Tag: feature

March 3 is World Wildlife Day. The day was set aside by the United Nations (UN) to celebrate and raise awareness of wild animals and plants. “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet” is this year’s theme. The theme highlights the central role of forests, forest species and ecosystems services in sustaining the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people globally, and particularly of indigenous and local communities with historic ties to forested and forest-adjacent areas.

“It is all about the trees, the butterflies and my sweep net. The trees bring the butterflies and these butterflies earn me a livelihood,” says Abbas Athman, an Arabuko-Sokoke forest-adjacent dweller.

Athman has mastered the patience, calmness and agility to dart and flit with butterflies in one of the most rewarding businesses in Arabuko-Sokoke Forest: butterfly farming. He can tiptoe, then dart just like the butterflies before bringing them down with a swoop of his net. For 15 years, a sweep net and several indigenous trees dotting his compound are among his precious investments.

Athman neighbours Arabuko-Sokoke forest, the largest remnant of coastal forest in East Africa and a home to many endangered species, a reason why conservation of the forest is critical. However, pressure from the growing population in tandem with the soaring demand for wood fuel and building materials placed the forest in danger.

Enter the butterflies, unlikely saviours. The butterfly export project, which started in 1993 as an initiative by Nature Kenya and the National Museums of Kenya to conserve the forest, has brought together hundreds of farmers living around Arabuko-Sokoke forest. While conserving the critical ecosystem, the project boosts the livelihoods of farmers from across 50 villages around Arabuko-Sokoke who, in a good season, can each earn up to Ksh 15,000.

In the butterfly project, farmers trap adult butterflies and keep them in transparent cages made from nets. Within these cages are different types of trees, which are food for the caterpillars that will become butterflies.

The butterflies lay eggs, which hatch into larvae – caterpillars. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of forest trees, and grow until they turn into pupae. A pupa is a resting stage. Inside the pupa, the caterpillar changes into a butterfly.

Butterfly farmers collect the pupae and bring them to the Kipepeo office, where the farmers are paid for each pupa. The pupae are then exported to different countries where they become part of live butterfly exhibitions.

Exporting pupae does not reduce the butterfly species within the forest, since a butterfly can lay up to 120 eggs. Farmers usually have butterflies in excess and often release them.

The project, Nature Kenya’s Coast Regional Coordinator Francis Kagema said, has helped ease cases of destruction in Arabuko-Sokoke.

“The project has demonstrated to communities the importance of these forests and whenever there are cases of destruction, it is the communities who tip authorities on the case. The project has also demonstrated the importance of growing indigenous trees, a move which has boosted forest cover in the region,” Kagema said.

Protecting the trees for the butterflies has been key in conservation of endemic and endangered species of Arabuko-Sokoke, says Paul Gacheru, Nature Kenya species expert. The forest, he says, hosts six of the rarest and globally threatened bird species including Clarke’s (Kilifi) Weaver, Amani Sunbird, East Coast Akalat, Spotted Ground Thrush, Sokoke Pipit and Sokoke Scops Owl. Arabuko Sokoke is also home to the unique Golden-rumped Sengi (elephant-shrew), over 230 bird species and 250 butterfly species.

Last year when Covid-19 struck, butterfly exhibits closed all over the world, and exports stopped suddenly. Nature Kenya and some of its members provided funds to support the butterfly farmers with small loans and seeds to grow food. This helped them through the worst of the pandemic, and now butterfly exhibits are opening again – including Butterfly House at Fort Jesus, Mombasa.

“It’s not enough to talk about development, what is the benefit of development to local communities? It’s about identity, it’s about ownership, it’s about rights, it’s about access, it’s about representation, it’s about involvement in decision making, it’s about values derived from wise use of resources, it’s about fairness and equity in distribution of benefits accrued from investments, it’s about taking charge to ensure sustainability, most of all, it’s about perpetuating our heritage,” said Thomas Achando, the recently elected Chairperson of the Yala Swamp ICCA management committee who also sits in the Luo Council of Elders.

Yala Swamp, located on the north-eastern shore of Lake Victoria, is a Key Biodiversity Area and a proposed Ramsar site – a wetland of international importance. For thousands of fisherfolk and farming communities who depend on it, it’s their “gold”, as they fondly call it. Over the last few decades, there has been a significant decline in the abundance of natural resources due to a number of threats, including over-exploitation, encroachment, habitat degradation, climate change and high levels of poverty.

Through a multi-stakeholder approach, Nature Kenya worked with local communities and the Siaya and Busia county governments to develop a Land Use Plan (LUP) to balance the various interests and address the threats to the wetland. To kick start the implementation of the LUP, multi-agency stakeholders with support from Nature Kenya established an 8,404ha Indigenous and Community Conserved Area (ICCA) at the heart of Yala Swamp.

The ICCA constitutes natural areas surrounded by open-access farming and grazing land, riverine forest and papyrus wetland. Guided by a management plan with technical backstopping from the government, the ICCA will be managed for multiple-use for the benefit of important cultural values and biodiversity, as well as ecotourism, farmers, livestock herders, fisherfolk and island dwellers. The ICCA will guarantee a continued flow of ecosystem services to enable production and ensure development overall is sustainable.

