In 2022, Nature Kenya rolled out its Strategic Plan for the next decade. The 2022 – 2032 Strategic Plan refocuses Nature Kenya’s conservation efforts under five pillars: Save Species & Sites, Foster Sustainability, Build Support, Act on Science and Consolidate Structures. The implementation of the new strategic plan will continue in 2023.
Work on saving species and conserving their habitats at various sites continues countrywide. Vulture conservation activities in the Maasai Mara, Mosiro, Amboseli and Kwenia landscapes are ongoing. Nature Kenya will engage 64 community volunteers to monitor vulture populations, look out for wildlife poisoning incidents and create awareness at these sites. Our site support groups (SSGs) at 26 Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) will continue to play a critical role in biodiversity monitoring and habitat restoration.
The annual waterbird counts will take place in January-February 2023 at the Great Rift Valley lakes and other wetlands within the country, including Nairobi and its environs.
On March 31, we will hold our Lungs for Kenya charity golf tournament at the Karen Country Club. This year’s tournament seeks to raise funds to catalyze the restoration of degraded forest landscapes in Mt. Kenya and the Aberdares. We encourage members to support this tournament by sponsoring, donating auction or raffle items or registering to play.
Engagement with partners to scale-up conservation actions continue. We will maintain existing partnerships with corporates and pursue new ones to further our work to restore degraded landscapes and empower local communities.
In 2023, Nature Kenya will continue to address drivers of biodiversity loss through policy reform, advocacy, promoting mainstreaming of biodiversity in economic decision-making processes and promoting nature-based solutions and models. Top on the agenda is blocking the controversial allocation of Yala Swamp for sugarcane growing by the National Land Commission (NLC). Working with like-minded organizations, we will use all channels available to push for the sustainable use of Yala Swamp resources to benefit local communities and biodiversity.
Our advocacy team will keep tabs on calls for comments for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports, more so for development projects near ecologically sensitive areas. We kindly request members to submit comments whenever asked to do so.
Our weekly bird walks in Nairobi and Malindi will continue in 2023. Other membership engagement activities, such as monthly talks and Ask Our Nature Expert Q&A sessions, are also lined up for the year. Two Global Big Days will be held on May 13 and October 14. On these days, bird watchers worldwide will go out to enjoy birds and submit their observations through the eBird mobile app. We urge members to mark these days on their calendars and plan to participate in these engaging citizen-science events.
The road ahead is tough, and we look forward to your continued support to achieve the desired conservation impacts. Together, we can make our world better for us and future generations.
Happy 2023!