GO OUT AND PLANT A TREE TODAY AND SUSTAIN LIFE ON THE PLANET

 Tree planting is the most popular Earth Day event and one of the most common activities people associate with helping the Earth. Planting is an act of putting down roots and contributing to the future. The simple act of planting a tree, helps the environment in so many ways.

 Close to 1.4 billion people live in rural areas and depend largely on agriculture for their livelihoods, while an estimated 2.5 billion people are involved in full- or part-time smallholder agriculture. That is according to according to Smallholders, Food Security and the Environment — a report commissioned by the UN Environment Program-World Conservation Monitoring Centre and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. 

Also, most of these are smallholders who manage approximately 500 million small farms and provide over 80 per cent of the food consumed in large parts of the developing world, particularly Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Tragically, increasing land fragmentation and pressure from a growing population has pushed them to encroaching on water towers and forested land to increase their acreage. This comes at a price with the attendant exploitation of trees for building material and firewood.

Added to this is the equally growing demand for real estate for burgeoning urban settlements. It is estimated that by the year 2050, half the world’s inhabitants will be resident in an urban setting.

That is why with today’s World Environment Day, the world must interrogate its relation to the common ecosystem so that their concrete jungles do not sound the death knell on the planet, or humanity, as we know it.

It is a day to remember the indefatigable environment warriors like the late Prof Wangari Maathai who literally laid her life down for the chance of posterity to live in a living, breathing and life-supporting planet.

Even as we know that water supports life and that every drop is an invaluable drop, it is important to also understand that it is also the one element that all mankind, fauna and flora share. With such realization comes the resolve to conserve and jealously guard sources of our clean water, which are the forests and polar ice caps.

In Kenya, the expansive Mau Forest, source of fresh water to dozens of rivers became a national issue when thousands of settlers were ejected.

The evictees were to become an election campaign issue, but it was important that anyone living in the forest that was literally the “lungs of Kenya” find alternative accommodation.

A political solution needed to be found to a political problem regarding their eviction, but the evidence of depleted riverine systems downstream was too real to ignore.

Whether it is the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta’s launch of the Karura Forest Environmental Education Centre Auditorium, to promote and entrench forest and nature conservation education, or the annual scouts tree planting week, every tree shoot counts.

So do the corporate social responsibility events where staff plant trees or even the recent University of Nairobi’s College of Agriculture & Veterinary Services and Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research & Analysis (KIPPRA) joint tree planting at Vet Farm, Kanyariri, and today’s  commemoration of Prof Maathai’s life’s work, every tree counts.

GO OUT AND PLANT A TREE TODAY!!

RARE ROAN ANTELOPE SPOTTED IN MASAI MARA

A rare antelope that has been absent in the Mara has been spotted after a decade of absence. The single male Roan antelope was spotted near Roan Hill, to the south of the Masai Mara reserve this week.

“The hill named after this antelope has reclaimed its name,” said Paul Kirui, a Kenya Professional Gold Safari Guide. Kirui said the animal was first seen in the central plains, and crossed the Talek River to settle among the Topi plains.

 Mara Conservancy CEO Brian Heath said the huge number of Roan antelopes has reduced due to poaching. He said the last one was seen in 1993 in Oloololo escarpment. In South and Western Kenya, Roans are found in Lambwe valley, near Lake Victoria.

The Roan antelope (Hippotragus equinus) it is one of the largest species of antelope. They measure 190–240 cm (75–94 in) from the head to the base of tail and the tail measures 37–48 cm (15–19 in). The body mass of males is 242–300 kg (530–660 lb) and of females is 223–280 kg (490–620 lb). The shoulder of this species is typically around 130–140 cm (51–55 in). Named for their roan color (a reddish brown), they have lighter underbellies, white eyebrows and cheeks and black faces, lighter in females. They have short, erect manes, very light beards and prominent red nostrils. The horns are ringed and can reach a metre long in males, slightly shorter in females. They arch backwards slightly. They are similar in appearance to sable antelope and can be confused where their ranges overlap. Sable antelope males are darker, being black rather than dark brown.

Roan antelope are found in woodland and grassland savanna, mainly in the tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, which range in tree density from forest with a grassy understorey. They form harem groups of five to 15 animals with a dominant male. Roan antelope commonly fight among themselves for dominance of their herd, brandishing their horns while both

EXPLORE WESTERN KENYA

Western Kenya is an area of great geographic, cultural and natural diversity, offering tourists just as much, if not more, than many of Kenya’s better known tourist areas. 

Most travelers dream of finding a new and unknown destination, somewhere far from the beaten tourist path, where the thrill of real discovery and exploration reward the visitor with new and unexpected experiences, sights and sounds. 

Kenya’s western region offers this and more.

Kakamega Forest Reserve

The equatorial rainforest of Kakamega is a living museum of unique and rare species. This wonderful place is a treasure trove where the massive trees and thick wet undergrowth are the habitat of a world of diverse wildlife.  

The sheer abundance of birdlife here is overwhelming. The forest has resident populations of primates, including the rare red tailed monkey, butterflies, chameleons and stunning birdlife, such as the giant Blue Turaco

At night the forest is a different world, the air filled with bats and ringing with the sounds of frogs, night birds and the booming call of the giant forest squirrel. 

