Volume 29 Numbers 1&2 COMMENT NINETY YEARS OF NATURAL HISTORY On 25 March 1909. a small group of naturalists gathered at the house of the Lieutenant Governor of East Africa. Frederick Jackson Their objec- tive: to create a Society that would promote in- terest in, and knowledge of, the remarkable flora and fauna of eastern Africa Thus was bom the East Africa and Uganda Natural History’ Society Its initial aims were to start a natural history museum and publish a scientific journal . and both of these were achieved by the end of 1910 Still going strong ninety years luicr. the EANHS (the 'Uganda' having been dropped along the way) is Africa's oldest scientific Society Tile museum it founded in Nairobi eventually grew into the National Museums of Kenya, an organ! sation whose scope is unparalleled in the region The two organisations arc sull umbdically linked rhe initial membership reads like a ‘who's who of East African science and society in the early years of the century The first Chairman. Frederick (later Sir Frederick) Jackson, was both a colonial administrator and renowned omithola gist (Jackson's Francolin and Jackson's Widowhird bear his name) The first Honorary Treasurer was the geologist C.W. Hobley, of Hobley's Volcano fame T.J Anderson, the Chief Entomologist in the Agricultural Department, took on the onerous role of Honorary Curator A plot on Sixth (now Kcnyaita) Avenue was identified as the site lor the new museum, which was ready for occupation on 16 August 1910 at the monthly rent of two pounds and ten shillings The embryonic Nairobi Museum was a room some ten by eight metres, which soon became crowded with specimens of all kinds sent in by members. Plants, fish, birds, mammals and molluscs arrived in quantities, not to mention a complete elephant skull donated by Mr H B Dunham Membership of the Society continued to grow steadily, but the organisation was not without its problems. The Minutes of those early years make fascinating reading, not least because the kinds of difficulties that bedevilled Committees then have changed very little over the years Shortage of space, shortage of money, shortage of time among EANHS April & August 1999 INSIDE Comment 1 Articles 3 Kenya's laicst snail discovery. Charles N Lange The proposed Nguruman project: use of raptors as tools for conservation and ecological monitoring of biological diversity. Munir Virnai & Bob Copeland 5 , Conservation of Kenya's most rare and unique gallery forest Joseph Nderitu Kiraihe Raptors and other birds associated with Lake Banngo cliffs. Kenya. Anthony J. wn Zyl, George Amuiete & Sally T. Newton 9 Short Communications 12 Observations of dodder Cuscuta campestris Yonkcr I parasitism on hedges in Nairobi. A Miuhama Muasya 12 i Another mating between the diadem butterfly and I Trimen's false acraca. land Gordon 13 Letter to the Editor Clare Gaier 13 Eucalyptus trees Dave Richards 13 OfTermites. Dee Raymer 14 Hard limes for termites? Ian Gordon 15 Special Feature 16 Lake Victoria— a threatened common heritage. Philip Molo McOsano 16 Earthwatch Fellowships 18 The Mallorcan expedition. Dorice Agol 20 Book Review 24 The Rhinoceros in Captmty by L.C. Rookmaakcr Esmond Brudley Martin • 24 Request for Information 25 I The Greyheaded Parrot in East Africa: a plea for | sighting records. Craig Symes 25 Networking 26 Annual General Meeting 28 2 Bulletin of the EANHS 29(1/2) the honorary office-bearers, delays in publication of the Journal— these were all issues of concern back in 1911 as much as today. If the Society flourished, it was be cause of the commitment of its members, and the gen- erosity of those who contributed to meet its expenses and allow it to expand. The Society took a significant step in 1921 with the construction of its own permanent museum on Kirk Road (opposite the present All Saint's Cathedral). This was formally opened in February 1922 by the Governor. Sir Edward Northey Unfortunately, more tangible govern- ment and municipal suppon was not forthcoming, no curator could be employed, and the collections suffered despite the best efforts of several Honorary Curators. Matters improved somewhat in 1924 Tile Governor. Sir Robert Coryndon. took a personal interest in the Society's affairs and helped to secure a grant of £150 from the Colonial Office. This, with some successful fund raising through an appeal, allowed the remaining debt for the museum building to be paid off When Sir Robert died unexpectedly in December 1924, it was decided to take up a public subscription to establish a memorial to him. This would take the form of an extension to the museum to be called the Coryndon Hall. Despite the perennial shortage of funds, the Society and its members were doing valuable vwnk In the Jour- nal were appearing the Hist ‘handbooks' lo Oast Aln- can birds and butterflies, by V G.l van Someren and the Rev Canon K St Auhyn respectively. The collec- tions were building up quickly and numerous exchanges had been established lor the Journal, forming the nu- cleus of an excellent natural history library However, disaster struck in 192ft flic Government decided to realign Kirk Road, and the museum— just four years old— would have to be demolished. There began a long process of negotiation lictwvui ihc EANHS and the authorities The final outcome was that the So- ciety agreed to move its collections to buildings that would be built on a new plot on Ainsworth Hill (now Museum Hill). These buildings would include ihc Coryndon Memorial building, which ihe Society would run as a museum accessible to the public.- and laborato- ries and study rooms lo be built by the Society. Rather less-ihan-lavish compensation of £2.500 was paid by Government for the existing museum Almost half of this was immediately voted to the Coryndon Fund The remainder was used to build the study rooms and labo ratorics behind the new Coryndon Memorial building. Tlic Coryndon Memorial, which forms the centre- piece of today's Nairobi Museum, was completed in September 1929. and the Society's collections were transferred there soon after The expansion in space and facilities led to a flowering of activity The ethnological section received valuable materials from Sir Frederick Jackson's collection, while stone age culture was repre- sented by material collected by Louis Leakey Plants were not neglected, with the public -spirited Ernest Carr lof Carr’s Biscuits) donating funds lo employ a botanist for three years Insects of economic importance, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and timber were all on dis- play A full time librarian was also engaged to take care of the rapidly growing collection of hooks and journals. Running this growing museum required a body of professional staff, but the Society still did