Laikipia Wildlife Forum, P.O. Box 764, Nanyuki, Kenya .. Telephone / fax: (254) 020 2166626 .. Mobile: 0726 500260 .. Email: info@laikipia.org
© 2002-2007 Laikipia Wildlife Forum. All rights reserved
Design
To all Members, Friends and Supporters of the Laikipia Wildlife Forum
The LWF’s 17th Annual General Meeting & Open Day for all LWF members, friends and supporters will be held at Mpala Research Centre (MRC) on Saturday 21st June at 10:00am, followed by lunch kindly provided by MRC.
The LWF Technical Advisor, Delphine, attended a one-week training on ‘Geographical Information Systems’ (GIS) for mapping and analysis together with participants from KWS, African Wildlife Foundation, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and Laikipia Predator Project. Held at MRC and supported by the Darwin Initiative, the training was conducted by George Aike of MRC and Johnson Kosgei from GreenBelt Movement.
The process to develop a tourism strategy to guide the LWF’s Tourism Programme is ongoing. Chris Thouless has been interviewing tourism operators to help understand how LWF can better support its members and tourism development in Laikipia.
LWF is working closely with Intrepid Data Systems to develop a new website. A ‘content management system’ is being incorporated into the site to allow in-house updates. The site will hopefully be launched next month.
The LWF Community Conservation Programme Manager, Josephat, attended a KWS Honorary Wardens workshop at KWS head quarters, where the theme was streamlining honorary wardenship into KWS operations.
The LWF Uaso Nyiro CLO continues to facilitate the delivering of data collection sheets for the Ewaso Water Project scouts, as well as wages, stationary and equipment required in the field.
Final technical touches are being made to the first phase of West Laikipia Elephant Fence, and an official commissioning ceremony will be announced after the final inspection.
Susie Wren Organic & Natural Product Advisor and Anne Powys will be holding a stand at the LWF AGM & Open Day to disseminate information on the findings of their bio-enterprise study, which explores the commercial potential of Laikipia’s indigenous herbs, trees and plants.
The Uaso Narok CLO mobilised Rumuruti Aloe Women’s group to attend a ‘business forum’ hosted by the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife and the Ministry of Trade, at Nyahururu, held to introduce new upcoming ‘cash’ crops to business investors. The CLO had the opportunity to make a presentation on LWF to all participants, including KWS, Forest Department, Ministry of Agriculture and the MP for Laikipia West.
Coordinated by the Uaso Narok CLO, on the 5th May, the Shamanek Community Forest Association tree planting campaign was launched in the presence of the MP Laikipia West. LWF is supporting the planting of 50,000+ trees in community areas through the Royal Netherlands Embassy Grant.
Following a series of awareness meetings coordinated by the LWF Uaso Narok CLO, registration of the Uaso Narok Community Forest Association is being processed by the Forest office.
The rock catchment and water storage tank for the Oreteti Environmental Restoration and Ecotourism Project, being supported through LWF by the EU CEF (Community Environment Facility), is near completion.
Following the introduction of Holistic Management (HM) techniques for land rehabilitation to members of Il N’gwesi and Kuri Kuri group ranches, a 7 day practice training session in both group ranches is taking place to test the HM framework further.
With support from the LWF Eastern unit CLO, Makurian group ranch members have started applying rangeland rehabilitation gully and trench techniques that have been successfully implemented in their 40ha demo rehabilitation plot, to larger areas on the group ranch.
In August, founder of HM principles Alan Savory will be visiting Laikipia, and field days will be organised for LWF members. LWF is also linking up with Care International to organise courses for ‘trainer of trainers’ in the principles of HM, and a separate training for herders. Further details will be communicated to members.
Rural Focus, appointed by LWF to develop a strategy to guide sustainable use of water resources in Laikipia, have carried out a ‘training needs assessment’ for Karemeno, Naromoru, Nanyuki and Moyok River Water User Associations, to help chart a way forward to support their development.
The lease agreement between the Il Motiok community and tourism operator Rift Valley Adventures for the management of Ol Gaboli Community Bandas has been annulled, and LWF is helping the community to set up alternative management systems.
Josephat attended a presentation by the USAID Natural Resource Management team and the GATE project, where a report on gender assessment of sustainable conservation-orientated enterprises was presented to partners.
In North Western unit of Laikipia, the LWF CLO has helped revive Lariak Community Forest Association (CFA), by streamlining office management, and raising awareness about the value of CFA’s and forest activities. This has resulted in a boost to membership, now standing at 200 members.
The LWF Environmental Education Officer, Ephantus Mugo, was requested by safari company African Latitude, to guide a group of 24 orphans from Kibera Slum to Nairobi National Park. Following a game drive, Ephantus had the opportunity to introduce the children to wildlife and environmental conservation concepts using learning aids such as field hand books and wildlife posters.
In April, the LWF Environmental Education Programme guided 4 primary schools on education tours to Mugie Wildlife Conservancy and Laikipia Nature Conservancy. 116 school children and 8 teachers benefited.
Other news and downloads
Newsletters:
Other reports:
(All Adobe Acrobat docs 
)
LAIKIPIA E-NEWS ARCHIVES