Despite its easy accessibility, Kakamega is a quiet haven for nature lovers, the perfect place to relax for a few days. 

The forest has many walking trails, and there are plenty of very good guides available ready to enlighten on the great ecological significance of the reserve.

Kit Mikaye      

Set among a field of boulders, Kit Mikaye is a large upright stone, bolstered by smaller supporting boulders. Myths and legends regarding the stone abound among the local Luo community. 

It was once believed to be a living entity that roamed this area at night, visiting nearby Lake Victoria to drink. Sacrifices were made to the stone in return for divine favour and blessings. 

Even today, some believe that a visit to Kit Mikaye bestows good fortune upon the visitor. 

Rusinga Island

Rusinga Island is an excellent base for exploring the Lake Victoria, the great heart and lifeblood of the west, by boat. A real highlight of any exploration of Lake Victoria is a trip to Mbasa and Mholo Islands, not far from Mbita Point. 

These two islands form a very important breeding colony for several species of waterfowl. Visiting these islands at the end of the day is an incredible experience. 

Thousands of birds fill the air, literally carpeting both islands in life as they descend to roost among the rocks and trees. With the last rays of the sun turning the waters of the Lake to gold, this is one of Kenya’s greatest natural spectacles.

Ruma National Park

Ruma National Park comprises 120 square kms of savannah and gently rolling hills.  

This is the last refuge of the Roan antelope, with the world’s last remaining wild population found within the boundaries of the park. The Roan are easy to see on the wide open grasslands, grazing freely among stands of whistling thorn acacia.  

Ruma is also home to several other rare species, chiefly the Rothschild Giraffe, Jackson’s Hartebeest and the tiny Oribi antelope.

Western Highlands - Kisii

Tabaka near Kisii is home to Kenya’s finest stone carvers. The Kisii / Gusii community are renowned for their artistic skill with the local soapstone. 
  They have a long tradition of carving ornate decorative art and jewelry, together with functional items such as plates and bowls. Soapstone is found in a series of large open quarries throughout the Gucha area, which have also proved equally rich in uncovered fossil evidence and prehistoric artifacts. 

Cooperative workshops have been formed to produce work for the international market.

Just recently, Twentieth Century Fox designated the Tabaka soapstone carvings as official Simpson’s merchandise. 
The Tabaka Classic Carvers were licensed to produce 12 models of the show's characters bound for sale in the US, the United Kingdom and Italy.

Kisii stone is sold worldwide, and several works by Tabaka artists have found a place in major international art collections. Tabaka soapstone graces the UN HQ in New York, and the UNESCO HQ in Paris, in the form of a massive 7- tonne “bird of peace” or Enyamuchera. 

The success of this industry shows in the town of Tabaka, where every household seems to be busily engaged in carving, polishing, washing and packaging stoneware. 

This very success has meant the preservation of a very important cultural tradition. 

A visit here is an excellent opportunity to experience this rich culture and to purchase some beautiful handcrafted works of art.

Kericho – World’s finest quality teas

This small town was brought to life by the Kenyan tea industry. The lush green carpet of tea bushes that cover these high cool hills are quite literally fields of gold. 

This region produces one of the world’s finest quality teas. Agri-tourism is becoming increasingly popular, and the small hill town of Kericho is the perfect base to visit the local plantations, producing both tea and fresh cut flowers. 

Tea plantations also play an important role in local ecology, and are used as a buffer zone to protect tracts of indigenous forest.

World’s finest Athletes

Kenya’s Western Highlands are the home to some of the world’s finest sportsmen. 

The secret of this success lies in these highlands. The average altitude in this area is well over 2000m, and these rarified conditions are ideal training conditions for runners. 

Two local schools, St. Patrick’s at Iten and Sing’ore Girls near Eldoret have produced most of Kenya’s Olympic Superstars. Altitude training can assist with development of both endurance levels and technique.

Five separate highly specialized training camps for athletes have been established in the Iten and Kabarnet area, for both local and International athletes. These are ideal for athletes looking to gain a high altitude advantage.

Kerio Valley

The highlands and escarpment of the North Rift Valley provide some of the country's most awe-inspiring views, across the broad and beautiful Kerio Valley. 

The scenic vistas around the Elgeyo escarpment are truly stunning, especially from the 'World's End' viewpoint at Nyaru. Waterfalls flow down the face of these escarpments, and at Chebloch, on the valley floor water runs through a deep and narrow gorge with sheer rock walls towards the plains of little explored Rimoi reserve, an important area for elephant migration.

Tugen Hills at Kipsaraman is home to one of Kenya’s first community museums. The museum houses exhibits on biodiversity and conservation, as well as important local human fossil finds and a fascinating exhibit on the possible prehistoric origins of a local mythological creature, the Chemosit, or Nandi Bear. 

Even more impressive than the museum itself and its location. Perched on a the edge of a precipitous drop, the view from Kipsaraman is an incredible panoramic vista of the Rift valley and distant Lake Baringo that quite literally takes the breath away.

Kenya invites you to come and experience the wild, wonderful and welcoming West…