not have the resources to employ enough people. Despite the popu larity of the museum (more than 2.000 visitors were recorded in 1931 ». entrance fees did not even come close lo providing enough income Despite constant picas from the Society. Government still seemed indifferent lo the need for a properly equipped and staffed museum that would promote research and public education. Assist- ance was forthcoming only in the most minimal and grudging way Indeed, the Government's financial com- mittee felt that the Society was spending extravagantly, a view that amazed those actually involved In the muse- um’s administration So the Society was left to scratch around for such other support as it could muster, Con- stant cuts m salary and laying off of stafl were no way to develop an institution, and curation inevitably suf- fered 3S a result Once again, only the dedicated efforts of the Society's members and its long-suffering employ- ees allowed any progress to be made At least visitor numbers were still growing: a total of 5,099 visitors (of The EANHS wishes lo lhank the following for fheir support in 1999: Sponsors of Ihe Society: Corporate member Arturo Forcsli Benny Bytebior (overseas): Tom Butynski A.R. Gregory Wiliam Glover Jan Kalina Leo Niskancn David Obura Jay ant Ruparel John Fox Radha Ruparel Major Donors: M K. Minot Seeta Ruparel Royal Society for the K.L. Wood Neil Wi Usher Protection of Birds Sunny Bindra J.H.L. Leakey Global Environment Sanjiv Secdhar Bas van Ilelvoort Facility E. Bradley Martin Sulyn Talbot N.H. Searle April A August. 1999 3 all races— the Society had been firmly multi-racial since its inception) was recorded in 1936 Matters came to a head in 1937 with the commis- sioning of an official Committee of Inquiry into the relationship between the Coryndon Memorial Trustees and the East Africa and Uganda Natural History Soci- ety. and into the conditions under which ihe Coryndon Memorial is maintained' Evidence was taken during June and the report published soon after After paying glowing tribute to the Society's efforts thus far. the re- port made practical suggestions for the future. In es- sence. the EANHS would hand over both its collections and the museum to a Board of Trustees, on which the Society would be represented The report was discussed during a Special General Meeting of the Society that October It uns clear that die museum had been nurtured to a stage where eco- nomic factors made it necessary for the state to step in The Society was asked to continue managing the mu seum (this time with some external Government sup- port) until January 1939. to give time for the appoint- ment of a Board of Trustees under the new ordinance The Society’s constitution was amended accordingly, and all museum assets, other than the library, were handed over in return for an annual payment of £100 for 15 years. This was an almost nominal sum, only a tenth of the estimated value of die assets, but the Society as- sented willingly enough so as to give the new trustees the best possible start The EANHS. for its part, re- tained tree access to the museum, laboratories and col- lections. space 10 house its library and continue its meet- ings and other activities, and the right to nominate two members to the Board of Trustees (such members to represent scientific interest'). Dr V.G.L van Someren. Vice-President and a major contributor to developing the Society and its museum, became ihe first Museum Director (though he was to resign soon after, in 1941) The war years were difficult ones for the EANHS trying to keep activities and publications going was chal- lenging in the circumstances, especially with chronic shortages of paper and petrol Nonetheless, member- ship continued (o grow in fits and starts, the Journal continued to appear and publish interesting articles, and the Museum itself flourished steadily— 89.000 people visited during 1945 The last 50 years have seen many ups and down However, the Society survived and. finally free of the administrative burden of running the Museum, has con- tinued to broaden its activities. Through the Journal, the Bulletin and other publications, much knowledge about East Africa's fauna and Horn was gradually put on record Landmark publications such as Birds of East Africa, Breeding Seasons of East African Birds and Upland Kenya Wild Flowers 1 2nd edn ). standard bird and mammal checklists, as well as monographs on (among others; cowries, butterflies, snakes, succulent plants, sedges, orchids and freshwater prawns, all sum- marised quantities of technical information for a wide audience Society members were involved in numerous and diverse biological projects, some lasting many yean and involving extensive co-ordination. These included collecting data on Black-headed Herons nesting in Nai robi. ccnsusing mammals and surveying plants in Nai- robi National Rirk, rescuing flamingo chicks at Lake Magadi. botanical mapping on the Ngong Hills, ring- ing migrant birds at Ngulia and elsewhere, collecting nest record card data, counting birds at a variety of sites, and a whole range of biodiversity surveys. The Society had always been in the forefront of the conservation movement, pressing in particular for the designation of national parks (both terrestrial and ma rine) In the last decade, the need to conserve biodiversity, and not just study it. has become ever clearer and more urgent The Society's programme now has a strong focus on conservation action Growing out of its participatory traditions, there is a special empha- sis on educating and involving young people and peo- ple living around key conservation sites. The EANHS. or Nature Kenya and Nature Uganda as it is now known In Kenya and Uganda respectively, is also shaking off its Image as n slightly dusty (albeit worthy) organisa- tion, and moving into its tenth decade with renewed vigour As Nature Kenya celebrates its 90th birthday, what bettor time to encourage others to join? Acknowledgement. This very brief history draws ex- tensively on the more detailed account by die late Mrs E. Angwin, published in six pans in the EANHS Bul- lelin of 1979 Leon Bennun Chairman. EANHS ARTICLES KENYA’S LATEST SNAIL DISCOVERY. The East African region (Kenya. Uganda and Tanzania) is very rich in terrestrial molluscs wi(h over 1.063 documented species (Verdcourt, 1983) and many more which are tindescribod (Tattcrsficld. 1998) In comparison, there 3re only 279 species preseni in northwest Europe (Kerney & Cameron. 1979) which has a larger land area. East Africa is also a notable mollusc centre of endemism (Emberton et al, 1997). Tlic regional mega-mollusc diversity is concentrated essentially within the tropical rain forests, for instance Kakamega forest in western Kenya (Thtlersficld. 