Tag: community engagement

The Untold Stories of Kenya’s Forgotten Reptiles

Posted on by Christine Mwende

By Thomas Odeyo

Imagine this: the only home you’ve ever known is fast disappearing. You have no time to adapt, no chance to move, and no one even knows your natural history. You are fading into the unknown, leaving scientists with questions that will never be answered. This is the silent crisis facing many African reptiles, including those in Kenya’s Shimba Hills.

The Shimba Hills ecosystem is celebrated as part of East Africa’s coastal forest, a renowned global biodiversity hotspot. Most people know the area for its sable antelopes and the Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary. Yet another treasure lies beneath the mixed forest canopy and across the open grasslands: a reptile community that makes this Kenya’s richest reptile habitat.

From the secretive Usambara soft-horned chameleon to the nimble Pygmy Limbless Skink and the seldom-seen Banded Shovel-snout Snake, Shimba Hills tells stories still unfolding. Here, reptiles wait in quiet resilience for their evolutionary tales to be documented whilst facing the vulnerability of our changing world.

Uncovering Hidden Threats

Recent research sought to identify which reptiles are most at risk and why. Scientists analysed reptile records across Shimba Hills, mapping their distribution against climate, habitat, and protection status. The findings revealed that habitat specialists with narrow ecological niches face the greatest vulnerability.

Species such as the Usambara soft-horned chameleon, Black Garter Snake, Green Keel-bellied Lizard, and Kenyan Coastal Half-Toed Gecko have highly specific habitat requirements. As species native to the coastal forests of Kenya and Tanzania, they exist within narrow thermal and habitat ranges. However, even these insights remain limited by significant data gaps. For many Shimba Hills reptiles, basic knowledge of population trends, behaviour, and microhabitat use is still missing.

A Double-Edged Crisis

These results reveal a troubling imbalance. Reptiles face threats from both habitat destruction and climate change. We continue converting the forest fragments and microhabitats upon which reptiles depend, whilst climate change shifts temperature and rainfall patterns.

A single conservation strategy cannot tackle this mounting vulnerability.

For example, protecting areas within reserve boundaries helps, but many threats operate beyond these borders. Similarly, general biodiversity conservation interventions prove insufficient without targeted strategies that account for habitat specialists and climate-sensitive species.

Filling the Knowledge Gap

This crisis demands complementary conservation approaches. Efforts cannot stop at reserve boundaries, and whilst protected areas remain crucial, they can only safeguard species within their borders. Most importantly, we must fill the knowledge gaps before species vanish and their stories remain forever untold.

The reptiles of Shimba Hills represent more than scientific curiosities. They are indicators of ecosystem health, controllers of insect populations, and survivors of millions of years of evolution. Their silent scales hold secrets we’re only beginning to understand.

By studying these remarkable creatures now, we ensure that future generations will witness the same diversity that makes Shimba Hills special. The question remains: will we act quickly enough to preserve these evolutionary tales before they fade into silence?

 

A Battle Between Greed and Survival

Posted on by Christine Mwende

By Ayiro Lwala

Yala Swamp is no ordinary wetland. As Kenya’s largest freshwater swamp, it provides fish, papyrus, grazing land, fertile soils, clean water and protection against floods. For generations, it has sustained my people and nature. Yet today, this treasure is being carved up at an alarming rate, and its future hangs in the balance.

This natural gem has drawn the attention of investors eager to convert vast portions into large-scale farms. They see profit in rice, sugarcane and other commercial crops. With deep pockets and political influence, they scramble for leases and concessions, each determined to secure a bigger slice of the wetland. What plays out is cut-throat competition, a race to exploit land and resources with little regard for the delicate ecological systems that make Yala invaluable.

Expanding agribusiness clears papyrus, drains wetlands and displaces local communities from places where they earn livelihoods. Fish breeding grounds are destroyed, bird habitats vanish, pollution soars, and natural flood regulation weakens. In the pursuit of billions, the priceless environmental services of Yala Swamp are being decimated.

The irony is painful. During a community meeting on sustainable use of the swamp, 73-year-old Mama Alice Achando gave a moving account of how past large-scale land allocations devastated her village. She recalled how what was once a dry-season lifeline for food production was handed over to private investors, cutting off local families from fertile lands they had depended on for generations.

