Category: Blog

John Mwacharo visits this special place and tells of gigantic trees, rare butterflies, endemic birds and special plants.

The cool of the forest is apparent as soon as we step into Ngangao Forest. An aura of mystique permeates our overgrown passage through moss and lichen-clad trees. It is mid-morning. The sun above makes its way west, its light streaking through the thick canopy. Against the background of many forest sounds are the calls of Cabanis’s Greenbul, Rüppell’s Robin Chat, and White-starred Robin. Walking in single file, we venture into the enchanting forest.

Ngangao Forest is the second-largest of very few surviving moist forest fragments of the Taita Hills. It is located 10 km from Wundanyi town and is home to many plants and animals, including some found only in these hills. We press through the forest walking on the leaves, broken twigs, bark and decaying branches that litter the ground to form a thick spongelike layer. We observe countless insects and other creatures scurrying on the forest floor. There are scattered understorey plants, wild mushrooms and colourful butterflies.

A trek through this magnificent forest is a magical experience, a moment to treasure. Today we are lucky. We are in the company of John Maganga, a seasoned community bird guide. Maganga’s many years of guiding visitors through Ngangao have nurtured a personal connection with the forest. His vast knowledge of the forest’s plants, birds and other animals are unparalleled.

“Ngangao Forest is our jewel. Some of the plants and birds found here are quite rare,” notes Maganga as he leads us through a narrow descending forest trail.

A few metres ahead of us stands a gigantic tree. We pause for a while and let our eyes feast on this natural marvel. Its towering 52 metres leaves us speechless.

“Welcome to the Ngangao mother tree!” announces Maganga.

I struggle to get a good photo of the entire tree. After several attempts, I give up. The mother tree is too big to fit into a single photo frame! I strain to catch a glimpse of its crown.

“This Newtonia buchananii is over 300 years old and not about to die anytime soon,” says Maganga.

Maganga goes on to say that, according to legend, the mother tree has mysteriously survived countless attempts to fell it, as evidenced by ‘cut’ marks on its ancient trunk.

After a couple of minutes of taking photos with the famous tree, we proceed to our next stop, a gigantic Aningeria adolfi tree. We are drawn to the tree’s hollow trunk that branches into three separate sections. The cavity, at its base, resembles a cave, big enough to fit two people.

“People here call this the cave tree,” Maganga explains.

Taking turns, we again pose for photos with this unique forest attraction. Moist forests once covered the Taita Hills. Over the years, these forests shrank into the existing scattered fragments on hilltops and ridges, that survive today. Gradual conversion of forest land to farms and settlements has over time led to this decline. Pressure from the dense human population surrounding the forests has left them extremely vulnerable.

Our adventure into Ngangao Forest with Maganga comes to an end after an hour or so. It has been an awe-inspiring journey of discovery into one of the area’s best-kept secrets.

 

Key species to watch for in Ngangao Forest

Crowned Eagle, Mountain Buzzard, Silvery-cheeked Hornbill, Striped Pipit, Taita Apalis, Evergreen Forest Warbler, Stripe-cheeked Greenbul, Yellow-throated Woodland Warbler, Taita White-eye, Orange Ground Thrush, Taita Thrush. Other special plants and animals include the small nocturnal Taita Mountain dwarf galago (found only in Taita Hills), the rare butterflies Papillio desmondi teita and Cymothoe teita; and wild coffee.

 

Visitor facilities at Ngangao Forest

The community manages an eco-resource centre and campsite in the forest. Community scouts stationed at the centre offer visitors guided tours at a small fee. For a spectacular view of Mount Kilimanjaro and the plains of Tsavo West National Park go to the viewpoint, located close to the forest. The best views are seen in the early mornings or late afternoons.

 

This article was first published in the Kenya Birding magazine, issue 16. 

Some years back, you had to plan adequately before visiting Dakatcha Woodland. Marafa was the main local town for people planning to visit the woodland. A few scheduled buses and matatus ferried passengers to Malindi early in the mornings and returned in the afternoon. One was required to seek banking and other services in Malindi.

Since then, things have changed. Some areas in the woodland have piped water and electricity. Travel to Malindi is no longer an issue, thanks to a tarmacked road that leads up to Wakala. The road has attracted many small vehicles ferrying passengers to and from Malindi anytime.

Development, in the form of piped water, electricity and extended road networks, has opened up the woodland to the outside world, attracting people eager to acquire large tracts of land. Money is quickly changing hands. The former community-owned forests are fast disappearing due to the aggressive land sales and unplanned land use changes.

The serene and biodiversity-rich Dakatcha Woodland Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) now faces life-changing threats. Access roads, farms and settlements have made inroads deep into the woodland. Illegal activities like charcoal burning and poaching have also intensified due to this exposure.

Escalating uncontrolled land use changes and the transition of land tenure from communal to private ownership has promted conservationists to take action to save the woodland’s unique species. Nature Kenya has closely monitored the trends of the Kilifi (Clarke’s) Weaver in Dakatcha. The threatened Kilifi (Clarke’s) Weaver only lives in Kilifi County and nests in seasonal wetlands found in Dakatcha.

To secure a home for the Kilifi (Clarke’s) Weaver, Nature Kenya has acquired 2,573 acres of the woodland through a land purchase program with financial support from the World Land Trust, African Bird Club, RESOLVE and TiME. Areas identified for purchase have been mapped out and deemed suitable for conservation of the Kilifi (Clarke’s) Weaver.