19%). and highland forests (Verdcourt. 1983). The greatest endemism occurs m the Indian Ocean coastal forest and the Eastern Arc mountains ( Emberton ei al. .1997, Tattcrsficld. 1998). notably, the Usambaras. Pugu in Tanzania and Taita hills in Kenya among oihcrs. These mollusc hot spots and centres of endemism cover only 2-3# of the region's land area (Saycr et al. 1992) and arc under intense pressure following human population explosion in recent times. Despite the high regional malncofauna diversity and 4 Bulletin of the EANHS 29< I ( 2 ) endemism, many forests remain under-sampled implying that there are probably numerous undiscovered snails in East Africa This was confirmed with the discovery of Gulella spinosa in recent times This fascinating, small sized, spiny snail became known to science in late 19% after being collected at the western slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro at altitude 1 .310 m above sea level (Kifufu, Moshi. 30°9’30" S. 37°4’25" E) and described in 1998 (Taitcrsficld. 1998) Since then. Gulella spinosa was globally known to be only restricted within Mt Kilimanjaro forests A combined foice of malacologists from the National Museums ol Kenya. National Museum of Whies and National Museum of Tanzania went to the area in June 1997. but failed to record the species using direct search method (Emberton etal . 1997) However in August 1998, during a Held exploration survey, I scooped several specimens of the species from the forest floor litters of the Tana Hills forests using the same direct search technique A puzzling observation Tana hills (03°20‘ S. 38° 15' E) is the north most range of the Eastern Arc mountains with altitude over 2.200 m at tl>e hill peaks (Brooks el al . 1998). The natural forests here have in recent times been heavily exploited (/»/» cil ) and to date only a few disturbed forest fragments survive on the hill peaks. Gulella spinosa in Taita hills was recorded from four fragments, namely Mbololo. Ngangao. Eururu and Yale forest Discovery of Gulella spinosa in Taita hills wax an enrichment to the documented Tana and Kenyan terrestrial molluscs checklist It is also a development in the understanding of the biogcographical range extensions of the species. But more important, in future, is fostering understanding of the ecology and distribution of the species, including its population size Such information is crucial in understanding the conservation status of Gulella spinosa and subsequently setting conservation strategics for the species along with the entire ecosystem, if proved necessary Charles N. I.nnge, National Museums of Kenya (Invertebrate Zoology). P 0 Box 40658. Nairobi. Kenya Email. nmk®AfricaOnlinc.co.kc References Brooks, f . I Lens. J. Barnes, J K. Kihuria & C Wilder (1998) The conservation status of forest birds of the Taita Hilts. Kenya Bird Conservation International 8 119-139. Emberton, K C . 1 Pearce. P.F. Kasigwa. P. Tattcrsfield and Z Habibu ( 1997). High diversity and endemism in land-snails of Eastern Tanzania. Biodiversity and Conservation 6:11 23— 1136. Kemey. M .1* & R.A.D. Cameron (1979). A field guide to the land-snails of Britain and North-west Europe Collins. London. Saycr. J A . CS. Ilarcourt & N.M Collins (1992). The conservation alias of tropical forests of Africa IUCN, Gland. Switzerland. Tatters field, P 1996 Local patterns of land snail in a Kenyan rain forest. Malacologia 38( I 2). 161-180 lattcrsfield. P 1998 Patterns of diversity and endemism in East Africa land-snails, and the implications for conservation Journal of Conchologv Special Publication . 2: 77-86. Vcrdcourt. B. 1983 A list of non-marine mollusca of East Africa (Kenya, Uganda. Tanzania excluding Lake Malawi). Achatina II: 200-239. THE PROPOSED NGURUMAN PROJECT: USE OF RAPTORS AS TOOLS FOR CONSERVATION AND ECOLOGICAL MONITORING OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Why raptors? Raptors can be an important tool to focus conservation strategy locally, regionally and globally (Watson 1991). They can be used as umbrella species" because their large home ranges and low nesting density suggest that any protected area encompassing a viable population of raptors, or a complete community of them, would protect sufficient habitat and populations of most, if not all. other species in the food web below them iThtollay 1992) Raptors also occupy top positions in terrestrial and aquatic food webs and therefore can be used as indicators of world wide pollution by pesticides (Newton 1979). Changes in raptor distribution or abundance can serve as measure of man’s impact on landscapes, even in remote areas (Rcichholf 1974) Finally, raptors arc April A August. 1999 popular charismatic organisms representing our natural uorld. and several have become significant "flagships" lor arousing public interest and support of wider conservation programs (Burnham eial.. 1992. Thiollav 1992). The Ngurumans The Nguruman area (l°50’S. 36°05’E) is about ihrcc hours by road southwest of Nairobi. Climatically, the area is hot and dry (monthly mean maximum temperatures ranging from about 32 39°C (Brightwvll etal., 1992) with rainfall averaging about 525 mm per year t Brightwell eial. 1 997). The Nguruman area and the immediate surroundings (Lake Mugadi. Lake Natron and the Lotta Hills) arc renowned for their avifauna, and in particular, their rich raptor community A staggering 42% of the raptors that breed in the cast African tropics, occur in the Ngurumans. Almost 40% of breeding raptors in Hast Africa have hecu listed as either Vulnerable. Threatened or Near-Threatened in the preliminary Red Data Lisi of East African birds in jeopardy (Bennun and NJorogc. I99f» and therefore provide the impetus for conducting immediate raptor studies in a potentially threatened area (see threats below). Furthermore, three Globally- threatened bird species (Grey-crested Helmet Shrike;. Red-throated Tit and Jackson’s Widowbird). four Rcgjonally.threaiened species (Bearded Vulture. African Crowned Eagle, Purple- throated Cuckoo-shrike and Stri|icd Flufftnili and one Restricted-range species (Hunter’s Cislicola) occur in the Nguruman area (Bennun and NJorogc, in pr*l> ) By virtue of its closeness to Nairobi, its rich ibui poorly studied) fauna, and dlveisily of habitats, die Nguruman area provides ample opportunity for biological research aimed at providing effective conservation and management guidelines fot its preservation. The universal problem or rapidlv changing land-use patterns, without a coherent plan for conserving biological resources, threatens to destroy the future nf die Nguruman area. The markei in northern Europe lor exotic vegetables is the impetus behind the grow th ol cxport-ciop farming in Kenya As a result, there arc plans to