Along the coastal forest of Kenya, lies Dakatcha woodland, a fragile ecosystem that has been threatened by deforestation. To protect this diverse habitat, A Rocha protects this area through conversation and purchasing of land to be kept as a nature reserve.
Having not studied butterflies and moths before, we were really interested to discover more about these beautiful creatures. Dakatcha was an amazing opportunity to explore more about these species.

On arriving through meandering paths weaving along tapestries of trees and bush, we felt fully immersed in the calm serenity of wilderness. To see the range of different species of butterfly, we put up nets in a wide range of area. As we wandered to set up the traps, we were struck by the natural, unspoilt beauty of Dakatcha. Speckled among the oasis of trees and plants, butterflies gracefully flew in the breeze. A really exciting activity was to collect as many species of butterfly as possible with a sweeping net, which could then be used for identification. The variety of species we collected showed the spectacular biodiversity of this area.

One of our highlights of the trip was watching the striking Sokoke Scopes Owl resting in its second discovered roosting site. After waking up in the peaceful early hours of the morning, we followed the distinctive call of the owl through thickets of woodland, to where it sat peacefully nestled in the tree, its vast, wise eyes calmy staring. An added touch of the enchantment, were the fireflies that sparkled subtly, gently lighting up the darkness of the trees.

At night, in the depths of the peaceful darkness of the forest, we headed down from camp to explore the wetland area for frogs. The moon softly lit up the tranquil, mysterious water. Amid the muddy banks, frogs were scattered around, glistening in the light of our torch.

This experience in Dakatcha was extremely worthwhile as we learnt about how to carry out fieldwork on butterflies and moths. We really enjoyed and appreciated being able to discover another memorising world out there of nature, wildlife and peacefulness. We have left the nature reserve with a greater appreciation for the interconnectedness of the natural world.