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July 2007 E-News

The LWF Annual General Meeting held on 14th July at Mpala Research Centre was a great success, with 150 members and supporters attending.  The LWF is grateful to the Speaker of Parliament Hon. Ole Kaparo and the Laikipia DC Mr. AK Mugira for contributing speeches on key conservations issues in Laikipia.  Many thanks also to Rumuruti Aloe Women’s Group for taking the time to introduce their aloe products, and to all members who displayed informative posters.

The AGM provided an opportunity to offer Josephat Musyima a token of thanks for his 10 years of service and dedication to the LWF as Community Conservation Programme Manager.  An engraved beer mug and a small cheque were presented to Josephat by the LWF Chairman, Major General Waweru, on behalf of LWF and members.

LWF would like to thank Nicky Dyer for yet again designing the LWF newsletter.  This July edition was distributed at the AGM, and copies have been posted to all members.

Tourism

LWF met with the Uaso Ngiro Baboon Project team to discuss the potential of developing baboon walks at Il Polei and giving visitors a rare insight into the socio-ecology of a habituated troop.  Ways to assist the community in reviving Twala Cultural Manyatta at Il Polei is also being considered.

New campsite options for group ranches within Uaso Nyiro unit are being explored, and LWF shared guidelines to help communities identify potential sites.

New posters highlighting LWF’s work and achievements over the last 12 months are now on display in the Laikipia Information Centre at Nanyuki airfield.

Travel News continues to offer LWF half-a-page each month for the ‘News from Laikipia’ column.  Stories and news updates on tourism and conservation from members are welcome.

Wildlife management

Fencing committees have been formed along each section of the Laikipia West Elephant fence and LWF CLO’s have mobilised communities to provide labour for their respective sections.  KWS has committed a fence technician, and work is expected to begin soon.

Max Graham of Laikipia Elephant Research Project conducted a 4 day “Getting to Know Elephants” course for wildlife scouts in Laikipia.  The LWF Uaso Narok and Central unit CLO’s benefited from the course, which covered subjects on how to identify individual elephants, distinguishing between male and females, and monitoring elephant mortality. 

LWF with group ranch communities and members of conservancies from all over Northern Kenya gathered at Andanguru plain in Mukogodo Forest to show support to the Il N’gwesi community over the recent court ruling in favour of Wendy Martin, who was injured by an elephant whilst staying at Il N’gwesi Lodge. 

Community Conservation

With FORREMS support LWF has initiated a second phase of woodlots establishment targeting 45 more farmers.  6 more small groups joined the carbon credit programme with support from TIST.
The Central CLO met with the committee of Ewaso Ngiro river to discuss and plan tree planting activities along riparian land of the river in the Oct/Nov rains. 

The Naitabaya Women’s group in Musul group ranch have ploughed and reseeded Cenchrus ciliaris grass in their 50 acre plot which has been set up to demonstrate range rehabilitation methods for pasture improvement.  The group is being supported by LWF through USAID FORREMS, and facilitated by the LWF Uaso Nyiro CLO.

Tiemamut group ranch, member of Naibunga Conservancy, has agreed to integrate 1000 of its 3500 acre conservation area with the Ol Lentille Conservancy which is made up of neighbouring Kijabe and Nkiloriti group ranches. This means that, together with the adjacent Narupa Community Conservancy, there are now 12000 acres under collaborative management with The Kijabe Trust.  LWF is seeking support to equip the 8 Tiemamut volunteer scouts with basic equipment.

An EIA for Chumvi water project has been completed and is awaiting approval from NEMA.  Lolomarik and the LWF Eastern CLO are helping the Chumvi community develop this project to bring water to their homes.

The LWF Uaso Narok CLO mobilised 17 members from Uaso Narok, Pesi and Lower Pesi Water River Users Association to attend a 3 day workshop on water resource management conducted by the Nanyuki Water Resources Management office.

The Uaso Narok CLO mobilised 139 community members and representatives from KFS, Tree is Life, Ministry of Agriculture, local admin and KWS to attend elections for a new chairperson for Rumuruti Forest Association (RFA).  At the meeting, progress of RFA was reviewed and stakeholders agreed to facilitate where need be. 

Environmental Education

The LWF held an exhibition stand at the 2007 ASK agricultural show at Nanyuki show ground on the 28th – 30th June.  More than 1,000 children and 500 adults visited the stand and received an insight into LWF activities and the importance of conservation.

In June the Environmental Education Programme guided 5 primary schools and 3 secondary schools (232 students and 16 teachers) on education tours to Laikipia Nature Conservancy and Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

www.laikipia.org / director@laikipia.org

Other news and downloads

Newsletters:

1. January 2007
2. July 2006
3. January 2006
4. May 2005
5. November 2004
6. May 2004

Other reports:

1. LWF 2004 Achievements
2. LWF 2004/2005 Achievements report.
3. LWF 2006 Achievements report.

(All Adobe Acrobat docs )

LAIKIPIA E-NEWS ARCHIVES

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4. SEPTEMBER 2007
5. JULY 2007
6. JUNE 2007
7. MAY 2007
8. APRIL 2007
9. MARCH 2007
10. FEBRUARY 2007
11. JANUARY 2007
12. DECEMBER 2006