increase the present 500 acres under horticultural development to 5000 acres using irrigation (gravity and pump-driven) water taken from the Entosopia and Oloibortoto rivers originating above the Nguruman escarpment and from the Ewaso Ngiro river in the plains below The growth and expansion of export vegetables has been at the expense of local subsistence crops such as mar/e and hcans (hist year, maize and beans had to be imported to sustain local communities) (Sithananihain. pers comm ). Indiscriminate use of pesticides and fertilisers to maximise crop production is on the increase and has been estimated at proportions four to eight times the recommended levels of use. This could have far-reaching negative effects on the livestock of tlic local pastoral communities who comprise the majority in the area, not to mention the impacts of contamination on biodiversity. The local communities also depend on water from the escarpment rivers and the Ewaso Ngiro for consumption. Already, there is evidence of salinisation of farmland, primarily due to fertiliser inputs. Additionally, social disharmony among farmers has recently been reported, as a result of competition for access to rationed water The growth of export farming also strains the group ranch social structure by increasing ihc demand for subdivision and privatisation of what arc mostly at present, communally owned grazing lands. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the expected increase in horticultural acreage along (he Ewaso Ngiro River poses a potential threat to the health of Lake Natron, the major breeding site for flamingos In Africa and a world heritage site. What can be done? At a recent meeting convened by 1CIPE at their headquarters In Kasarani. several institutions concerned with issues of conservation, community development, and sustainable land management were invited to participate in a workshop aimed at providing beneficial alternatives to vegetable export farming as well as to formulaic suitable guidelines for the conservation ot the area The response was overwhelming and the general consensus was to implement a multi-disciplinary or integrated approach towards better understanding the ecology of the area. Without a thorough understanding of the ecological factors affecting the dynamics of an ecosystem, conservation management cannot be properly focused We are all only too familiar with the ecological problems that affected Lake Naivnsha Hie Nguruman area Is unique and we as conservationists must do all we can to promote sustainable use ol biological resources. At the ICIPE meeting, the following objectives were proposed as part of an overall multi-disciplinary strategy to monitor changes affected | V •-banging land-uses as well as to gather vital biological information which will be used to effectively conserve and manage the Nguruman area: • use of aquatic invertebrate biodiversity measurements (Resh and Jackson 1993. Chuttcr 1994) to assess water quality of streams immediately upstream and downstream of irrigation sites; • evaluate die effects of pump irrigation farming on water quality of the Ewaso Ngiro River and estimate the buffering capacity of the Ewaso Ngiro swamp, upstream from Lake Natron; • characterise land quality and soil arthropod diversity on cash crop farms by comparing appropriate cdaphic indicator variables in horticultural farms, mixed horticulture/orchard farming and adjacent non-farm sites; • evaluate orchard farming (e g mangoes) as an economically viable alternative to high turnover insecticide and fertiliser intensive farming; • evaluate the role of bees in providing pollination services and their cascading effects on the ecology of the area. 6 Bulletin of (he FANHS 29(1-2) » carry out a small mammal study to investigate species diversity, negative health impacts and causes of fluctuations. This study will run concurrently with a study on raptors to investigate the classical predator-prey cycle syndrome which affects productivity and diversity of many species of raptors Other correlates such as rainfall, temperature, land-uses and impacts of grazing pressure will be incorporated. • evaluate raptor species diversity and density, autccological studies on a "flagship species" such as the Eastern Rile Chanting Goshawk— looking at impacts of different land use systems (as well as changing land- uses) on its ecology and behaviour, raptor banding program to study replacement rates, pesticide survey (based on blood and muscle tissue collected from raptors), and nest-scarchcs and monitoring The role of raptors in conserving the Nguruman area The Nguruman Project promises to be a highly focused vet multi-faceted conservation approach which employs raptors in an umbrella of protection and as instruments for understanding the environment The approach is rooted in partnerships with local organizations such as ICIPE. National Museums of Kenya, African Centre for Conservation, and the East Africa Natural History Society among others, with the staled goals of a) conserving biological diversity; b) building local capacity for conservation, and c) answering significant scientific questions which will aid in providing conservation and management recommendations for sustainable use of the area Research activities in the area will fall into two categories. I) single species studies, conducted in such a way that community-level questions can ultimately be addressed, and 2) baseline inventory and monitoring efforts. Training and education The Ngumman Project proposes to use the process of conducting research as a vehicle for training and education Local people with limited formal education but with considerable experience in the area will be trained in techniques for studying and monitoring woodlands, forests and bird communities, while lhc> participate in data collection, and. in some eases, project design, data analysis and interpretation This method has already proven successful in other areas such as Arabuko-Sokokc forest (David Ngalal and Lake Naivasha (Reuben Chege) where locally trained individuals are collecting vital data for long-term monitoring projects. Collaborating organisations receive the benefit not only of more experienced staff, bui community education, awareness, sensitivity and outreach Species-level studies Species-level studies will focus on population dynamics and ecological requirements such as prey preference, home range area, and population density of selected raptor species Single-species studies arc both short- term (two to five years) and long-term (more than five >t*ars) These studies provide the detailed biological knowledge that is needed for future management efforts and aids in interpreting data from ccnsusing and monitoring. About 60S of the raptors