Earthwatch Expedition Takes Graduate Student to Kenya's Maasai Mara

By Faith Crawford ’26  

Thanks to the generous donation of alumna Joan Thuebel ’52, students at Wilson have the opportunity to pursue education outside of the classroom through Earthwatch research expeditions around the world. Students can submit a proposal for the expedition of their choice and pursue this uniquely hands-on experience that takes learning to a new level.  

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Nicole Sanchez-Downey ’20 traveled to Thailand on her first Earthwatch expedition in 2019. After working as a conservation educator at The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore for three years, she is now a high school biology and environmental teacher in Hanover, Pennsylvania, and has returned to Wilson to pursue her postgraduate secondary teaching certification. 

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After participating in "Tracking Asiatic Wild Dogs in Thailand" in 2019, Sanchez-Downey returned to Earthwatch in 2025 for "Restoring Habitats in the Greater Maasai Mara," a research expedition based in the Enarau Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. The expedition focused on rejuvenating the landscape degraded by heavy farming. 

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Sanchez-Downey was part of an eight-member team that completed landscape monitoring through vegetation and wildlife surveys. She participated in invasive species removal and agricultural restoration in research plots, preparing and planting the land in a more sustainable way. The team worked to overcome harmful farming practices that damaged the natural environment and to develop more sustainable strategies.  

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As an undergraduate animal studies major with minors in biology and studio art, Sanchez-Downey most enjoyed the opportunity to see animals from another part of the world, some of which she recognized from her time working at the zoo. She encountered lions, zebras, jackals, hyenas, and a white rhino; observed a cheetah; and identified birds she had worked with before. One animal Sanchez-Downey was excited to see up close was the wildebeest. In her biology course, she spends time discussing the Serengeti ecosystem to teach ecological relationships, and wildebeest migration is a major focus of the curriculum. “A big reason I asked to go on this trip was to see the wildebeest,” she said. An additional highlight was seeing a single male cheetah hunt and capture a wildebeest.  

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The Earthwatch expedition to Kenya gave Sanchez-Downey the opportunity to further her education through hands-on research and firsthand observations. She said, “It was an honor to be able to go again and experience this.” The knowledge she gained will allow her to bring engaging lessons about ecosystems and biodiversity to her high school biology students while continuing her postgraduate studies at Wilson. 

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