological features without interfering with their natural settings. The main economic activities in the Ngorongoro Lengai Geopark are pastoralism which is deeply embedded in the culture of the Maasai and Datoga, agriculture, tourism, and small-scale trading. The area is rich in cultural sites often linked to local traditional rituals, such as the Datoga graves, which are an important pilgrimage site for the Datoga tribe. The geopark is a popular destination for people who want to visit geological sites such as the Ngorongoro crater, Lake Natron and Eyasi as well as for people passing through on their way to popular national parks such as Lake Manyara and Serengeti.