The Ngorongoro Lengai UNESCO Global Geopark is more than a landscape — it’s a living, breathing archive of geological, ecological, and cultural knowledge. For researchers, this is a rare opportunity to engage with a place where science and heritage coexist, and where every rock, river, and ridge has a role in shaping human life.
We welcome researchers, universities, and institutions interested in geoscience, environmental studies, anthropology, Indigenous knowledge systems, climate change, and sustainable development, with a strong emphasis on community relevance and impact.
From the active carbonatite volcano Ol Doinyo Lengai, to the ancient caldera of Ngorongoro Crater, to fossil-rich landscapes and dramatic rift formations, the Geopark offers rich ground for both short-term fieldwork and long-term scientific inquiry. Whether you’re investigating tectonic activity, soil evolution, water systems, or early human habitation, this region offers unmatched access to rare geological and historical phenomena.
We believe research should benefit the communities that host it. That’s why we strongly encourage studies that:
Collaborative, ethical, and people-centred research is not just encouraged — it’s expected.
The communities within the Geopark, including the Maasai, Hadzabe, Datoga, and others, are not just observers of the land. They are its stewards and storytellers. We support respectful, co-created research that honours oral traditions, ancestral practices, and ways of understanding the environment that predate modern science.
If your research touches on language, traditional ecological knowledge, cultural landscape mapping, or Indigenous conservation practices, we invite you to walk slowly, listen deeply, and build trust first.
We are proud to host undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral researchers, and welcome partnerships with local and international universities. Our team can assist with:
Research That Matters
Ultimately, we ask every researcher to reflect on this:
What will your work leave behind?
Knowledge is powerful but it becomes meaningful when it leads to action, awareness, or local empowerment.
If you’re ready to explore the stories written in stone and held in the hearts of communities, Ngorongoro Lengai welcomes you. Let’s make knowledge a shared journey.
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