Tag: Endangered species

By Gilbay Obunga

For generations, the communities living adjacent to the fragmented Taita Hills forests (a Key Biodiversity Area within the Eastern Afromontane Hotspot, sheltering endemic species like the critically endangered Taita Apalis, Taita Thrush, and Taita warty frog) have served as invisible guardians – their silent vigil protecting these critical ecosystems without official recognition. That changed on March 11th when the ink dried on historic Forest Management Agreements, transforming these informal protectors into recognised partners of the Kenya Forest Service. The signing ceremony at Dawson Mwanyumba Stadium marked the end of a 28-year wait for communities seeking legal standing in conservation since Kenya first adopted Participatory Forest Management.

Local elder Clarice Patrick’s hands, which once traced fresh tree stumps after nightly illegal logging, tell the story of this struggle. “We chased them by day,” she recalls, “but without authority, the destruction continued.” Now, those hands help draft firebreak plans and sustainable harvest quotas, embodying a remarkable transformation from passive observers to empowered decision-makers.

Seeds of Transformation
The agreements have sparked an unexpected transformation in which conservation now supports community livelihoods. As County Forest Officer Silvester Mwang’ombe observes, the challenge lies in balancing immediate community needs with long-term conservation – a tension yielding remarkable innovation. Honey profits now fund tree nurseries in a self-sustaining cycle, while patrols train future ecotourism guides, turning conservation into prosperity. Beyond economic gains, the agreements are rewriting relationships with the land – nowhere more visibly than in Ngangao forest, where some trees now bear identification tags in the Taita language, with each name serving as proof of renewed ownership.

John Maganga, Ngangao’s CFA chair, captures the paradigm shift: “We have moved from following distant rules to writing our own.” Delphina Malemba, representing the new generation’s perspective, echoes Maganga’s words. “Our ancestors protected forests out of obligation,” she reflects. “We are acting on evidence – watching springs flow again and wildlife return.” These voices chart the evolution from obligation to invested partnership, where every protected acre nourishes both forest and community.

Branching Out
The model’s success extends beyond the borders of Taita Hills. Taita Sub-County Administrator Ann Mwatika identifies a groundbreaking precedent: “These agreements legally intertwine traditional knowledge with formal conservation.” This innovative approach has already inspired five CFAs from Kilifi County to seek study visits, indicating its potential for replication nationwide.

Work remains to be done. As the ink dries, attention turns to implementation. Communities are establishing management units and initiating education programs like ‘Trees for School Fees.’ For communities, these signed agreements transcend paperwork – they represent generations of stewardship finally gaining legal standing. As the excitement settles in the hills, the communities stand ready to fulfil their ancient covenant, now bearing the full weight of law.

By: Martin Kiama

Located in Kirinyaga County, Kianyaga Valleys Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) is an idyllic landscape characterized by ridges, valleys and the meandering rivers Thiba and Mukengeria. It consists mostly of privately owned farms and is an important habitat for the endemic and globally threatened Hinde’s Babbler. The species lives in the dense bushes next to farm fences and also along riparian areas.

Despite their natural beauty, the Kianyaga Valleys face significant challenges threatening their biodiversity. The rapid growth in human population and subsequent demand for agricultural land have led to the clearing of bushes, the primary habitat of the Hinde’s Babbler. Local farmers have also planted exotic tree species, like Grevillea, as boundaries, and Napier grass along riverbanks and road reserves. These practices are beneficial to farmers but detrimental to the bird’s survival. Urbanisation and increased infrastructural development projects in the area, like the recent construction and commissioning of Thiba Dam, a large water reservoir, have exacerbated the situation. A recent visit to the site indicated that sightings of Hinde’s Babbler have become increasingly rare and that the community remains unaware of the existence of the KBA.

The future survival of Kianyaga Valleys’ biodiversity is delicate and can only be assured by concerted conservation efforts involving local communities. Community-led organizations like Castle and Kathandeini Community Forest Associations are leading in delivering conservation actions in the KBA. However, more efforts are required to promote practices that support livelihoods and conservation.

There is hope for Hinde’s Babblers, however, as the birds have also been seen in several areas around Thika, near Meru, in Makongo Forest in Makueni and in the new KBAs Mumoni and Mutitu Hills in Kitui County. Some Hinde’s Babblers have even reached Nairobi, with one bird recently caught, ringed and released at the National Museums of Kenya grounds!

