Tanzania Presentation

On Thursday our sixth grade Geography class was visited by Tim Scharks, professor of geography at Green River Community College. Tim shared his experiences leading groups of college students to Mount Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, and Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. It was a fascinating presentation; Tim explained how when Westerners visit other countries, what they see in their travels is affected by the "Tourist Gaze." The Tourist Gaze is that set of expectations one has about what is worth seeing and what is not. Thus we saw incredible photos Tim took of Tanzanian wildlife and Mt. Kilimanjaro, but we also looked at slides showing the "Cultural Landscape" of Tanzania. Tim's presentation touched on issues of economics, agriculture, globalization, and sustainability. I'm sure the next time students from this group go abroad, they will perceive what they see in a slightly different way.  It was a great day for students.  You can check out Tim's blog by following the link below.

Tim's WWU Tanzanian Environments Blog