What do tree saplings in Mau Forest have to do with white Rhinos & pink Flamingos in Lake Nakaru?
Everything if you are trying to protect Kenayn Wildlife. That’s the philosophy of conservation organization African Wildlife Foundation. They recently planted 25,000 trees in the Endirit watershed, an important block of the Mau Forest Complex and a vital source of water for Lake Nakuru.
The Importance of the Mau Forest Complex
The tree planting is intended to promote the ecological stability of the Enderit block of the Mau Forest Complex which forms the largest closed-canopy forest ecosystem in Kenya, as large as the forests of Mt. Kenya and the Aberdares combined. It is the most important water catchment in the Rift Valley and represents a vital ecological and economic resource in urgent need of protection.
Lake Nakuru, Home to Endangered Species
The Endirit river is a major source of water for Lake Nakuru and Nakuru National Park. Just 164 kilometers (102 miles) from Nairobi, Nakuru National Park is the most visited park in Kenya, responsible for 15 percent of the country’s tourism revenue. It is a sanctuary for the Rothschild Giraffe, the white Rhino and hundreds of bird species. It is home to one of the largest populations of black Rhinos in Kenya.
As a tourist destination, the park is best known for the millions of flamingos that paint the landscape of Lake Nakuru in flaming crimson—a pageant ornithologists have called “the most fabulous bird spectacle in the world". However, the receding water table and increasingly poor water quality is driving the flamingos to seek other feeding grounds and threatening the significant tourism revenue the park contributes to the region.
Protecting the watershed through reforestation and other projects is vital to the survival of Nakuru. “The restoration does not only protect the critical watershed for the river, but also helps to secure the ecological integrity of Lake Nakuru National Park,” said Hassan Noor, Chief Coordinator for Kenya’s Interim Coordinating Secretariat (ICS).
African Wildlife Foundation Secures the Land for Conservation
Through the Adopt African Acres program, AWF has entered into a collaborative agreement with the Kenyan government to place more than 21,200 acres (8,600 hectares) into a conservation trust. As part of the agreement, AWF will help to restore degraded parts of the forest and assist in developing a forest management plan in cooperation with Kenya’s ICS, the Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forest Service and other partners.
AWF president, Dr. Helen Gichuhi, highlighted the importance of the foundation’s long term commitment to the restoration and conservation of Enderit block. Essential to that effort is the strengthening of economic resources threatened by deforestation. AWF has also committed to implementing forest-based carbon trading through Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) projects. REDD initiatives generate income from carbon emitting nations in exchange for conserving forests and mitigating climate change.
The Mau Forests Complex supports the livelihoods of millions of people in the Rift Valley. Protecting the ecological stability of crucial areas such as the Enderit block is an urgent priority in maintaining valuable commercial resources and securing essential habitat for wildlife in Kenya.
Sources
- African Wildlife Foundation: Mau Forest Restoration
- UNESCO: World Heritage Convention: Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya
Kimbra Cutlip - Kimbra Cutlip is a feature writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications including the Washington Post, Environment magazine, ...
Join the Conversation