GVI Kenya

GVI have been in Kenya since the beginning of 2006 with the four programmes; marine research, coastal forest research, teaching and community development in Mkwiro and Shimoni villages, and community development in three villages bordering Tsavo West National Park, near Taveta.

The community development work in the Taveta region is specifically working with the villages of Kidong, Kasaani and Mahandakini.  These three villages used to be notorious poaching communities, but have given up poaching for safer, less destructive alternative livelihoods. 

 A truly spectacular shot of a superb starling in flight.  Seen during bird surveys 

GVI has been helping them with many different things over the years, but have recently been focussing on developing their access to the tourist trade, value-added products, food security and agricultural improvements, to name a few. 

For example, the community in Kidong has been developing a cultural centre which can be used for tourism and community education.  To go hand in hand with this, GVI is helping to train tour guides for activities such as guided tours of the local area.  This information will also be used in the cultural centre itself.  To enhance the training and knowledge of the guides, our teams out there have been conducting bird surveys to establish what species are found in which areas, so the guides can be trained on the identification of the common species.

However, there have been some unexpected sightings….

Our teams have recorded some species which (according to various bird books) are not meant to be found in the area at all!  They are 100% confirmed sightings, as all teams are trained in bird surveys and the common species, and the staff members that are present have years of experience in bird surveys and avian identification.

 Lizzard buzzard seen during bird surveys

Unfortunately we have not managed to get any decent photos, but will keep trying! The species are as follows:

• White fronted bee-eater
• Fischer’s lovebird
• Red-chested sunbird
• Violet wood hoopoe

To be honest, we’re not sure what to do, if anything at all!  It is perfectly reasonable for species to move into new areas, or expand their home ranges over time.  And of course bird books will eventually become ‘out of date’.  It is just odd, as you learn to rely almost entirely on bird books and it comes as quite a surprise when one is proved wrong!

 Red-billed hornbill with a mouthfull!  Seen during bird surveys

Anyway, we have sent the information to Birdlife International, and at the very least they may find the information interesting.  The bird surveys will continue, and we will certainly keep you all informed if we come across anything else strange!   

I write to you all today with very tired legs, blistered hands and an aching arm, but with good news!  Today we headed out into Shimoni east to help the members of Friends of Shimoni Forest (the community based organisation we work with) plan, cut and tag the trail through the forest that they will soon be taking tourists on!

Friends of Shimoni Forest have been planning these guided tours though the forest for a while now, and are finally almost ready to go.  The idea is to take tourists on walks through the forest to visit the sacred Kaya’s (traditional religious sites), and to experience the amazing wildlife that exists.

 A view of the mangroves from the trail

There were times of sadness and frustration, as we confirmed our fears that it simply was not possible to get up to the Kaya’s (which are a couple of kilometers past our normal survey transects) without passing through vast swathes of destruction.  The areas of pristine, mature forest are becoming more and more fragmented and patchy.  This was expected though, and maneuvering the tourists through only untouched forest would have been a falsehood (as well as difficult!).  This way they will see both sides – the results of overexploitation and illegal activities, and the amazing coastal forest as it should be.

Some of the stunning forest the trail passes through

Raising awareness of this forest, and the issues that it faces is the single most important thing we can do.  Not only will these guided walks show tourists what is happening, we believe it will raise awareness amongst the local community as well.  Not only this, but it will bring Friends of Shimoni Forest valuable revenue which it can use to fund activities like forest patrols, tree planting, school scholarships, and perhaps will aide in finding alternative livelihoods for some of the people charcoal burning and logging. 

 A charcoal pit ready to burn

The main issue with ideas such as forest patrols, is that the people of these communities simply cannot afford to sacrifice a day earning money for their families, for patrolling as volunteers.  And many of the charcoal burners we have spoken to said they would happily give it up if they could earn money in other ways.  These problems are not easily solved, but there are many avenues to explore.

Yesterday in Shimoni Forest was one of very mixed feelings. 
In the morning we had set out with a GPS with the intention of recording the locations of all of the new roads, plots and clearings that have sprung up in the forest.  These areas are the result of developments that are in the pipeline, or for the more extreme cases, are underway already.  We wanted to plot it all on a GPS map so that we could get a feel for what is happening on a larger scale.  The results were quite scary, with the waypoints highlighting a well organized matrix of plots that cover the entire coastline.  This information is going to be included in a disturbance report that will soon be submitted to the Kenya Forest Service. 

Later in the day however, two of us went with the chairman of Friends of Shimoni Forest (the community-based organization we work closely with) to visit a couple of the sacred Kaya’s in the forest. 
In addition to the biological value, Shimoni forest holds cultural value to the Digo tribe that lives along the coast. The traditional inhabitants of these areas still practice ancient rituals and ceremonies at the Kaya’s located deep within the forest. These Kaya’s are ancient burial grounds of their ancestors, and offerings in the form of gifts, prayers and sacrifices are given to the spiritual inhabitants of the Kaya’s. These Kaya’s have been past down through generations and are of utmost important to their users. 

Bottles of rose water and honey water left for the Kaya’s ancestors

We are not allowed to visit the Kaya’s without an Mzee (village elder), so we met up with an Mzee in the village of Anziwani, and walked into the forest to find the Kaya’s.  When we approached the sacred place, we had to remove our shoes, and the Mzee recited prayers to the spirits asking for permission to enter.  The first Kaya was a cave with a well, where the villagers in the past used to collect water and pray.  We sat next to the cave while the Mzee quietly explained (in Kiswahili which was translated for us) the history and legends of the Kaya.  The second one we visited was a very strange fossilised coral land formation, similar to a small ravine or gorge, very close to a beautiful area of mangroves.  This Kaya was marked by old flags, and again we removed our shoes and listened to the myths and rituals associated with this ancient site. 

The Mzee – a highly respected village elder

The reason for this visit, was to help Friends of Shimoni Forest set up guided walks and tours through the forest.  The walks would include visits to these shrines, followed by a guided tour through the forest to see the birds, animals and monkeys that inhabit this incredible forest.  Friends of Shimoni Forest intend these tours to raise money for the community group by harnessing the income generated by tourists, which will then be ploughed back into community projects and to aid in the protection of the Forest.  They also hope that this endeavor will help raise awareness of the importance of the forest locally, nationally and internationally. 

The flags that mark the boundaries of one of the Kaya’s.

Both myself and Aaron, were very moved by the Kaya’s, their history and by the respect the communities show to them.  Very few outsiders have ever been allowed to see the Kaya’s, and we did not take this privilege for granted.  Hopefully together with Friends of Shimoni Forest we can get the guided walks set up, and will be one step closer to saving this critically endangered forest.