Mt. Elgon Spatial Mapping & Community Astronomy Outreach

Expedition Overview
On April 8, 2026, the ForbSpace team embarked on an interactive field exercise in the breathtaking Mt. Elgon region. Our mission was twofold: to conduct precise, location-enabled data collection of the area's natural resources and to share our passion for science with the local community.

Location-Enabled Data Collection
Our primary task involved meticulous environmental mapping. Equipped with mobile GPS and data collection tools, the team worked along the rocky riverbanks

to log accurate coordinates and flow data. We also extended our mapping to the lush, expansive canopies of the Mt. Elgon forest

and other key geographical landmarks in the region.

This data is vital for our ongoing spatial tracking and environmental monitoring efforts.

Community Astronomy & Landscape Viewing As part of our commitment to community engagement, we decided to bring a little bit of the cosmos to Mt. Elgon. During our breaks from data collection, the team set up a Celestron telescope on the hillsides

What started as a team exercise quickly turned into a spontaneous community outreach event. We hosted an impromptu viewing session for a group of curious locals, allowing them to perform distant landscape observations and daytime astronomy viewing. The highlight of the entire trip was seeing the pure excitement and wonder on the faces of the local youth as they took turns looking through the telescope lens

At ForbSpace, we believe that data collection is just as important as the connections we make with the communities residing in the environments we study. This trip was a perfect blend of scientific fieldwork and meaningful local outreach!