Conservation And Final Moments On The Continent!
June 18, 2026
Hello from Kilimanjaro Airport!
Thank you all so much for sharing your amazing children with us over the past two weeks. It is so hard to let them go! We spent our final three days learning about human-elephant conflict from our hosts and “Tanzanian superstars.”
On our first night at camp, we were welcomed by a wonderful crew, including a 16-year-old intern who was already doing incredible conservation work in the area. Smith immediately hit it off with him and wasted no time introducing him to the wonderful game of hacky sack. The two of them stood laughing, teaching each other tricks, and trying to keep the sack off the ground. They easily could have played for hours, but we had somewhere special to be!- a local village just down the road.
This village was fairly secluded and doesn’t see much tourism, so our arrival was met with a level of curiosity and excitement that was impossible not to smile at. As we walked through the village, children began appearing from every direction. Some peeked around corners, others waved shyly from a distance, and before long, a crowd had formed around us. At first, both groups were a little hesitant. Our students weren’t quite sure how to approach the local children, and the village kids seemed equally unsure of what to make of us.
That hesitation didn’t last long.
Parish and Ruby once again proved to be magnets for children wherever they went. Before we knew it, they were surrounded by smiling faces, playing games, exchanging handshakes, and communicating through laughter, despite speaking different languages. It was one of those moments that reminded all of us how little language matters when genuine kindness is involved. Watching the village children slowly warm up, inch closer, and eventually burst into laughter alongside our group was incredibly special. The smiles on everyone’s faces were priceless and are memories we’ll all carry with us for a long time.
Before heading out for elephant tracking, we squeezed in a soccer game with some of the local kids. What started as a casual match, quickly became a highly competitive international showdown. Both teams played with plenty of passion, and just before we had to leave, Stancil came through with the winning goal for “Team Moondance.” The celebration may have suggested he had just scored in the World Cup Final!
From there, we shifted gears and learned more about one of the biggest conservation challenges facing communities in this region. Elephants frequently leave the national park and wander into nearby farms, where they can destroy an entire season’s worth of crops in a single night. For families who rely on those crops for both food and income, the impact can be devastating.
Working alongside conservationists, we helped use high-tech drones to guide the elephants away from the farms and back toward the national park using recordings of bee sounds. It was remarkable to witness the process firsthand. Standing out in the fields, watching elephants feed in the distance, while conservationists carefully coordinated their efforts, which gave us a real appreciation for the complexity of balancing wildlife conservation with the needs of local communities.
Charlie spent nearly the entire operation glued to flyer’s side as he flew the drone, fascinated by the technology and eager to learn everything he could. He peppered the flyer with questions and soaked up every detail. Meanwhile, Julia and Gracie ultimately proved that cutting edge technology isn’t always necessary. At just the right moment, they burst into laughter, startling the elephants enough that the flyer barely had to lift a finger. While this method has not yet been officially adopted by conservation organizations, it was undeniably effective.
The next morning, we set off on a walk from the farms back toward the national park, following the elephants’ tracks and making sure the technology had worked as intended. It was a beautiful way to start the day. We spent the morning moving our bodies, enjoying the landscape, and learning even more about the delicate relationship between wildlife and the communities that share the land with them.
After the walk, we participated in a learning activity where everyone was divided into groups representing the community, the government, and conservationists. Each group spent time discussing the challenges they faced and brainstorming possible solutions. The activity concluded with a group discussion that quickly evolved into a spirited debate. Sam and Charlotte, who found themselves on opposite sides, became particularly passionate advocates for their respective groups. At various points, both seemed convinced they had solved the entire issue. While the discussion ultimately produced approximately zero concrete solutions, it did produce enough laughter to leave many of us in tears, which felt like a win in its own right.
That afternoon, we took part in another conservation project around camp- planting indigenous trees from start to finish. The group was thrilled to get their hands dirty and contribute in a tangible way. Carter especially embraced the challenge, proudly claiming he dug the most holes in one hour in Tanzanian history. While historians have yet to verify this achievement, his work ethic certainly backed up the confidence. His efforts earned him an awesome bucket hat, which he wore with the pride of a man who knew he had cemented his legacy.
On our final day together, we enjoyed a slow morning filled with reminiscing, card games, and lots of hugs, before heading to the airport. It gave us a chance to reflect on everything we had experienced together over the past two weeks- from safaris and conservation projects, to village visits, long drives, inside jokes, and countless unforgettable moments.
It has been an absolute joy getting to know each and every one of your children. Watching them embrace challenges, step outside their comfort zones, support one another, and form lasting friendships has been incredibly rewarding. We are so grateful for the opportunity to have shared this experience with them and look forward to staying in touch as they continue on to whatever adventures come next.
Thank you again for trusting us with such an outstanding group of young people!
Warmest regards,
Anna and Logan
Serengeti Sun and Safari
June 14, 2026
Hello Moodance Families!!
Jambo from TNZ 1B!!I’m delighted to let you all know that our trip has only become more incredible since the last update! The group has continued to connect with each other in a truly magical way, and our experience in the daily activities has reflected that!