that breed in the East African tropics arc poorly understood in aspects of population dynamics, distribution, breeding biology and feeding ecology (Virani and Wiitson, in press ). Hence much of what we learn will be new and exciting to the scientific world Information from telemetry studies of density and home range provides estimates of habitat area required for sustainable populations and hence aids in designing sizes for reserves. A key feature of the single species studies is that they arc accomplished with sufficient standardisation of method so dial they can eventually be combined to yield a community- level approach (Burnham rial., 1992) Inventory and monitoring An important goal of the project is to establish a long- term ecological monitoring programme within the Nguruman area This part of the project projioscs to use repeated censusing of permanent 1 km- plots and of certain species groups to reveal possible ecological changes over time and to provide baseline comparisons between communities in different natural and modified habitals I labitats which will be compared arc various primary forest and woodland types along a topographic moisture and drainage gradient, as well as areas subjected to vauous human uses: indiscriminate logging of figs and other trees, large and small scale farms, foliage for livestock forage, and conversion of riverine forest to a mosaic of succession*! stages by slash and bum agriculture This segment of the proposed project includes refinement and comparison of census techniques described by TUrley (1989) and evaluated by Whitacrc and Tbrlcy ( 1990) While censusing efforts centre around raptors, several other bird groups and some mammals have been progressively incorporated into census protocols. Iinamous. cractds. doves, psiliacines, large woodpeckers, certain passerines, and primates Our goal is to include species that arc readily detected and identified and arc likely to provide useful conservation information. For example parrots are subject to direct human exploitation, while hornbills aud large woodpeckers may well prove sensitive to logging pressure Munir Virani Research Associate, National Museums of Kenya. Dept of Ornithology Rob Copeland Senior Research Scientist, International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) April & August. 1999 7 References Bcnnun. L A and P Njorogc (1996). Birds to watch m East Africa a preliminary Red Data list Research report 23. Centre for Biodiversity, National Museums of Kenya Nairobi. Kenya Bcnnun. L A and P. Njorogc (in prep) A Directory of Important Bird Areas in Kenya Brightwell. R . R D Dransfield, and B.G. Williams ( 1992). Factors affecting seasonal dispersal of the tsetse flies Glossina pallidipes and G. longipennis (Diptcr* Glossmidae) at Nguruman. south-west Kenya Bull Eniomol. Res 82 167-182 Bnghtwell. R . R D Dransfield. P Stevenson and B Williams (1997) Changes over twelve years in populations of Glossina pallidipes and G longipennis (Diptera: Glossmidae) subject to varying trapping pressure at Nguruman. south west Kenya. Bull Eniomol. Res 87 349-370 Burnham, W.A . D.F Whitacreand J.P. Penny (1992) The Maya Project: use of raptors as tools for conserve ion and ecological monitoring of hiological diversity In Raptor Conservation Today B.U Meyburg and R D. Chancellor (F.DS ) World Working Group on Birds of Prev. Berlin. Germany Pp. 257-264 Chuttcr. F M ( 1994). The rapid biological assessment of stream and river quality by means of macroinvencbrate communities in South Africa. In Classification of Rivers and Environmental Health Indicators Proceedings of a joint South African/ Australian workshop. Cape Town, February 7-14. M .C. Uys(Ed.). Water Research Commission report no. TT 63/94, South Africa Pp. 217-224 Newton, I (1979) Population ecology of raptors T and A D Rjyser. London. U.K. Rcichholf, J (1974) Artcnrcichium. Haufigkeil und Diversitat dcr Grcifvogcl in cimgcn Gebietcu yon Sudamerika. J Om 115 381-397 Resh. V H and J.K Jackson ( 1993). Rapid assessment approaches to biomonitoring using benthic mac roin vertebrates. In Freshwater Biomonitoring and Benthic Macroinvertebrates. D M. Rosenberg and V H Resh (Eds.) Chapman and Hall. New Yhrk Pp. 195-233. Thiollay. J M. ( 1992). A world review of tropical forest raptors. Current trends, research objectives and conservation strategy In Raptor Consenvtion Tbday. B.U Meyburg and R D Chancellor. Eds. World Working Group on Birds of Prey. Berlin, Germany Pp. 231-239 Turley, C.W. (1989) Evaluation of raptor survey techniques In Maya Project. Progress Report II, W.A Burnham. J P. Jenny and C W Ibrlcy, Eds The ftrregrinc Fund, Inc., Boise. Idaho Pp. 21- 32. Virani. M.Z and R.T. Watson (in prep ) Raptors in the east African tropics and western Indian Ocean Islands State of ecological knowledge and conservation status. Watson, R T. 1991. Using birds of prey as an environmental conservation tool: The Peregrine Fund's World Programme Environmental Consenvtion 18(2): 269-270. Whitacre, D.F and C.W Turley (1990), Further comparisons of tropical forest raptor census techniques. In Maya Project Progress Report III. D.F. Whitacre, W.A. Burnham and J P Jenny. Eds. The Peregrine Fund. Inc., Boise. Idaho Pp 71-92 CONSERVATION OF KENYA'S MOST RARE AND UNIQUE GALLERY FOREST While entering into the Tana River Gallery Forest, one cannot help but notice what a beauty and a different environment exists from the adjacent areas. One minute you are in a very dry bushland and in the next a cool magnificent forest From December 1998 to April 1999, I have visited Tana River 3 times for two weeks each under the auspices of Tana River GEF Primate Monitoring Project as a Research Assistant In every visit I have failed understand the subtlety m ecological difference in such a short distance and am always startled by the settings of the gallery forest The gallery forest is patchily distributed, comprises of 71 forest patches which vary in size (Butynski and Mwangi, 1995) The Tana River Red Colobus Colobus badius rufomtl rains and Tana River Crested Mangabey Cercocebus galentus galentus arc endemic to the gallery forest along the flood plain of the lower Tana River in eastern Kenya These arc two of Kenya's rarest mammals in this complex, unique and rare habitat m eastern Africa Both subspecies ate listed as endangered" in 1UCN Red Data Book (Lee et al , 1988) The gallery forest is also home to Zanzibar Galago Galago zanzibariciis, listed as “vulnerable ' in Red Data Book. Hina Sykes's monkey Cercopilhecus miti) albotorquatus, a subspecies endemic to the region (Kingdon. 