Traditional food security systems collapsed, leaving households in poverty. Vital lakes like Kanyaboli and Nyamboyo dried up after water inflows were blocked, killing fish stocks and stripping communities of both food and income. Livestock that wandered into the investors’ fields were confiscated, whilst some villagers faced arrest for simply passing through land that had once been communal.

Mama Alice described how her once-thriving Mugane village, rich with fish and sweet potatoes, descended into hardship. Her story was so raw and powerful that it moved many in the gathering to tears.

Investors chase short-term profit, yet the true wealth of Yala lies in its ability to provide food security, water purification, climate resilience and biodiversity. Destroying these services for quick cash is stealing from our future.

We cannot afford silence. Communities, conservationists and citizens should demand accountability from leaders who sign away public resources for private gain. The choice is stark: will Yala Swamp be sacrificed to commercial greed, or will it be safeguarded as the living system that supports millions of lives?

 

Winged Scientists: What Dragonflies Reveal About Our Water

Posted on by Christine Mwende

By Makena Murithi

Forget complex chemical tests. The most telling sign of a healthy freshwater ecosystem might be the iridescent flash of a dragonfly’s wing. There’s a familiar magic to a summer’s day by a pond, punctuated by the insect’s darting flight. Like a living jewel, a dragonfly hovers with prehistoric grace. But what if this beautiful acrobat is actually a tiny, winged scientist on a continuous monitoring mission? This is the power of a bioindicator: a species whose presence, absence, or abundance tells a story about the health of its habitat.

Dragonflies are among nature’s most eloquent messengers for freshwater health because they spend most of their lives not in the air, but as underwater nymphs. Breathing through gills, they are intimately connected to their aquatic environment, absorbing its conditions directly. This long juvenile stage, which can last for years, makes them highly vulnerable to changes. They are sensitive organisms, threatened by pollutants, silt that clogs their gills, and low oxygen levels. 

Different species have different tolerances, creating a natural indicator scale: a diverse population signals a clean, well-oxygenated habitat, whilst only a few pollution-tolerant species suggest a system under stress. Their complete absence is a major red flag.

This natural surveillance benefits us directly, as both nymphs and adults are voracious predators of mosquitoes and other pests.

Telling Aquatic Stories

Whilst the science is global, its application is powerfully local. Kenya is a hotspot for Odonata diversity, home to a stunning array of dragonflies and damselflies. The National Museums of Kenya Invertebrate Zoology collection acts as a vital ‘library of life,’ preserving specimens essential for identification and research.

By learning to recognise a few key species, we can read the stories written on the water. The presence of the striking Blue Basker (Urothemis edwardsii), a sentinel of health, indicates permanent, clean water. In contrast, the dominance of the beautiful but tolerant Broad Scarlet (Crocothemis erythraea) can signal a disturbed habitat. The majestic Blue Emperor (Anax imperator), a top predator, only patrols waters with a robust food web.

Join the Mission

You don’t need a lab coat to participate. Dragonflies are ideal for citizen science: they are active by day, conspicuous, and with apps like iNaturalist, it’s easier than ever to identify them. By simply visiting a local water source, observing the diversity of species, and logging your findings, you contribute valuable data to real scientific projects. Your observations become part of a crowd-sourced tool used by institutions like the National Museums of Kenya to track the health of our precious freshwater ecosystems.

Ultimately, protecting dragonflies means protecting the water we all depend on. So, the next time you see one skimming the surface, see it as more than a jewel. See it as a guardian and a scientist. Its silent flight is a living report card on the health of our most vital resource.

Visit the National Museums of Kenya to explore our incredible collections and learn more, or join a local wetland clean-up event to help ensure these winged scientists have a healthy home for generations to come.

KBA in Focus: Kakamega Forest

Posted on by Christine Mwende

By Joshua Sese 

Kakamega Forest Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) stands as Kenya’s only remnant of the ancient Guineo-Congolian rainforest that once covered much of Central Africa. Renowned for its exceptional biodiversity, the forest hosts numerous endemic and threatened species, including rare birds, butterflies, and primates such as the De Brazza’s monkey. Its rich ecosystem of towering trees, streams, and glades makes it a vital refuge for wildlife and an important site for research, conservation, and ecotourism.

