Mikumi national park is the fourth largest park in Tanzania, covering an area of 3230 km2 . The park is located in eastern Tanzania, in the Morogoro region, 283 km west of Dar es Salaam and shares boundary in the south with Selous Game Reserve. Mikumi and Selous constitute one ecosystem where animals migrate. Mikumi National Park (MINAPA) supports a variety of mammals (60), more than 300 bird species and more than 1200 registered plant species
Subsistence agriculture is the main activity practiced by the community adjacent Mikumi national park. Over past few years the ecosystem of Mikumi has been threatened by encroachment for farmland expansion which drive loss of dispersal areas and migratory corridors of animals such as elephants. Local community have reported declining crop harvests as a result of being raided by elephants. This in turn has affected their economy and food security which have driven them to engage on other destructive activities such as charcoal making and poaching.
Subsistence agriculture, charcoal making and poaching have led to changes in overall ecosystem composition, including decline of plants and animal species.
ECOWICE has been supporting the community adjacent Mikumi National park to practice sustainable farming practices and modern beekeeping. This has helped to reduce farmland expansion and obtain alternative livelihood strategies that have helped them to cope with disasters resulting from crop raiding. Currently, poaching incidences has reported to decline in areas where ECOWICE has operated and most of charcoal producers are currently becoming honey producers.