“Those are the striking features about the Yala Swamp ICCA model. I’m happy to take up leadership that will deliver the vision for local inhabitants of Yala Swamp through a balanced all-inclusive approach”, says Achando.

Meanwhile, Yala Ecosystem Site Support Group, the local community conservation champions, have intensified awareness campaigns to rally support for the LUP and ICCA through chief’s barazas and on vernacular radio station Bulala FM, in Budalang’i, Busia County. The forums have been quite instrumental for community members to ask questions, seek advice and clarification and allay fears held by local community members.

“When I received news about a meeting from my village elder with the agenda being our swamp, I was disturbed. Issues concerning Yala swamp have always been jinxed, from history, so I hardly slept at night. I was anticipating the worst, my intuition told me that we were going to lose our rights to access land for subsistence farming, because who cares about the vulnerable?” said one elderly woman from Usonga, Siaya county, during a sensitization meeting at Mlambo village in early January 2021.

“We are thankful for the information we’ve been provided with. Through the Land Use Plan we have a roadmap to finding lasting solutions for issues affecting Yala swamp. I can’t wait for the County Assemblies to give their nod of approval for the Yala Swamp Land Use Plan,” added the elderly woman.

To enhance ownership of biodiversity conservation at the village level, Nature Kenya is supporting formation of Village Natural Resource and Land Use Committees (VNRLUCs) in all the swamp-adjacent villages. VNRLUCs will facilitate governance, conservation and development actions and diversify sustainable livelihoods in line with the ICCA model.

The lush, green fields make it difficult to imagine the calamities that Idsowe village within the vast Tana River Delta experiences whenever floods or drought strike.

The Tana River Delta is a land of alternating flood and drought. In the old days, people moved when disaster struck. This is no longer feasible. So today, farmers and pastoralists are adopting ambitious climate-smart agriculture projects geared towards improving livelihoods, resilience to climate change, and conserving the 130,000-hectare Tana River Delta.

Tana River Delta is one of the most important wetland ecosystems in East Africa. The Delta spreads out to cover parts of Tana River and Lamu counties, comprising of flood plains, riverine forests, mangrove systems, savannas, grasslands, lakes and pristine beaches, that form a network of natural and productive areas like Idsowe.

With over 350 species of birds, including globally important large flocks or “congregations”, Tana River Delta is a Key Biodiversity Area and a Ramsar site (wetland of international importance). Tana River Delta is also home to two globally endangered monkeys: the Tana River Red Colobus and the Tana River Crested Mangabey.

When undisturbed, the Delta acts like a sponge, absorbing floods, storing water, something that makes it lush and green even during the dry season. Today, with climate change increasing the severity of droughts and floods, and people unable to move elsewhere, Tana Delta is experiencing challenges. This is the reason why ambitious initiatives like chilli farming, bee-keeping, fish ponds and mainstreaming of climate-smart agriculture in production systems are taking root under the REBUILD project.

The project seeks to contribute towards increased resilience of communities in arid and semi-arid land (ASAL) areas of Kenya to drought and other effects of climate change. This is done through enhancing food and nutrition security of vulnerable households, especially for women and children, generating sustainable livelihoods and protecting productive assets in Tana River County. Funded by the European Union (EU), the REBUILD project is implemented by CISP in collaboration with Nature Kenya, the National Drought Management Authority, GROOTS and Procasur.

“Part of solving the problems the Delta residents are facing is mainstreaming climate-smart agriculture. Farmers can choose crops that withstand the changing climate to boost their production. Livestock farmers can choose the right breeds to boost productivity while minimizing the negative impact on the environment,” says Nature Kenya Executive Director Dr Paul Matiku.

“For the first time, our group comprising of 133 members tried out chilli farming after Nature Kenya provided us with the seeds,” says Milcah Amaro, the chairperson of Harakisa group. “Thirty-five active members planted chilli in quarter-acre plots on their farms in July 2019. By December that year, the crop was ready for the market. In a good month, one can make between Ksh 12,000 to 15,000,”.

Despite frequent floods that have been ravaging the delta and flooding farms, Harakisa Group members continue to prepare parcels of land away from the previous fields for chilli farming.

“Previously, we used to farm crops like maize, but the production kept dwindling. Coupled with frequent floods and droughts, it became difficult to cope until chilli farming came along. This has since reduced dependency on forest products, especially trees, where some people had resorted to cutting trees and burning charcoal to earn a living,” says Dorcas Helbon, a chilli farmer.

Ismael Komoro from Handaraku says the introduction of the Galla goat breed is a step towards improving productivity for goat farmers. Nature Kenya has distributed 180 male Galla goats.

“Unlike the breed we have, Galla goats are big, meaning a farmer can get more profit by keeping a few goats of this breed,” Komoro says. Having fewer but more productive goats also means less pressure on the Delta, hence less degradation.

