Ahren Stroming

Name: Ahren Stroming ‘14
Hometown: Issaquah, WA
Major: Politics-Environmental Studies
OCS Program: SFS Kenya & Tanzania – Wildlife Management Studies

Title of Research:  Bushmeat poaching and consumption in the Tarangire-Manyara Ecosystem, Tanzania.

Goal: The goal of my project was to assess the magnitude and scope of bushmeat poaching and consumption from biological, economic, and social perspectives. I interviewed almost 200 households to gauge their consumption habits, and about 20 poachers about their hunting preferences. I determined that at current levels, many local populations of commonly targeted animals will likely collapse within 25 years.

Conducting research abroad was an incredible opportunity to meaningfully contribute to academic conversations on issues that I care deeply about. Interviewing impoverished farmers and ranchers in rural Africa lends insight into environmental issues that you can't quite fully appreciate inside a classroom.