Author: John Mwacharo

Flamingos on show at Lake Elmenteita

Posted on by John Mwacharo

By Aloise Garvey

The Great Rift Valley is a fantastic place with many habitats like wetlands, woodlands, shrublands, and lakes. The Rift Valley Lakes, stretching from Ethiopia to Malawi, are especially famous for their great concentrations of birds. In Kenya, there are eight Rift Valley lakes, both salty and freshwater, and they are home to many animals.

Lake Elmenteita, for example, is a shallow alkaline lake about 120 kilometres northwest of Nairobi and is fed by rivers, streams, runoffs, and a hot spring. It is interesting because even though water flows in, there’s no way out, so the lake gets salty and full of minerals. This makes it perfect for a cyanobacterium formerly known as the blue-green alga Spirulina, which is the main food for Lesser Flamingos. Over at the nearby and famous Lake Nakuru, the water has risen and become less alkaline and the flamingo population has declined, so Lake Elmenteita has become a hotspot for these pink birds.

This year, there was a sudden influx of Lesser Flamingos at Lake Elmenteita in June, and they have shown signs of breeding, by their vivid plumage and by practicing building nests. In early July 2024, the flamingos began building mud nests along the shores and on islands within the lake. There are potential threats to the nesting flamingos, including predators like hyenas and other carnivores and scavengers like Marabou Storks and Pied Crows. Additionally, many tourists visiting the lake can disturb the nesting birds. Protecting the nesting flamingos is essential because they are sensitive to environmental changes.

But it’s not just flamingos; Lake Elmenteita is also home to many Great White Pelicans. When the water levels go down, the lake’s ‘islands’ pop up, and the pelicans love using them as safe spots to build nests. Because of all the incredible species that rely on Lake Elmenteita, it is a critical area for biodiversity, a Key Biodiversity Area and a World Heritage Site.

KBAs in Focus – Taita Hills Forests

Posted on by John Mwacharo

Located in southeastern Kenya within Taita Taveta County, the Taita Hills forests constitute a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA). Perched high on a series of ancient hills rising above the dryland plain, the Taita Hills forest fragments are like forest islands. These isolated forest fragments are known for their highest levels of endemism globally and form the northern part of the Eastern Arc Mountains. The forests include Ngangao, Iyale, Susu, Mbololo and Fururu, among others, managed by the Kenya Forest Service, while Chawia and Vuria are under the management of the county government of Taita Taveta.

The KBA provides crucial habitat for numerous endemic, endangered, and critically endangered species. Some species are found exclusively within this area, making it an Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) site. Notable species include the Taita Apalis, Taita Hills warty frog, Taita Thrush, Taita Hills purple-glossed snake, Taita Hills caecilian and Taita dwarf shrew.

Other globally threatened species reflecting the KBA’s critical conservation importance include the Taita White-eye, the endangered limbless Sagalla caecilian (which lives in the soil and leaf litter of the forest), the vulnerable small nocturnal primate known as the Taita Mountain dwarf galago (bushbaby), and the Taita blade-horned chameleon, among many others documented or yet to be discovered.

Despite the indisputable uniqueness of the KBA, it faces serious threats. These include rapid forest fires, mainly intentionally caused by community members clearing land for agriculture or due to the myth that forest fires lead to assured rainfall. The intensification of land use around the forest patches, driven by rapid population growth, has increased encroachment on the forests for agricultural production. Other threats include forest fragmentation, forest grazing, and climate change impacts. Additionally, the forests are threatened by an invasive species of dodder plant (Cuscuta sp.), a parasitic vine that grows rapidly, entwining and parasitising host plants, potentially threatening the survival of the forests and their biodiversity.

Conservation efforts that focus on preserving and restoring these diverse forest fragments are essential for ensuring the survival of the unique biodiversity they harbour. Concerted efforts by the national government, county government of Taita Taveta, non-governmental organisations, and local community members are evident. Taita Taveta County was the first to sign an agreement with the national government regarding the devolvement of forestry in 2013/14. The county has been at the forefront of developing forest management plans for Chawia and Vuria forest fragments and is actively formulating the forest and landscape restoration implementation plan (FOLAREP). The community, through a local conservation group known as the Dawida Biodiversity Conservation Group (DABICO), in partnership with Nature Kenya, is sensitising the community about preventing forest fires, discouraging the use of the dodder plant for beautification purposes, and participating in other initiatives such as ‘adopt-a-forest’ to enhance restoration of degraded forest landscapes within the Key Biodiversity Area (KBA).