Residents on the lower side of the Tana Delta, in Ozi and Mpeketoni villages, are conserving mangroves and dryland forests as they engage in rice and fish farming. The fish farming project is supporting fourteen fish ponds in Ozi.

“Fish farming in Ozi will solve challenges of overfishing within the mangroves, which are fish breeding zones,” says George Odera, Nature Kenya’s Tana Delta project manager. “A lot of fishing has been going on in the mangrove areas as most local fishers cannot access the deep sea due to lack of proper gear. Fish farming in ponds will give a lifeline to these communities while also conserving the critical mangrove forests and breeding zones.”

“Nature Kenya previously supported us with fingerlings to restock our six ponds. The Department of Fisheries stepped in to train us on how to make feeds. Fishing is now manageable for the 50 farmers under this group. In July we harvested 2,400 kilograms of fish which we sold for Ksh. 200 a kilo, translating to Ksh. 480,000,” says Abdallah Hassan Mohammed, the secretary of Moto Fish farmers in Ozi.

For farmers in the Delta, getting certified seeds has been one of their biggest challenges. Nature Kenya has stepped in to distribute certified seeds and incorporated extension officers who visit farmers to enhance mainstreaming of climate-smart agriculture in production systems.

Rice farming within Ozi and Mpeketoni villages received a boost after 247 farmers received 4,720 kilogrammes of rice seed. Farmers expect to boost their production while conserving the critical mangrove and dryland forests.

“Although we are yet to harvest, we can see the difference of the certified seeds distributed by Nature Kenya from the ones we normally plant. They are also fast-maturing,” says Godhana Chalalu Dhadho, a rice seed beneficiary.

Mary Mwende, a beneficiary of climate-smart agriculture training, says the introduction of certified maize seeds in Hurara in Tana Delta has boosted productivity within the area.

“Initially, we thought it was cheaper getting seeds from the old harvest, a situation which resulted in poor production. The latest harvest from the distribution of certified seeds yielded double of what we used to harvest. From the initial three bags we used to harvest from an acre, we currently harvest between 8 to 10 bags,” Mwende says.

Farmer field schools have also been set up, with one being at Minjila near Garsen to enhance mainstreaming of climate-smart agriculture. Farmers can walk in and learn best farming practices to adapt to the changing climate.

Nature Kenya is also implementing another project in Tana River Delta: The Restoration Initiative (TRI) Tana Delta. This project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), aims at restoring degraded forest landscapes in Tana River and Lamu counties.

Pink spots across the blue-green water; the low grunting sound of thousands of feeding flamingos in the distance –Lake Bogoria’s alkaline water creates a haven for almost a quarter of the world’s Lesser Flamingos after their breeding season in Tanzania’s Lake Natron.

This year, however, as one nears the shore the scene changes – dozens of flamingo carcasses dangle from the branches of dense Prosopis juliflora thickets that blanket the lake’s shores. Some flamingo seem to have lost the fight after struggling to disentangle from the sharp thorns of the low trees.

“It is worrying,” says James Kimaru, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) senior warden at Lake Bogoria National Reserve. “Tens of flamingos are dying from being trapped by Prosopis bushes while attempting to either land or take off,”

Prosopis juliflora, a kind of mesquite, is an aggressive invader that replaces native vegetation, especially in dry areas where there is seasonal flooding.. It is ranked among top 100 invasive species globally, ravaging other arid and semi-arid areas of Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt, West Africa, Australia, and other countries.

The plant was introduced in Kenya in the 1970s to rehabilitate the Arid and Semi-Arid Areas (ASALs), due to its resilience, fast growth rate and edible pods. Here it became known as ‘Mathenge’.

Prosopis does not normally grow on the shores of strongly alkaline or saline lakes, and flamingos can use the muddy shores dusted with white soda ash for takeoff and landing. In the past decade of heavy rain and catchment degradation, however, many alkaline lakes have flooded and become fresher. Prosopis became established in the shallow, relatively fresh water along the edges of the lakes.

“Flamingos prefers shallow water near the shores, which unfortunately has been taken over by Prosopis. This becomes a challenge whenever the birds are landing or taking off,” Richard Kipng’eno, Birding and Membership officer at Nature Kenya says.

Lake Bogoria has expanded by 7 square kilometre from its original size. The rising water levels have submerged administration offices and the gate of the \national reserve.

“Prosopis has also created navigational challenges in some parts of Lake Baringo,” Kipng’eno adds. “During the recent waterbird counts at Lake Baringo, we experienced some difficulties in manoeuvring boats through the Prosopis thickets.”

Large concentrations of Prosopis are to be found in Tana River, Turkana and Baringo counties. The invasive Prosopis has also colonised parts of Taita Taveta, Malindi, Samburu, Isiolo, Mandera, Marsabit, Wajir, Kajiado and Migori counties.

The plant has also been documented to have invaded some of Kenya’s important wetlands including River Tana Delta in Tana River County, Lorian Swamp (Isiolo/Garissa Counties) Lengurruahanga swamp (Kajiado) among others.

Prosopis charcoal is highly rated, but it is very difficult to cut the hard wood of the spreading, thorny trees.