All posts by : Alex Simiyu

Introduction

On Monday a group 5 of A Rocha Kenya volunteers, were able to help with tree planting in a local village. Tree planting is one of the conservation measures through which ASSETS (Arabuko-Sokoke Schools and Eco-Tourism Scheme) works with the local community to make them less depended on the forest. The idea being that if the community members have their own trees, they can sell or cut for timber or charcoal without having to go into the forest. 

The process

Families engaged primarily are those of ASSETS beneficiaries. We arrived at the households  and headed round the back of their property to the area where the trees were going to be planted. Using string that was pulled tight across an area of land, we dug holes for the saplings at 2metre intervals. The Casuarina sapling could then be placed into the ground, and with care, the hole filed in with soil. A basin was left at the base of each tree for rain to pool from the nearby ground and provide prolonged saturation for the roots. In total as a group, we planted just over 170 trees! 

Why the tree planting

The rainy season starts in April here in Kenya, so it is this time of the year that there is a bigger push to put trees in the ground. In the hope that they will become well enough established before the water becomes more scarce. 

Our aim as ASSETS has always been to reduce the pressure exerted on Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and the Mida-Creek, and in so doing, care for God’s beautiful creation. One of the best ways of doing this, that has been tested over the years, is helping the neighboring community to be more equipped and be able to rely on themselves. If they can go about their daily lives without having to cut down trees or hunt animals in the forest, then there is hope for the forest.

Conclusion

After the planting was completed, the volunteers got a chance to share with the community and they were all very praising of ASSETS and the potential it has to provide benefit to local people. Nathan a new A Rocha Kenya volunteer was excited to get stuck in and had this to say…
“Getting to visit a family living in smaller village was such a privilege and I truly enjoyed getting dirty in the soil, digging holes and planting trees.  What I took from this experience the most though was learning how beneficial a few simple trees can be to a family. I learnt that not only can tree planting contribute towards a healthier environment, but also be a source of income for people too, brilliant! Plus, an added benefit was the building of friendships and community that resulted from our great teamwork! 

Introduction

Last weekend, our science team together with a few volunteers went for the monthly Sabaki bird count. To make the activity even more interesting and fruitful, they went there the night before and camped on site. Faith, a volunteer in the communications department was happy to join them, and this is what she had to say…

“During my time at A Rocha Kenya, I have heard many interesting stories about the Sabaki bird counts, or the muddy counts, as it is often called. That is why when the opportunity to not only join the count but get to camp as well presented itself, I couldn’t say no. We arrived at Sabaki at around 4pm, where we met members of the Sabaki River Conservation and Development Organization ( SARICODO). They were our hosts, but also would later join us for the counts. We then headed to our camping site where we pitched our tents and spend the rest of the evening.

Early the next day…

Our morning started quite early. We started with a bird walk around the area. In the process, we also got to identify some interesting species and learnt about some of the tree species around. Some of the bird species in our bird watching included the Red –cheeked Cordon-bleu, African palm swift and Namaqua dove. We also saw the Speckled mousebird ,Scaly-throated honeyguide ,Africa pied wagtail, Village weaver and the Fork-tailed drongo.

One for the road

At about quarter past seven, we went back to our camping site and made breakfast. We really had a scarcity of water in the area so the little we could get was only used for cooking and drinking.
The Sabaki water counts started half past nine. We used a different route because of the rains, the usual route was flooded and thus very hard to access. Because of the floods, we had a lot of dirty water in the ocean from the river.

Most of the water birds had migrated and so we did not count a lot of birds as usual. The count did live up to its legend. The fun part was walking through the mud on the banks, and also watching out for the hippos in the river.

Bird of the day

The highlight of the day was the White-winged Black Tern, the species was in the molting period and as a result looked very pretty. Other species that were counted included the African sacred ibis, Common greenshank, Caspian tern, Lesser flamingos, Terek Sandpiper, Swift tern, Lesser crested tern, Grey plover, Little stint and White-fronted plover.

We were done by our counts at around noon, where we all gathered at our camping site, broke camp and cleared, ready to go back to Mwamba. I really had a very interesting day and a unique experience. What I thought the Sabaki counts would be like was great, but what I experienced was even greater. And even though there wasn’t the usual mud, maybe because we used a different route, the muddy count did live up to its legend!”

Introduction

Reduced dependence on the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest (ASF) means reduced destruction which leads to a healthy and protected forest. Over the years, providing eco-bursaries for children living around this globally important forest has proofed to work. But in addition to it, we still need to engage families living around ASF, teaching them about alternative way of life that isn’t harmful to the forest. It is only when every aspect of their lives is transformed that the forest will be conserved.

The environmental education team went out to teach the Arabuko-Sokoke Schools and Eco-Tourism Scheme (ASSETS) beneficiaries parents at Mijomboni on ways of molding a foundation of the energy saving stove. The liners used are able to sustain heat for a long time, and use less firewood thus saving or reducing cutting of trees. It was an interactive session as we build the foundation of one of the liners, to complete the energy saving stove.

Interested in making this at home?

In case you would want to have your own energy saving jiko, this is a step by step process of making it. Here is what you need;

•  Soil-(5 wheelbarrows)
•  Ash/chalk
• Small stones
• Water

What is even better, is that these materials are locally available and won’t cost a thing!

Making the stove

Below is the simplified process just for you;

• Measure 1*1 meter, on the ground where you want the jiko. It should be somewhere with wind access.
• Soak the liner for around 30 minutes.
• Mix the soil and ash.
• Add a layer of stones then the layer of the mixed ash is added until the needed height of the foundation.

• Set the liner on top of the foundation, the V shaped space should directly face the door.
• Do a test to ensure that the liner is well balanced. This is by placing a sufuria with water on top of the foundation. If it is not balanced, add pebbles until it is balanced.

• After balancing the liner, add layer of stones and then lastly you mud the foundation, starting from the liner going outwards.
• Small pebbles of stone are then placed in the liner.
• Finally, one can smoothen the surface, so as the foundation can have a great look.
  The energy saving stove after being molded, should not be used for the first 5 days. It should be left to dry before one can start using it. After the 5 days, start with light cooking such as preparing tea, nothing that takes more than an hour to prepare. Thereafter, it can be used to cook all the other meals.

Conclusion

As we mentioned, reducing the pressure exerted on the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest by the neighboring community is our number one priority as ASSETS. And even though providing eco-bursaries for kids from this community has reduced this pressure by a significant margin, we still need such additional steps of engaging the community. For instance, if this jiko is built well, it can be used up to five years. In addition, it consumes less firewood, produces less smoke and has minimal risks to children.

Willing to support?

ASSETS is only as strong as those people supporting it. To make this work and keep this going, we need your support. If you are willing to support the work of ASSETS, please click this link or gift us here. It only takes Ksh. 6000 to get a child through school and do such works for a whole month! Thank you so much for your support.

Introduction

The 2023 annual Tana bird count happened from 9^th-12^th of February. Tides above 3.2 meters are favorable for the bird counting. This is why it is usually done on the first week of February.
Having started in 2006, the Tana River bird count is one of A Rocha Kenya’s long term projects. It is part of an International water bird census that is done to document the status of the species that use water areas. Since it is done annually and on the same river channel and distance, this count helps in establishing the trend on the number of species, diversity and population of the birds found here over the years. In reality, the count is supposed to be done twice a year, at the beginning and in the middle of the year. However, lack of enough funding has limited the it to once a year.

About the count

For a better part, the count went on as planned and everything went well. The team managed to see a few interesting species including Blacksmith Lapwing. It had not been recorded in the previous years and it was quite interesting to find them in a flock of other lapwings. The other species that was eye-catching was the African skimmer.

Few problems along the way

However, this years’ count came with a few challenges. The water level was so low that the team had to cut their journey by a whole 5Kms as it was difficult for the boat to move. This could explain why they counted fewer birds as compared to the previous years. But with the tide level that low, it is quite possible that the numbers could still have been lower even if they had managed to go all the way. In addition to that, the 5Kms gap made it difficult to establish a conclusive comparison with the previous years.

We appreciate the effort

We appreciate the group of 5 led by Colin and Kirao who participated in the count this year. The Tana delta dune lodge were legends as they provided free accommodation to the team. Our appreciations goes to everyone who made this count possible. We acknowledge the outstanding efforts of people like Florian (manager Ocean sports), Eden Forestation Project and Lower Tana Conservation Group. It is with help from people like you that we get to stand.

Introduction

The beauty of volunteering with A Rocha Kenya (ARK) is that it is a win-win situation. We get to receive different people, at different stages and ages, from different locations all over the world, different walks of life, all willing to do different things. Volunteers do more than just help push our conservation work forward, they bring variety to the team and beautiful stories from different corners of the globe.
In return, they get to be involved in new things, gain experience in different fields, make new friends, bask in the warm beaches and rich heritages as they meet and learn from new people. Katie Henderson is one of our volunteers in 2023, and she was kind enough to put this short story together about volunteers’ experiences at the Center.

Katie Henderson

My name is Katie and I am from Colorado, United States of America. I joined ARK on 1st of February, 2023. I serve as a general volunteer and as a result get many opportunities to help in different departments.
Some of the key focuses that I have been helping with include communications, research, writing articles and designing(posters & pamphlets). I enjoy being able to participate in the projects here. Projects such as trail and beach clean ups, fence building, and tree planting. I particularly liked taking part in the tree potting at Kuvuka tree nursery and getting to learn new skills. Also I have liked exploring around the local community and going into town with other volunteers and staff. I still remember how wonderful it was when some volunteers and I joined our visitors on a boat tour in the ocean where we saw lots of dolphins. We also managed to snorkel, and I gotta say, it was an amazing experience.

Franciska Sprong

Franciska first joined A Rocha Kenya back in 2021 where she served as the only volunteer for 10 weeks. Being a period when the world was just coming from Covid-19, Franciska ended up serving in all departments at A Rocha. She came back to ARK on February 23rd, 2023.

Franciska is from the Netherlands and is currently volunteering in the sciences and art departments. She has been assisting with bird data, marine research and has been painting murals around the property. It has been a wonderful reunion for her and she has really enjoyed being able to reconnect with staff from her previous stay. Her favorite volunteer activity is participating in the bird counts at Sabaki estuary. Using her own words, “I really love meal times and the dishes served at Mwamba. As well as the conversations I have with guests and staff.”

Faith Aboki

Faith, or as we love to call her Fay, joined ARK as a volunteer at the beginning of February. She is originally from Eldoret(one of the towns in Kenya) and has enjoyed volunteering in the communications department and getting to assist in other departments. Faith helps with preparing social media posts, taking photos and working on the new website. She has enjoyed taking part in the tree potting and seed planting at Kuvuka tree nursery. She has also liked being a part of the fencing project that was done at the bottom of our property.

According to her, it is just amazing how Mwamba is such a welcoming and hospitable community with lots of opportunities to learn. “I liked being able to join the science team at Mida-Creek for the water bird counts and even being asked to scribe. Now when I get down to prepare a post, at least am doing that with first hand information”. Faith also enjoys exploring Watamu, a bit of reading and relaxing.

Jonas Flohr

Jonas has been volunteering with the Science and Maintenance departments for almost 2 months now. To him learning about birds through the bird surveys and bird ringing, and getting involved in the Shark survey have been some of his major highlights.

He feels that the projects he is involved in are a great way to help with conservation and help contribute to the local environment. “The tasks that we do are very fulfilling to me because I can actually see that the work we are doing is helpful and important. When am working on watering the young trees around the property, I get to see first hand the contribution that is making to the environment. Seeing them grow and remain healthy makes those trips I make all the more worthy it. In addition, the balance between maintenance and science has always given me a variety of activities that makes me look forward to every day.”

He enjoys how Mwamba has such a community atmosphere and so many different guests that he can talk to. Jonas enjoys exploring the local area and taking beach walks to Watamu, snorkeling and taking some downtime on the nature trail. Food variety, learning Swahili and visiting the local market with other volunteers is just adds to the list of the many things that Jonas loves about being at A Rocha. How I wish you could see the excitement in his eyes! Oh, Jonas is from the United Kingdom.

Miyo Yasuda

All the way from Japan, Miyo is currently the newest member of the team, having joined us just a few days ago. She loves being able to help out wherever is needed and enjoys helping with arts and hospitality. Maybe it is a bit early to say, but Miyo already loves the atmosphere of Mwamba and the connections she has made. She also loves learning about new customs and cultures.

Miyo has enjoyed the encouragement and support that she has been offered here and how she is able to learn new skills and more about conservation. One of Miyo’s highlights has been the fellowship and services that we have on Sundays. She has loved being able to have the opportunity to help with the bible study for kids in the community. Miyoalso loves being around other Christians and the values that A Rocha has, “I really enjoy how we pray before every meal, and get to share the meals together as a community”. She loves going on swims in the afternoons before dinner with other volunteers.

Dr. Nigel Mathews

The only volunteer with three nationalities, Kenyan, British and Canadian. Nigel has been helping in the Science and Hospitality departments for just under a month now. He has enjoyed taking part in the monitoring of waders on the coral headland at the entrance to the Mida-Creek. He is also looking forward to taking part in the Wader count at Mida-Creek and monitoring the Sakoke Scops owls & the Clarke’s weaver.

Nigel loves the fresh fruits, such as pineapple, bananas, and papaya that Watamu has to offer.
For Mwamba, Nigel loves swimming in the sea. “It is my ultimate joy!”. He also likes helping out in the hospitality department and preparing the dining room before meals. One look at the dinner table arrangements he makes and you will agree that he is more than just a beautiful mind.

Introduction

One of the major highlights of the year for the science department is the annual water bird counts. This year’s count happened on 3rd and 4th of February. However, the wet areas continue drying up, with every year worse than the one before…another effect of climate change? Here is a summary of the 2023 counts as compiled by one of our volunteers.

Lake Jilore

On February 3rd, 2023, a group of us from A Rocha Kenya headed to different locations to do wader counts that were to be submitted for the national bird count data. We left early in the morning and were out all day driving around with our binoculars and birding telescopes. I offered to be the scribe for one of the group, which I soon realized was a very important task. I had never taken part in a bird count before and was very excited to see what the day would entail.

We first arrived at lake Jilore in Kilifi County and we were shocked to see how dried up the water was. I was told that years before the lake was triple the size. We went on a walk down the hill towards the water. It seemed far in the heat and all around us the dirt was cracking from the warm temperatures. Once we arrived at the water, we were pleasantly surprised to see large groups of birds. We saw birds from Little stints, Glossy ibis, Greenshanks, Sandpipers among others. While we were observing the birds, Colin noticed that there were bird snares along the back coast of the lake. We counted 13 illegally placed snares and noticed that there was a Glossy ibis caught by the foot. Not only is there the issue of bird snares, there is also the concern of overfishing.

Elephant water hole in Arabuko-Sokoke Forest

From Lake Jilore we headed down to Lake Mbaratum which was completely dry with no water birds in sight! From here, we went to the Elephant water hole in Arabuko-Sokoke reserve. By this time, it was around lunch time and quite warm so that could have explained as to why we didn’t see as many water birds. The watering hole was also so small, hard to even see from the road. We stood there for about 10 minutes without seeing any birds. We were all watching very intentionally and we did end up seeing about 5 different bird species. Species such as the Little stint and the Black tip white tern.

Lake Chemchem

By the time we got to Lake Chemchem, it was very hot, clear and sunny. The habitat contained trees and shrubs. Surrounding hills appeared slightly eroded with no much trees or shrub cover. The bottom of the lake contained dry dark silt with dry snail and mussels scattered. No water was on sight. Tall grass scattered all over the dried lake. People were observed burning charcoal near the lake’s shore while others were grazing towards the far north end. Since the water had dried up there was a smaller number of water birds present.

Malindi Harbor

Our final stop that day was the Malindi harbor area next to the Vasco da Gama pillar. The weather was hot, humid and clear. There were less birds at shore at first as many birds were out in the small “islands” formed because of the low tide. We started by counting the few herons, plovers and sandpipers at shore. We later advanced towards the northern side of the beach as the water started coming back, the birds began flocking at shore which made it easier to count.

The shore looked less disturbed with few fishermen. There were a lot of water birds around, species of terns, plovers, ibis, whimbrels among others.

Conclusion

Numbers don’t lie, and this year’s numbers didn’t paint a really good picture. The effects of climate change that we have been merely talking about are finally catching up, steady and fast! With fewer wet areas comes fewer birds. Setting up bird traps on the few remaining areas just makes matters worse.

Even though the wet areas keep reducing with every successive year, we are glad we got to do this count. With the results we found, we can now assess and see where we need to put in more efforts and who we need to involve.  I believe it is time to change the “we need to start doing something about this” to “we are doing something about this”!