Discover the Dawida Eco-resource Centre

Posted on by John Mwacharo

Nestled beside the lush Ngangao Forest in Wundanyi Sub-County, Taita-Taveta County, the Dawida Community Eco-resource Centre offers a sanctuary for nature enthusiasts and community members alike. Situated on a serene 1-acre piece of land, the centre boasts an array of facilities including a hall, kitchen, library, office, guest rooms, washrooms, and a camping site. Construction of the centre was funded by the Community Development Trust Fund and was completed in 2015.

Guests at the centre are encouraged to explore its environmental education resources such as guidebooks on birds, trees, and butterflies, as well as newsletters. While these materials are for on-site use only, they enrich the learning experience for visitors and locals.

The centre has conference and accommodation facilities which support the community through income generated from hall hire, accommodation and camping fees. Open Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4 pm, the centre is managed by dedicated volunteers from the Dawida Biodiversity Conservation CBO (DABICO) – the Site Support Group in the Taita Hills KBA.

A perfect starting point for bird walks and outdoor activities, the Dawida Eco-resource Centre is your gateway to nature and community engagement. Community scouts stationed at the centre offer visitors guided tours of Ngangao Forest at a small fee. Come explore, learn, and connect with the beauty of Ngangao Forest!

Promoting beekeeping to catalyse economic growth in the Tana Delta

Posted on by John Mwacharo

By Fatuma Hajio 

In the heart of Kenya’s Tana Delta region, The Tana Green Heart project, led by the Tana River County Government in collaboration with Nature Kenya seeks to enhance biodiversity protection, promote conservation-linked enterprises and develop green value chains. Beekeeping is one of the enterprises the project is promoting to boost community livelihoods and sustainably harness the Delta’s natural bounty. Recognising Tana Delta’s beekeeping potential, African Beekeepers Limited (ABL), a Nairobi-based private beekeeping company, is keen on investing in the honey value chain. 

ABL has set sight in Tana Delta. The company, working closely with Nature Kenya, seeks to equip local beekeeping groups with the requisite knowledge and skills to enhance honey production and elevate quality standards. Towards  this end, ABL offered training to 317 individuals, most of them women, at seven locations in Tana Delta in April. Through hands-on training sessions, conducted by ABL staff, participants learned theoretical beekeeping concepts and practical knowledge tailored to their local needs. 

Plans are underway to train 1,200 active beekeepers representing 30 groups in the coming weeks. The ripple effects of this initiative are poised to resonate far beyond the buzzing hives. With the onset of the rains, the timing couldn’t be more perfect. As the landscape rejuvenates and flora blooms, honey production is set to increase, promising a bountiful harvest for the newly trained beekeepers. This natural cycle will further enhance the region’s economic prospects as the honey industry increasingly becomes lucrative. 

 

KBA in Focus: North Nandi Forest

Posted on by John Mwacharo

By Joshua Sese

Nestled within Nandi County’s vast landscape is North Nandi Forest Key Biodiversity Area, an ecological gem consisting of diverse habitats, ranging from montane forests merging to western forests as well as grasslands, supporting characteristic fauna and flora. North Nandi forest is sandwiched between Kakamega and South Nandi forests KBAs to the west and south respectively. Its elevation ranges from 1700 to 2130 meters above sea level, providing a varied terrain, and it is a source of permanent tributaries flowing downstream to form rivers such as the Yala River draining into Lake Victoria. The forest is home to the globally threatened Chapin’s Flycatcher (Fraseria lendu) and supports a rich tapestry of plant life, including rare orchids, towering trees, and colourful flowering plants, creating a haven for countless species of insects, amphibians, and small mammals.

North Nandi KBA faces numerous threats, however. Poverty in surrounding communities, planned deforestation for development needs, and unsustainable activities such as illegal logging, charcoal burning, encroachment, and fragmentation pose significant challenges to the integrity of the ecosystem. Climate change also poses a looming threat to the KBA, altering temperature and precipitation patterns.

A multi-faceted approach combining conservation efforts, community engagement, and sustainable development strategies is needed to address these threats. Collaboration between government agencies, non-profit organizations, local communities, and international partners is essential to safeguarding the area’s ecological integrity. To guide the management of the forest, the North and South Nandi Forests Strategic Ecosystem Management Plan 2015-2040 was launched in 2015.

In efforts to foster community-led conservation efforts, a community-based organization (CBO), Murguiywet CBO launched in 2010 has been at the forefront in spearheading the restoration work. The group is one of Nature Kenya’s Site Support Groups that participates in activities such as beekeeping, tree nursery and tree growing, bird monitoring, conservation of water catchment areas and riverine restoration, community awareness on the importance of conserving North Nandi Forest, world environmental days, environmental education, reporting encroachment cases by the community to local authorities, capacity building, and recruitment of local community scouts to patrol the forest.