1971) Other primates include vervet monkeys Cercopilhecus aethiops pygerythrus. yellow baboons Phpio cymxephalus cynocephalus, Garnett's galago Oiotemur garnetiii. and Senegal galago Galago senegalensls. In addition Tana River holds a number of globally threatened, regionally threatened and range restricted birds. Globally threatened birds include Southern Banded Snake -Eagle, Fisher’s Turaco (range restricted). East Coast Akalat. White Winged Apalis (range-restricted), Tana River Cisticola (range- restricted). Basra Reed Warbler and Plain backed Sunbird Regionally threatened birds include African Fmfoot, African Darter. Saddle-billed Stork, Ayres's Hawk Eagle, Pel's Fishing Owl, Violet Wbod-hoopoc. Scaly Babbler, Little Yellow Flycatcher, and Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird occurring in the nearby bushes (Bcnnun & Njoroge, in press) At least 61 plants arc globally or nationally rare. The Tana River poplar Populus ilicifolta is endemic to northern Ewaso Ngiro. Tana and Athi /Sabaki rivers. Bulletin of the FJVNHS 29(1/2) Tana River and toresl showing emergent Tana Rivet Poplar Populus ilicilotia. endemic lo the area Photo by T Butynshi In the morning, the cool forest air is broken by calls from local birds and at night were on two extensions of this cliff to the south of approximately 500 m each The average height of the cliff was 43 m (s.d. 14 9 S n= 17) and the cliff at 16 of the 17 surveyed points faced cast Twelve (71%) of the sample cliffs were vertical and 5 (29%) were broken and therefore accessible lo mammals or humans Trees were relatively common on the cliff (53%) and Vcrvci Monkeys were sometimes seen foraging in these trees A river ran at the base of 65% of the cliff of which water was present only for 12% The river sometimes caused a gully (24%) which may have made the cliff unsuitable for species that prefer an open view from the cliff. The habitat surrounding the cliff consisted of 47% riverine bush. 41% I ( \ \ Loruk Figure 1 A map of Lake Baringo showing Ihe location of the mfrasturcture and cliff line The area in figure 2 is highlighted by a stippled boit April & August, 1999 II Figure 2 A detailed map of the cliffs with an indication of the locations of raptor pairs on the diffs The three main cliffs are numbered and the two cliffs south of cliff 1 are indicated as short lines Peregrine Falcons Folco peregrinus and Dark Chanting Goshawks Melierox metobotes were recorded on three occasions, and a pair of Vcrreaux's Eagles Agutin verreauxil on two occasions. Single sightings of La oner Falcons FaUv biarmteus and two Pygmy Falcons Pblihierax semnorquaius were also recorded Ollier species recorded included Brown Snake Eagles Circaeius anereus roosting on the cliff, and Gvmnogenes Poly boroidesry pus, Batcleurs Teraihopm ecaudatus. Fish Eagles Haliaeeius vocifer, Bai Hawks Mat he i rwnphus alarm . Hobbs Falcons folco uihbuteo. ftillid Harriers Circus macrourus and Steppe Buzzards Buteo buteo vulpinus Hying above the cliffs \Vt were able to estimate the number of resident pairs along the cliff (Figure 2) during the second component of the survey There was one Vcrreaux's Eagle pair with two nests approximately 200 meters apart One pair of Unner Falcons were regularly seen displaying above and on the cliff Four pairs of Common Kestrels were found, although one pair were oidv seen during the early mornings Of these four pairs, three pairs were seen copulating and two of the males were seen feeding the female TWo pairs of Shikras were seen on sections of cliff thai had high riverine vegetation below Raptors seen in immature plumage which could possibly have been raised in the area included Dark i. banting Goshawks, Shikras. ftregrinc Falcons, Lanner Falcons and Common Kestrels. Other birds associated with the cliffs Other cliff inhabiting birds seen included Famailcd Ravens Conus rhipidurus. Hemp rich's Hombills Tockus hemprichii , Cliff Chats Thnmnolaeo cinnamomeiveiuris, Rcd-wmgcd Starlings NeocincMa gutturalis. Bristle-crowned Starlings Onychognathus salwdorii, Alpine Swifts Apus melba. Rock Martins Hirundo fuligula/uscivenirice, Rufous-crowned Rollers Coracias naevia and Speckled Pigeons Columba guinea The many fig trees on the cliffs provided shade and food Species associated with the fig trees included a pair of Wool y necked Storks Ciconia episcopus, Jackson’s Hombills Tockus jacksoni, Blue-napcd Mousebirds Urocolius macrourus and Yellow- vented Bulbuls Pycnonotus bar hams Discussion The results of the cliff survey at I jkc Baringo indicate that the area represents an ideal site for cliff-associated birds and raptors It is high enough to provide protection and nest sites, has a high density of invertebrate and vertebrate prey, and the animal life around Ukc Barmgo probably also provides a rich source of food (Stevenson, undated) Furthermore, there are not many cliffs in the Rili Valley basin and one would expect a high density of dill-nesting raplors at the Lake Baringo cliffs However, wc found only six pairs of breeding resident raplors inhabiting these cliffs (The nesting habitat ol die two pairs of Shikras was the high riverine vegetation so cannot be considered cliff nesting raptors, i Surprisingly, all these pairs were confined lo a section 2,500 m approximately in the middle of the cliff line Tim section was the highest part of the cliff line (mean height 53 m, s.d II. 5m), was vertical, relatively free from trees and had a dry nver bed below it with high riverine thomveld While there were no paths up this section of cliff, the human presence at the base of the cliff remained relatively high This, however, did not 'ccm to visibly affect the raptors, and the Common Kestrels were relatively tame when approached It is possible that the area is unable to support more than one pair of Vcrreaux's Eagles which specialize on Rock Hyrax (Gargcii. 1990) Considering that suitable dill nesting habitat is relatively scarce in the basin of the Rift Valley and dial bird densities were relatively high below the cliff, it wos expected to find several pairs of Lanners or Peregrine Falcons. Furthermore, while Common Kestrel nesting densities were similar to those measured in low density populations in South Atnca (Vftn Zyl. 1993). much of the cliff was unused by the kestrels. In two cases, these sections were used by individual kestrels as roosts, and may later be used as nest sites should these individual kestrels find mates This study show's that raptors selected the highest section of cliff for their nesting sites Jenkins (1991) has shown a similar trend in Peregrine Falcon populations from the tropics that selected higher cliffs 12 Bulletin of the EANHS 29(1/2) than their temperate counterparts He also showed that there was a significant decline in Peregrine Falcon density with decrease in latitude as well as a decline in food availability. It is possible that cliff height also plays an important role in the