After a hop, skip, and a jump from Zanzibar (AKA two short flights), we were in the Serengeti! The kids had a great time playing group games in the plane, and were able to see the Ngorongoro crater from a birds eye view. We were greeted by our guides in two safari cars with hot chocolate and cookies in hand! Charlotte was especially excited to be in the Serengeti after being nicknamed “Baby Lion” in Zanzibar… it was time to find her relatives out in the Savannah!
We were introduced to the magic of safari very quickly as we drove to the campsite with the car’s top open! It seemed as though everywhere we looked there was a new animal, and an incredible backdrop! Arriving at the camp, we found fresh mango juice and a lovely crew waiting for us! Smith and Stancil led by example and quickly learned the names of all the guides who would be with us throughout our Serengeti adventure. A quick tour of camp and a delicious lunch later, we were back on the road for an afternoon safari! We were beyond lucky to see, among many other incredible animals, a leopard up close and personal on this first venture out. Gracie quickly showed her joy in taking photos of these majestic animals, and was able to document the leopard as it brushed against our car! Days later and we’re all still trying to stop smiling from that one! Ruby (wearing her trusty safari hat, of course) who was one of our leaders of the day, led a fantastic Moonup around the campfire that night. Her question “What are three items on your bucket list?” kicked off a series of discussions that we will all be remembering for some time!
This day served as a model for the remainder of our time in the Serengeti: full days of safaris and animal spotting, followed by evenings at camp with the crew. Throughout our time there Sam formed great connections with all of the Tanzanian guides, and was always the first to initiate dish cleanup after dinner! A slight hiccup in our daily plans was the catalyst for the best afternoon of our trip. Our last day in the Serengeti was interrupted by a minor issue with one of the vehicles, which meant several hours of unplanned down time in the early afternoon. This initially frustrating situation led to an extensive game of hacky sack where Carter coined his now patented “hand stand serve” that forced a time-out in our game due to our tears of laughter. Parish and a few other members of the group also leveraged this time to catch some Serengeti sun! Julia reflected in Moonup that night how often our best memories are the ones we don’t plan!
We rolled out of camp earllyyy the next morning, and after a few bittersweet goodbyes under the early morning stars, were on our way to the Ngorongoro crater! After climbing up to ~7,000 feet in elevation, we were at the rim of the crater beholding the otherworldly landscape before us. This place is truly unique on planet earth, and is abounding with wildlife. It was here that we completed “The Big Five” animal sightings of a leopard, lion, cape buffalo, elephant, and black rhino! Tanzania is magical. There is no other way to describe it. From seeing the most incredible animals on the planet to meeting the most incredible people on the planet, this country has welcomed and transformed us in more ways than we can count! Not only are we learning about each other and the world around us, but as Charlie has continued to remind us (his Swahili is coming along great!), we are learning how to do it pole pole – “slowly”.
As I write this from a lodge near the rim of the crater, we are looking forward to our next and final section of the trip where we will dive deeper into the local communities and ongoing conservation projects. We cannot wait to see what else this country and group has in store! Until next time, hakuna matata!!
Here are some “Thank Yous!”:
Carter- Thank you for getting me on this trip, it’s been super fun in Africa, can’t wait to see you all back at the house.
Charlotte- hi! Thank you so much for getting me on this trip!! See you so soon! Missing y’all lots!
Gracie- Hii!! Thank yall sooooo much for giving me this opportunity to go to Africa!!! See yall soon love u!!
Julia- heyyyyy!!! I miss y’all sm and I cannot wait to tell yall everything!! Thank you so so much for letting me go here, such a cool
And beautiful place! I love yall!!
Ruby- hey mom guess what I wore my safari hat every day of the safari even when it’s night out and my rashguard at the beach! I have had the best time and all the girls have become so close! Thank you so much for sending me here it’s been incredible!
Parish-hey mom and dad!! Thank you sooo much for letting me come here and experience this place is sooo cool and I can’t wait to tell y’all all about it!! Love you
Smith- hi mom and dad! I’m having so much fun in this trip and I can’t wait to see you guys when I get home. Love you!
Sam – Extremely thankful you gave me the opportunity to come on this trip. Countless memories, countless laughs, and a lot of growth. Yall truly are amazing parents and I love and miss y’all so much (I also miss my guitar!)
Stancil – Happy birthday Mom. I love you and I miss you a lot. I’m having so much fun, and I’m so grateful you let me come on this trip. I’m so grateful for yall for everything yall have done for me and tell everyone I love them. I hope Amelie didn’t let your plants die.
Charlie- Jambo Mom and Dad, I have had a fabulous time here in Africa and have gained countless memories and experiences. I am very grateful for being allowed to experience this eye opening time with the friends I have made along the way. Thanks again! Love you! see you soon!
SCUBA Certification Success!
June 10, 2026
Hey Moondance Families!
I’ve never been quite so excited to write a first day trip update. It’s very unique and incredibly heart warming to have a group that, in less than 24 hours, somehow feels like we are on the closing half of the trip. Your kids are AWESOME! We cannot wait to cherish the next couple weeks with them!