Kakamega Forest faces numerous conservation challenges. Expanding agriculture, settlement, and illegal logging continue driving deforestation and habitat fragmentation, whilst overharvesting of firewood, timber, and medicinal plants places additional pressure on forest resources. The spread of invasive species, particularly guava and Lantana camara, has disrupted natural regeneration by outcompeting native plants and altering forest composition.

Poaching, encroachment, and weak enforcement of conservation laws compound these threats, as does climate change, which is shifting rainfall patterns and affecting the forest’s microclimate. Limited funding and community livelihood challenges also hinder effective management.

Several interventions are already underway to protect this unique rainforest. The Kenya Forest Service and Kenya Wildlife Service jointly manage the forest, focusing on protection, habitat restoration, and community engagement.

Community groups, including the Kakamega Forest Community Forest Association and the Kakamega Environmental Education Programme, work closely with government agencies to conserve the forest. These groups involve local residents in participatory forest management, promoting sustainable use of forest resources and alternative livelihoods such as beekeeping, ecotourism, and tree nurseries.

Reforestation and enrichment planting programmes are restoring degraded sections and controlling invasive species spread. Conservation organisations, including Nature Kenya, Friends of Kakamega Forest, and international partners, support biodiversity monitoring, environmental education, and awareness campaigns.

The area’s designation as a Key Biodiversity Area and Important Bird Area has helped attract research and conservation funding, enhancing long-term management planning and scientific understanding of this vital ecosystem. However, much more needs to be done to secure Kakamega’s future as the last stand of ancient rainforest in Kenya.

Common Whitethroats dominate Ngulia Bird Ringing 2025

Posted on by Christine Mwende

By Aloise Garvey

The 2025 Ngulia migratory bird ringing season ran from 11th to 25th November, starting earlier than usual due to an early new moon. Dark, moonless nights are crucial for successful catches, as migrating birds become attracted to the lights set up by ringers and fly into the mist nets below, where they’re quickly ringed and released.

However, this year presented unusual challenges. The rains came late, leaving Tsavo exceptionally dry. The first week saw almost no mist, resulting in just 908 birds ringed. Mist is essential because it disorients migrating birds, making them more likely to fly towards the lights. Without it, catches plunge.

A Remarkable Turnaround

The second week brought better conditions. On one remarkable night, 1,706 birds were ringed, with 1,117 of them being Common Whitethroats. This species dominated the season, making up 51 percent of all catches, a dramatic shift from the usual 17 percent seen over the past decade. Typically, Marsh Warblers dominate at Ngulia, making this year’s Common Whitethroat boom particularly intriguing. Ringers believe this surge may indicate exceptional breeding success in their European nesting grounds.

Despite lower overall numbers compared to previous years, the season delivered extraordinary rarities. An African Golden Oriole became a Ngulia first, whilst a European Red-rumped Swallow marked only the third record for Kenya. A Red-naped Bush-shrike appeared in the nets for the first time in 30 years, only the fifth ever recorded at the site. Other notable catches included a Pearl-spotted Owlet, two Black-necked Weavers (the 10th and 11th for Ngulia despite nesting nearby), a second-ever African Golden Pipit, Eastern Nicators, and the third African Orange-bellied Parrot.

Migration Stories Unfold

Recaptures told fascinating migration stories. A Thrush Nightingale ringed in 2022, retrapped in 2023, and caught again in 2025 became the first bird recaptured in three consecutive years at Ngulia. A Marsh Warbler ringed in November 2024 was recovered in Sweden seven months later, 7,133 kilometres away. Another Marsh Warbler ringed in December 2023 was found dead in northern Saudi Arabia in October 2025, nearly two years after ringing.

Beyond the nets, visible migration was spectacular. Hundreds of Amur Falcons, Steppe Eagles, and Eurasian Rollers streamed overhead, along with Montagu’s Harriers, European Honey Buzzards, Alpine Swifts, Madagascar Bee-eaters, Peregrine Falcons, and Booted Eagles. Positioned perfectly along a major migration route, Ngulia Safari Lodge offers ringside seats to one of nature’s greatest spectacles.