breeding of Kenyan Lanners and Peregrine Falcons The low number of Common Kestrel pairs can possibly be explained by a lack ol mates (thus explaining the two single roosting birds) or high predation on kestrels on lower sections of cliff Other birds of prey seen along the cliffs at Lake* Baringo are probably resident hut not cliff dweller*;. These include the Fish fcaglcs. Batelcurs. Gymnogenes and Bat Hawks. The Hobby Falcons, Pallid Hamers and Steppe Buzzards were probably on migration and were all recorded flying in a southerly direction Shikras use the cliff lor hunting, especially through the trees along the top. or for perching in die trees on the cliff face However, the high riverine vegetation in Iron! of the cliff would provide suitable nest sites for this species Anthony J. vun Zyl. Department of Birds. Transvaal Museum. P O Box 413. Pretoria. South Africa George Amulete. Ornithology Department. National Museums of Kenya. P. O. Box 40658. Nairobi. Kenya. Sully T. Newton*. Department of Birds. Transvaal Museum. P. O. Box 413. Pretoria. South Africa •Present address: Brain Function Research Unit. Department of Physiology. University of Witwacererand Medical School. 7 York Road. Phrktown. Johannesburg. 2193. South Africa References Brown. L (1970). African Birds of Prey. Collins, London Brown. L. (1980). Vie African Fish Eagle Pumell. London. Gargett. V (1990). Vie Black Eagle. Johannesburg- Acorn. Johannesburg. Jenkins. A. (1991) Latitudnuil prey productivity and potential density in the Peregrine Falcon Gubar 6:20-24. McCann. K.l (1994) Habitat utilization and lime energy budgets of else Lesser Kestrel Rilco natummni in its southern African non-breeding range Unpublished MSc thesis. University of Wi waters rand. Johannesburg Sorlcy. C.S. and Andersen. D E (1994) Raptor abundance in south-central Kenya in relation to land- use patterns. African Journal of Ecology 32: 30-38 Stevenson. T (undated) The birds of Lake Baringo Nairobi: New World Printers. Stcyn. P (1982) Birds of Prey of Southern Africa Their identification and life histones. Cape Town. David Philip. Van Zyl, A.J. (1993). Aspects of the ecology of the Southern African Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus rupicolus). Unpublished MSc thesis. University of Cape Town. Cape Town SHORT COMMUNICATIONS OBSERVATIONS OF DODDER ( CUSCUTA CAMPHESTRIS YUNCKER) PARASITISM ON HEDGES IN NAIROBI Although most plant diseases arc caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes, there arc few seed plants which are parasitic on living plants These parasites could be entirely or partially dependent on their host, affecting either roots or stems. Within the last two years, there have been a number of enquiries at the East African Herbarium on the identity and methods of controlling the parasite Infecting ornamentals and seedlings in nurseries. Moreover, observations made in Nairobi reveal that hedges, especially planted with Bougainvillaea sp . at Jeevanjee Gardens and oilier sites are infected The parasite has been identified as dodder. Cuscuta camphestris Yuncker, a member of die sweet potato family (Convolvulaccac) Discussed here arc diagnostic characters, the biology, and methods of eradication of ihc parasite. Cuscuta (Dodder, Love-vine. Armarbel) is a genus consisting of eight species in East Africa, parasitic on both wild and cultivated species (Verdcourt. 1963; Agnew & Agnew. 1994). These arc non -chlorophyll hearing, leafless, twinning plants which altnch their yellow, orange, or pink thread-like-stems to the stems or other paas of the host. The first appearance of the parasite in the field is noticed as small masses of branched, thread-like, leafless stems which are devoid of the green pigment and twine around the stem or leaves of the host. The leaves are represented by minute funtionlcss scales which arc evident on close examination When the stems come in contact with the host, minute root-like organs, the haustoria, penetrate into the host cortex and serve as an anchor as well as organs of food absorption. When the relation widi the host is firmly established the dodder plant has no connection with the soil Die tiny greenish yellow flowers occur in clusters. The fruit is a capsule producing liny grey or reddish brown seeds A single plant may produce as many as 3. IKK) seeds The seeds germinate just like the seeds of other plants. Usually their germination occurs a few days after the germination of host plant seeds in the field. The young seedling of the parasite is a slender, yellowish, unbranchcd thread The top end Is raised into a more or less vertical position and the growing tip moves in a circle in search of a suitable host When a support is reached the young stem begins io twin around it If the support is a dead piece of wood or non host plant, the parasite stem soon dies. On a susceptible host the stem of dodder soon produces liaustoria to establish itself The lower part then dies and the stem becomes free from soil. The dodder perpetuates through seeds whtch fall on the ground and remain dormant until a favourable season returns, ftmions of the stem arc also resistant April & August. 1999 to adverse weather. Many East African species arc perennials The parasite may be introduced into a field and spread by any of the following means (i) as impurity in the crop seed; (ii) as seeds and stem pieces moved by irrigation water: (iii) as stem pieces present on the dry straw from invested fields; ecrs and I knew it os it was commonly called 'Nanii Lolwc’, to us meaning the lake without termination in the local Luo dialect Lake Victoria has. however, witnessed changes in the recent past that haw come at a great ecological and environmental price, threatening die very existence of the lake. Formed as a result of intensive plate tectonic activity within the* eaith crust many years ago and measuring approximately 400 kilometres long b> 200 kilometres Wide. Lake Victoria ranks comfortably as the world's second largest freshwater lake and hy far the largest in continental Africa Its waters ate shared among the three Last African states of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda Hie lake's inflow is from numerous rivers and streams w ith their sources in the high rainfall lake basin highlands Chief among them arc risers Kagera in Uganda and N/oia in Kenya Others arc rivers Nyando. Migoti tic The great river Nile is the only major outflow. These inlets and outlets maintain ihc hydrological balance of the lake Lake Victoria has a catchment area of approximately 47.7(W km’, of which approximately 10%. falls within Kenya The caicltmeiu area intersects ihe Inirdcrs ot other Central African countries such ns Burundi. Rwanda and some parts of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. It