At Kenya’s North Coast in Kilifi County lie three sites that form one Key Biodiversity Area (KBA): Mida Creek, Whale Island, and the Malindi-Watamu Coast. This KBA is part of the Malindi-Watamu-Arabuko-Sokoke UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is also part of the broader Malindi and Watamu Marine national parks and reserves, a protected area along the Indian Ocean coastline. The ecosystem is an important coastal wetland consisting of mangrove forests, mudflats, beaches, seagrass beds, and coral reefs, including coral outcrops such as Whale Island. It serves as a stopover for migratory birds along the Asian–East African Flyway that rely on the mudflats and exposed reefs as critical feeding grounds. It supports numerous bird species, including sea terns that regularly nest on Whale Island.

The complex ecological nature of the KBA makes it an outstanding site for coastal and marine wildlife, yet it is along the edges of a busy tourism area.  Marine National Parks and Reserve are important for conserving the fringing reef, the famous coral gardens within the lagoons, and the seagrass beds, with their diverse marine biodiversity. The reefs are popular for snorkelling, diving, and marine research. Mida Creek has important mangrove forests with a high diversity of species, including Ceriops tagal, Rhizophora mucronata, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Avicennia marina and Sonneratia alba. It is a key spawning ground for many fish species.

This remarkable KBA faces several threats, including coastal development, climate change, overfishing, pollution, and a lack of sufficient funds for research. A nuclear power plant has even been proposed next to this outstanding environmental site! Coastal development projects greatly affect the delicate ecosystems in the KBA, such as coral reefs and mangroves. Infrastructural development and tourism activities have been a leading cause of pollution. Mangroves have continuously been cut down for charcoal burning, furniture making, and construction.

The Mida Creek Conservation and Awareness Group, registered in 2004, is one of the local community groups working tirelessly to conserve the KBA. Its activities include awareness creation and advocacy, mangrove planting, beach clean-ups, participating in the annual waterfowl census, and income-generating activities such as beekeeping, ecotourism, and selling mangrove seedlings.

By Brian Otiego

Every year, the first Saturday of September marks International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD), a global event celebrating vultures and highlighting their vital role as nature’s clean-up crew. This year, Nature Kenya observed IVAD, focusing on engaging school children in vulture conservation, specifically in the Maasai Mara, Amboseli and Kwenia landscapes.

Vultures play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems by scavenging on carcasses, thereby preventing the spread of diseases. Despite their importance, vulture populations across Kenya face significant threats, particularly from wildlife poisoning. Vultures are often unintended victims when they consume poisoned carcasses intended to target predators like hyenas and lions, resulting in their mass deaths. Disturbingly, children have been implicated in some cases of wildlife poisoning, as they may resort to using common household chemicals like dry cell battery components to poison carcasses after livestock losses.

Ongoing education programs have been critical in raising awareness about the dangers of poisoning wildlife, particularly vultures. This year, Nature Kenya took the lead in ensuring that children in key landscapes like Amboseli, Kwenia, and Mosiro in Kajiado County and Maasai Mara in Narok County participated in the anti-wildlife poisoning campaign. To mark IVAD, Nature Kenya held school outreach activities at Oldorko Primary School, Sterling Academy and Olorika Comprehensive School, where children drew and coloured vulture-themed artwork. They also watched an educative vulture video and participated in interactive discussions. The goal was to help them understand the ecological significance of vultures and how their conservation is critical to maintaining balanced ecosystems. Through these engaging activities, over 1,000 children learned more about vultures and how they prevent the spread of diseases by efficiently clearing dead animals from the landscape.

These outreach events fostered knowledge and sparked a sense of responsibility and appreciation for vultures among the younger generation. By introducing children to the world of conservation in such an engaging and imaginative way, Nature Kenya aims to mentor a future generation of conservationists who understand the value of vultures in our ecosystems and are inspired to protect them.

In Nairobi, a significant step forward for vulture conservation was made to commemorate IVAD. Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), in partnership with Nature Kenya and other conservation organisations, launched the “Vulture Multi-species Action Plan for Kenya (2024-2034)” a day before the IVAD celebrations. The action plan aims to address the alarming decline of Kenya’s vulture populations – down by over 70% in recent decades – due to poisoning, collision with energy infrastructure, electrocution and habitat loss.

The multi-species action plan outlines targeted measures to protect and restore populations of critically endangered species like the White-backed Vulture, Rüppell’s Vulture, White-headed Vulture, and Hooded Vulture. The plan seeks to mitigate threats by working with communities, conservation groups, and stakeholders to promote sustainable practices that protect vultures and their habitats.