The Kamale Nature Reserve is one such area. The forest block, measuring 1,800 acres, has four seasonal wetlands. Kilifi (Clarke’s) weavers have been recorded breeding in one of the wetlands within the reserve. Apart from bird life, the Kamale also hosts mammals such as Golden-rumped Sengis, duikers and buffaloes. Lions and elephants occasionally visit the Kamale Nature Reserve at different times.

With shrinking forest cover, Kamale Nature Reserve is expected to offer shelter to many wildlife. Local communities manage the reserve through the Dakatcha Woodland Conservation Group and the Kamale Mazingira Community-based Organization (CBO).

A community warden has been engaged through the SSG who plans and executes forest patrols and biodiversity monitoring visits.

Nature Kenya, working collaboratively with the local conservation groups, plans to conduct monitoring activities periodically to ascertain the biodiversity status of the reserve.

This year Nature Kenya finalized purchase of another 773 acres of forest at Kibaoni – Marafa. In the longrun this forest block can form part of a rich birding ecosystem in an urban set up. The forest is rich in birds and periodically hosts the Kilifi (Clarke’s) weavers after breeding in the nearby Bore – Mnyenzeni wetland.

Through the land purchase approach, Nature Kenya seeks to secure core conservation zones in Dakatcha Woodland to protect and conserve endemic and threatened bird and mammal species. Land purchase for conservation is a strategy worth exploring in high priority conservation areas with no formal protection status.

Stingless bees are social; they form a colony that persists for several years. In good and bad times, bees work together for the sake of their colony. To prepare for bad times, like when floral resources are limited, they store food in pots small as a peanut or big as a macadamia nut, depending on the species. Honey is stored inside these well-sealed pots. And this is where the magic happens: fermentation. Stingless bee honey has a relatively high-water content of around 25%. This leads to natural fermentation and adds some acidity to the sweetness.

Thanks to the sustainable management of stingless bees, we can benefit from the bees’ liquid gold. In East Africa, stingless beekeeping, the so-called meliponiculture, is performed predominantly in Western Kenya and Northern Tanzania. Local communities appreciate stingless bee honey and keep colonies as first aid boxes next to their houses.

Compared to honeybees, stingless bees produce way less honey. Only about one litre can be harvested per colony in a year. And yet, stingless beekeeping is becoming popular as more people appreciate the medicinal properties of the honey. It has a low glycaemic index with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibiotic properties. Therefore, stingless bee honey is an immune booster rather than a simple sweetener. One may say: a teaspoon a day keeps the doctor away.

Ondiri Swamp is an important wetland found close to Kikuyu town in Kiambu County. The swamp is bordered in all sides by extensive cultivation of a variety of crops.  Such activities if not kept in control may threaten the lives of the swamps inhabitants. Many amphibians and some reptiles use wetlands like Ondiri swamp for their survival. Unfortunately, not much is known about amphibians and reptiles Ondiri Swamp. Opportunistic records mainly from ornithologists indicate that two endemic amphibians occur in Ondiri, these include the Bladder Reed frog (Hyperolius cystocandicans) also listed as vulnerable (V) in the IUCN Red List of threatened species and Kinangop Puddle frog (Phrynobatrachus kinangopensis).  In light of all the threat facing this swamp it is important to document its biodiversity and so as to inform management decisions.

The Kenya Herpetofauna Working group visited Ondiri Swamp on 13^th May 2022 in response to an invitation by the Ondiri Swamp management. The survey team of 15 participants also included four members of the friends of Ondiri Swamp. The day was bright and sunny signaling a great day a head. The team spilt into three groups for effective coverage of the swamp. While one group was wading through the middle of the wetland, the other two were walking along the edges of the. The survey went on from around 9:30 am to 1:30 pm when the group took a break as the sun was getting hotter and hence spotting the amphibians and reptiles became difficult. A few members of the team remained behind to conduct night sampling. The survey methods involved visual encounter surveys and hand-netting.  A total of 16 hours of effort was expended at the site.

By the end of it all five species were recorded, comprising of three amphibians and two reptiles.  Amphibian species include, the Nile Ridged Frog (Ptychadena nilotica) which was the most commonly observed species during the day; Peter’s Reed frog (Hyperolius glandicolor) and Marsabit Clawed frog (Xenopus borealis). The reptiles include, Von Höhnels Chameleon (Trioceros hoehnelli) which was found perched on Typha ssp and Stripped skink (Trachylepis striata) which was spotted basking on a tree at the edge of the swamp. At night the swamp came to life with loud calls of the reed frog as well as the Nile Ridged Frog. However, the team did not record both the Silver Bladder Reed frog and the Kinangop Puddle frog.

Why We Should Listen and Care for Amphibian Calls

The presence of these species in Ondiri swamp is significant as it is an indicator of a healthy wetland ecosystem. The calls of amphibians are some of the most beautiful, but sadly also some of the most threatened, sounds in the natural world. Over half of the world’s 6,000 amphibian species are now threatened with extinction, thousands are already lost. The primary cause of this decline is habitat loss and degradation, but a growing number of species are also being impacted by diseases, pollution, pesticides, and introduced predators. When amphibians disappear, it is not just their calls that are lost, but also the important ecological roles they play in both freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems.