That’s what Kijabe Environment Volunteers have been doing! KENVO as they are more popularly known is a group of young, totally into the environment youth that works around the Kijabe escarpment, with a focus on the Kereita forest. Kereita forest is the southern most part of the Aberdare ranges of Kenya. The group came together in 1994 as Kijabe Young Volunteers to address environmental and forest degradation and other wider social issues such as poverty and HIV. But its their novel way of approaching environmental conservation that has earned them admiration of their peers and the community in general. Among the activities that KENVO carries out is celebration of the annual World Environment Day (June 5). But unlike many organizations, KENVO has found ways to involve the public in these celebrations in ways that are not connected to the traditional tree planting and clean-ups. Those do eventually take place, but amid much more excitement. First it was a marathon. For the past couple of years, members of the community have been encouraged to run in a World Environment Day marathon while also taking part in other activities like music, dancing, exhibitions, tree planting and clean-ups. This year KENVO introduced a beauty contest - the Miss Environment from Kijabe. I couldn’t believe my ears when team leader David Kuria told me this. But whatever works, this group will use it. I am yet to get pictures of the event but as soon as I have some, I will be sure to post them. Meanwhile, go on over to the KENVO site and read up on this interesting group. Liz
The East African Standard reports that East African lawyers will next week sue the Government over the destruction of the Mau Read more here
KFWG would like to show its support for government efforts to save the Mau. We hope this resolve will not wane.
The Government has sworn to act to save the Mau Complex forests. Prime Minister Hon. Raila Odinga who chaired a meeting over the Mau said the Government was treating the matter seriously and was determined to come up with a solution. “We are concerned about the situation in Mau and want to find a solution to the increased human activity there,” the East African Standard quotes him. KFWG member and UNEP Policy and Programme Officer, Mr Christian Lambrechts, gave a presentation on the status of the forests and raised alarm over the future of projects that depend on the Mau Complex. Read more on this latest development here at the East African Standard online edition. A copy of a report from an aerial survey of the Mau forest complex authored by UNEP, KFWG and Ewaso Ngiro South Development Authority can found on the KFWG website at this link.
Tomorrow, 30th May 2008 the new Minister of Forestry and Wildlife, Hon. Noah Wekesa will launch the 2008 national tree planting season at a ceremony to be held at Gathiuru Forest Station. The event is used to encourage Kenyans to plant trees throughout the country. It coincides with the long rains. In connection to this, if there is anyone who wants to contribute tree seedlings to a youth group which wants to plant trees in the Ngong Forest, kindly contact us. Happy planting.
As part of a Natural Resources Management and Governance course I am attending in Tanzania, I have been fortunate to visit the Babati area to see how communities are managing forest resources. Unlike in Kenya where Participatory Forest Management (PFM) is just being formalized under the Forests Act 2005, Tanzania is way ahead in this area. In Babati we witnessed forest areas that are under full management of communities and those that are under joint management with the Government. It’s the nature of people to resist change. Although PFM in Kenya has been met with a high degree of enthusiasm, there have been cynical quarters - those people who are convinced that communities are not good managers. I wish everyone had the opportunity to visit Babati. Although there are still challenges, the communities are a good example of what benefits can come out of entrusting a community with the responsibility of looking after its own resources. Duru Haitemba Community Based Forest Management was the first initiative we visited. Duru Haitemba is one of the few remaining Miombo woodlands in the Babati District. They are located approximately 20km from Babati town. In the early nineties the forest was earmarked for gazettement. The local community representative explained that the forest had become degraded and the forest authorities decided to take action. However, the gazattement caused discontent among the locals. After much dialogue, the situation was resolved by allowing eight (currently nine) villages to take the responsibility of managing the forest. What we gathered from the local representative was that the community took responsibility for the state of the forest then. However, they collectively decided to look after the forests once they were given authority. This positive attitude caused the government to suspend gazettement. It is also this positive attitude that has resulted in the good the progress made by the community. They came up with structures that have helped them to exploit and reap benefits from the forest while at the same time protecting it. The Tanzanian Government was also willing to devolve powers. The community was empowered and motivated to become the managers of their own resource. This is what PFM in Kenya is proposing and I hope it takes root as it has in Babati.
Publication Date: 3/11/2008 Hundreds of families have illegally invaded Mau Forest, posing grave danger to the environment and wildlife, writes KEN OPALA Conflicts do not just destabilise human lives. The environment also suffers when mobs take advantage of a breakdown in law and order to invade forests and plunder other natural resources. anuary was a particularly bad month for the 400,000-ha Mau Complex, one of the key water sources in Kenya. Taking advatage of the post-election violence, hordes of people invaded the forest and hived off land for themselves. Others cut down the threatened Podo tree species to burn charcoal. Conservationists who have mapped the extent of the destruction have warned that the forest could be destroyed by invaders. “There has been trouble there over the last two months,” says Mr D.S. Mbugua, the director of Kenya Forest Services. He is worried by the human encroachment of three of Mau Complex’s 12 forests – South West Mau, Trans Mara, ol Pusimoru and Maasai Mau. According to him, the situation is serious. Read more
Like everybody in Kenya we are sighing with relief; peace at last. Sadly, the violence led to great losses in forests. The impact on forests has demonstrated how urgently forest issues need to be addressed. Forests have been invaded by illegal loggers, been torched, in some cases settled and cleared for cultivation, forests infrastructure in some areas has been completely vandalized and or/destroyed. Kenya Forest Service staff comprising foresters and forest guards were displaced from their work stations while others were threatened to stay away. This left the forests open to abuse and it has led to destruction of forests . KFS has lost millions of Shillings as a result of illegal logging. However, KFS did a commendable job in responding to the crisis sending out rangers to priority areas and sounding out donors to fund restoration efforts. Currently a number of Civil Society organizations including KFWG are working with KFS and some donors to see how best urgent needs can be addressed. The Forestry sector – in particular the newly created Kenya Forest Service - urgently needs funding for its operation and the political will to support it to serve its mandate. But, ultimately, as Kenyans, we must make sure we show respect and protect forests as we are so utterly dependent on them. We here at KFWG believe its our duty as all Kenyans.
The Daily Nation reports that loggers have taken advantage of the post-election violence to venture into Forest Reserves in Keiyo, Marakwet, Uasin Gishu, Baringo, Nandi North and South districts. Some forests were set on fire and hundreds of hectares were destroyed. Baringo district commissioner Hassan Fara says the Government lost more than Sh2 million in the last two weeks of violence through illegal logging and burning of public forests. Area district forestry officer Daniel Too says illegal loggers took advantage of the violence to invade Katimok forest and cut down the endangered sandalwood trees, among other species. You can read more here
On 23rd January 2008, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Kenya Forests Working Group (KFWG) and the Ewaso Ngiro South Development Authority (ENSDA) conducted an aerial survey to determine the status of some of the Mau Complex forest blocks following complaints that there was increased forest destruction after the disputed 2007 December presidential elections. A 13 seater Caravan aircraft was gratuitously made available by Boskovic. The aircraft flew over four forest blocks namely: Maasai Mau, Ol Pusimoru, Transmara and South West Mau. Government officials from Narok North District, Narok District Forest Office, Narok District Environmental Office, Ewaso Ngiro South Development Authority, accompanied officers from UNEP, KFWG and the Narok County Council participated in the aerial survey. The survey consisted of flying at low altitude above the southern and eastern Maasai Mau boundary, the Maasai Mau/Ol Pusimoru boundary, the north-eastern and south-western Transmara boundaries, the 2001 excision boundary in South West Mau, and the western part of Maasai Mau in Narok South District. All forest destructive activities were recorded by GPS, digital camera and video. Results of the aerial survey can be found in a report posted on the Kenya Forests Working Group website. In brief the survey revealed that there is increased intensity in settlement and logging particularly of Podo within the Maasai Mau, which has also increased encroachment through settlement into Ol Pusimoru along the Ol Pusimoru/Maasai Mau forest boundary. A large section of S W Mau forest degazetted in 2001 is now completely settled and there is encroachment beyond the boundary. The Transmara has had incidences of fire, some limited logging of Podo is taking place and in some cases nearby tea plantations are encroaching into SW and Transmara forests. The above report was presented to partners in Narok and to the Director and senior staff of the Kenya Forest Service (KFS). In response, the Narok County Council has allocated Kshs 4 million to start demarcation of forest boundaries of the Maasai Mau forest (the most affected forest block in the Mau complex, which is managed by the council). The KFS agreed to send 200 forest guards to the gazetted Ol Pusimoru Forest Reserve that is managed by KFS. Further aerial assessments of the forests are being arranged. KFWG is most grateful to Cap. Watts/Boskovic air for facilitating the flight.
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