Although it was a long day of travel, we give major NUGS (kudos) to everyone handling it like champions. After meeting at the Zanzibar airport, we headed to the hotel where we had pizza, unlimited French fries, and lots of laughs. A short but sweet Moonup led us into another fun question proposed by Carter – “if you were famous, what would you be famous for?” Stancil started us off strong with her humble brag of her golfing skills and knowledge. Let’s just say we have an impressive, well rounded bunch among us – singers, track stars, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, cooks, and more!
We had an early start to the morning! When Logan and I headed down to the lobby well before we were planning on waking the kids, we were greeted with a very chipper dynamic duo, Sam and Charlie. It was as if they had the longest slumber of their lives and woke up to chirping birds and the smell of roses (Zanzibar as a whole isn’t too far off). All 12 of us enjoyed a buffet breakfast with delicious freshly squeezed juices before heading on our first big adventure – SCUBA DIVING!
While a majority of the the group reviewed how to set up their oxygen tanks (they are all pros now), our certified superstars, Gracie and Stancil, hit the pool with the instructor to brush up before their first dive tomorrow! Both girls nailed all of their refresher lessons!!
When we got to the hotel, everyone immediately flocked to the beach to play spike ball, hacky sack, and soccer! Our lively beach presence attracted several local children who came to play. It was in that moment that us leaders were observing everyone on the beach, and we realized the magic of Moondance was already occurring less than 24 hours into the trip. The local kids immediately took a liking to Parish, Ruby, and Charlotte. The girls braided Charlottes and Parish’s hair, while Ruby was busy playing catch with the smaller children. The boys engaged in a massive soccer game with dozens of locals around their age. While our team couldn’t compete with these superstars, Smith stole the show with his skills and scored a couple goals for our team! We didn’t know it at the time, but some of those local children would hold places in our hearts for much longer than the days we spent with them. One three-year-old boy in particular took a liking to our group and he was the topic of many of our conversations. Although very quiet, Aksum won our hearts over! He loved playing, had an expressive personality, was curious, and absolutely adorable. Everyone in the group was slightly terrified Julia was going to try to sneak him on the rest of the trip with us. WE LOVE YOU AKSUM!
The last two days have started with early mornings watching the sunrise during breakfast and then heading to our SCUBA outfitter to go boat diving! The SCUBA diving here is SO incredible for many reasons – the dive instructors have been so great to us and have also taught us a lot of Swahili! Gracie essentially became our translator with how quickly she was able to pick up the language! Also, there are so many fish- it’s a booming metropolis for fish if I do say so myself. After each dive, Carter loved sharing each fish he had seen as he picked up on the signage with ease! On the second boat day everyone officially became certified!! We are so proud of everyone for doing this course in record speed due to their willingness to learn!!! That afternoon, we went to a cave! We were definitely out of our comfort zones and had SO much fun!! I’m not sure the cave has ever heard so many laughs!! To close out the day, we made a brief visit to a local village to see their farm- we saw how they grow rice, yams, sweet potato, corn and cassava! We were so grateful to be welcomed into the village and given the gift of seeing how locals live on the island. We are excited to depart for Tanzania and know that Zanzibar will hold a special place in all of our hearts. I know that we are all leaving slightly better than we came. Lots of love and thank you so much again for letting us spend 2 weeks with your kids!!
We are writing from Stone Town where we have spent our final night in Zanzibar. It’s full of life and smiles here. We had a fantastic time jumping off the pier and enjoyed a beautiful sunset boat ride!
Parish- Heyy mom and dad!! I’m having so much fun and I love you😘
Stancil – I am having a great time. We just finished scuba diving. Love y’all and hope you’re having a great trip.
Charlotte- Miss and love y’all so much! Give Dottie some extra love from me. Hakuna Matata! 💕
Ruby- I am having the best time! We just finished our scuba diving part! Miss you and love you!
Carter – Had fun scuba diving, met Rick Ross, he was cool. Also Kimi Atonelli just Monaco Grand Prix, his fifth in a row. Love you lots 😘
Sam – Absolutely STOKED to be here. Love y’all!
Gracie- Hey Mom and Dad!! Miss y’all, but I’m having the best time!!! Happy late bday mom and tell KK+ the rest of the fam I say heyyy🩷
Smith – Hey Mom and Dad, I’m having so much fun, scuba has been really fun and I can’t wait for the Serengeti. Love you.
Julia- Jambo Mom, Dad, and Gaby!! I am having a blasttt!!!! I can see why you love this place, Gaby. I met the cutest kid Aksam. Hope y’all are having fun. See y’all soon! Love y’all!!
Charlie- Hey Jambo, Mom and Dad. Africa has been so fun and so unique. Scuba diving was great and a whole new world. Can’t wait to tell you all about it. Love you
Safe Arrival!
June 4, 2026
Hello Tanzania + Zanzibar Families!
We heard from our leaders that the group has landed safely! The trip is off to a great start, and we cannot wait to hear more stories from their adventure!
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
