This week we have started our second module, Ecology of the Turkana Basin, which is being taught by Dr. Dino Martins. The students have been assigned independent research projects on ecological aspects of their choice. Students have been focusing on various topics, such as social insect activity, social and ecological impacts of food [...]
As TBI students begin our second module (Ecology of the Turkana Basin) we've begun to get more and more familiar with the smaller beings we share our space with. Our professor, Dr. Dino Martins, is teaching us about the ecology of the Turkana basin in terms of (sometimes not so) small creatures with [...]
Professor Dino Martins introduces Field School students to some of the amazing plants, insects and other creatures around TBI.
Leading scientists John Shea of Stony Brook University, Sarah Tishkoff of the University of Pennsylvania, and Tim White of the University of California, Berkeley, will detail a global exploration spanning millions of years to illuminate the rise of modern humans beginning October 6, 2011.
TBI Students concluded their first week of their geology coursework with a trip out to Central Island on Lake Turkana.
The roof of the maternity was put up as we start to admire what was just a dream now shape itself into a reality and what has become the trademark TBI green roof which is sometimes mistaken for the KWS green greets visitors driving into Loreng'elup. With the team working on the plaster and [...]
STONY BROOK, N.Y. - On Monday, September 26 at 7 PM, Stony Brook University Anthropology Professor John J. Shea, a recognized expert on stone tools and early humans, will lend an insightful perspective as the guest speaker at the Port Jefferson Documentary Series showing of Werner Herzog’s ground-breaking documentary film, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, at [...]
University of Utah scientists used chemical isotopes in ancient soil to measure prehistoric tree cover – in effect, shade – and found that grassy, tree-dotted savannas prevailed at most East African sites where human ancestors and their ape relatives evolved during the past 6 million years.
As the Nakechichok women continue their efforts to feed their families, their challenge had always been the means to fetch water from the river. They struggled with the basic buckets, drawing water from the river and watering the plants. With the money maker installed, where the inlet is just submerged into the flowing Turkwel [...]
Construction of the Loreng'elup maternity ward continues to move forward with the roof being put up. The maternity ward is TBI's contribution to supporting access to maternal health care and with support from the Safaricom Foundation have put up an 8 bed maternity ward at Loreng'elup dispensary. With the roof put up, [...]
Scientists from around the world are arriving at TBI's Turkwel research facility in northern Kenya for the tenth annual Stony Brook University Human Evolution Workshop, held August 2-6. The workshop, entitled “Geological History of the Turkana Basin,” will cover topics such as the plate tectonic setting of the Turkana Basin, relation of the Turkana Depression [...]
With the current drought in northern Kenya, including the Turkana Basin, Nakechichok Women can only be grateful for the rains up in Mount Elgon and Cherangany which feeds the Turkwel River. With the support of Friends of Turkana and the Turkana Basin Institute, these women have, in the last months, put in effort and after [...]
Veteran fossil hunter Arbolo Aike became the latest hominid hunter to discover a Hominidae tooth.
Jackals aren't exactly the most courageous of the animals of the wild and in particular, I have always thought, perhaps to my detriment that they have a huge respect for humans, including the hominid gang crew. However the crew paid the price the hard way for making this assumption. The first two nights camping out in area 123 [...]
The first few days have been very busy for the crew; setting up a mobile camp to the south of the base camp. The crew has also been working hard bringing in lots of specimens of every kind but as usual the biggest reward for a gang member is the Hominidae. Nyete did the crew [...]
Summer season is here and the crew who are quite mobile this year are already out and surveying. The crew has been joined by Shadrack who took a year's off to complete his high school after dropping off for some time; a commendable achievement for a valued member of the gang. Nyete also is with [...]
As the Nakechichok women still continue to face the challenge of bending their backs as they practice some agriculture at least they are able to enjoy the fruits as they still constantly remind their trainer that Turkana women are strong and carry loads for long distances but bending their backs to dig, weed, water and [...]
We are happy to write that development and conservation is continuing at Ileret. The kitchen at Telesgaye primary school (located in Sieslucho) has been equipped with two energy saving stoves: one 100 litre stove for the students, and smaller 20 litre stoves for the kitchen. The stoves use fibre glass lining and brick lining to [...]
The Tenth annual SBU Human Evolution workshop, entitled "Geological History of the Turkana Basin" will be held from August 2-6, 2011 at TBI's Turkwel research facility in Kenya.
The Turkana Basin Institute is pleased to announce it has awarded two new graduate fellowships. Natasha Gownaris is a second year doctoral student at the Stony Brook University School of Marine and Atmospheric Science's Institute for Ocean Conservation Science. She is interested in how planned hydroelectric development and climate change might impact the fisheries of Lake Turkana and the [...]