is trom this ihat the problems afflicting Lake Victoria assume an International perspective because they put at risk the livelihood of In excess of 30 million people whose lives arc directly dependent on the lake's natural resources for millions of years. Lake Victoria has served and met the diverse socio-economic and cultural needs of the lake basin dwellers, as a source of water foi essential domestic purposes like drinking, cooking, washing, tie And also for agricultural and industrial uses However, the lake is encountering a number of threats and problems and alarm bells are already ringing, sounding the death knell for this precious gilt of nature The threats facing Lake Victoria basically fall into the following broad categories: pollution of the lake water, over-exploitation and misuse of the lakes resources and its associated wetlands, the water hyacinth menace, the introduction of the Nile perch and dcstruction/rcclamation of the swamps However, these threats, as varied as they arc. do not occur in isolation from each other but to a greater degree arc intricately connected and. more often than not. overlap— as do their origins and their effects, which range from widespread poverty and mass unemployment io serious epidemics and species extinction follution in Lake Victoria has reached unbearably alarming proportions and still continues unabatcdly from all corners of this lake This contaminaiion of the lake through the introduction of unwanted foreign bodies, has. over a period of wars, has lowered the water quality considerably, thereby leading to proliferation of waterborne diseases and epidemics like cholera, dysentery, bilbarz.ta. etc . , which have become w idespread. This has rendered the lake water hazardous, especially foi human consumption follution is mainly of two types - point source pollution and non-point source pollution In the former case, which is more prevalent. Hie source of pollution as well as ihe pollutants are known, while in the later case the source of pollution is unknown, although the pollutants may be identified through analysis. foinl source pollution usually comes from domestic, commercial and industrial wastes and cfflucnis in solid but more usually in liquid and, less often, in gaseous forms Demesne effluent pollutants include both biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes. Biodegradable wastes include food remnants, fruit peels etc Non-biodegradable wastes include broken pieces of glass, plastic containers, plastic bags and tin cans, among others. Lake Victoria also receives sewage wastes, which arc usually inadequately treated or not treated at all. Irom a number of iowtis and cities situated along its shores and bays These include Kisumu in Kenya. Jinja in Uganda and Mwanza and Musoma in Tanzania, among others. These urban centres mostly lack modem sewage treatment plants; those present were built many years ago and their capacities have been outstretched hy the ever increasing wastes resulting from human population growth These urban centres arc also sites of heavy industrial plants dealing in loud processing, plastic manufacturing and oil refining These industries release toxic and noxious by products in form of biochemical and organic pollutants, eg., paraffin, diesel and other organo metallic compounds into Lake Victoria In addition, pharmaceutical and biological wastes from hospitals and other research institutions, which arc highly toxic if not safely disposed of, do likewise find their way into the lake Mining wastes from areas like Kehancha and Kakamega. both In Kenya, where cold is mined, usually contain heavy metals such as mercury, which apart from being a pollutant, is accumulated within the food chain and. hence, poses a serious health hazard Indeed reports from recent research, undertaken to determine the amount of mercury in the lake, indicate that the levels are becoming critical These might result in extensive human and animal mortality through a condition April & August, 1999 7 christened "Minamata" disease because of the havoc it wreaked in Minamata Bay in Japan several years back Other point source pollution includes waste materials from fish smoking and slaughter houses and the literal dumping of solid wastes which arc returned to our beaches. Non-point source pollution results from materials earned into Lake Victoria by streams, nvers and surface run off. It is usually, however, more difficult to control It contains agro-chcnncal pollutants like pesticides, fertilisers, fungicides from agricultural areas along with huge amounts of nutrients, e.g , silt, nitrogen and phosphorus Often these chemicals have become indispensable in the agricultural industry which is highly developed around Lake Victoria. Oilier inland industries and factories arc guilty of this type of pollution by dumping their wastes into streams and rivers ihm finally discharge them into the lake In Kenya, sugar industries in iho western sugarbelt region like Mumias. Nzoia, Chcmilil, Muhoroni and South Nyanza Sugar Companies arc notorious for dumping effluents imo adjacent rivers like Nyando, Nzoia and Migori which end up in Lake Victoria Pollution in the lake has increased the rate of eutrophication which has resulted in die emergence of algal blooms through the increase of biological oxygen demand (BOD). These have in effect provided favourable conditions for the uncontrolled growth of the infamous weed, water hyacinth The water hyacinth has proceeded to colonise areas important to native aquatic plants and also hinders the penetration oi light to the under water surfaces-a factor csscntml for the growth of underwater plants This impacts negatively the food chain within the lake ecosystem and disrupts it substantially. The latest threat to the lake, the effects of which have been severely chronic with overwhelming and far- reaching implications, is the invasion of the lake by “alien" aquatic weeds like die Sahiniu vilxintu mnifMa. W/iier lettuce Pima stratioies and the water hyacinth Eichomia enusipes. These thice alien weed species have infested Lake Victoria at different times and to varying degrees. However, of the three nquntic weed species, water hyacinth stands tall ns the most widespread and threatening to the ecology of Luke Victoria and by extension to the lives of many people and animals. As attractive as it appears, with magnificently dark green leaves and beautiful blue/purplc flowers, its uncontrolled growth has resulted iti thick mats of vegetation which have, in effect, colonised more than half the of the lake surface The beauty of this weed is a complete irony when its hazardous effects are considered and it reads like a paradox of beauty for suffering. A member of the family Frintedcriaccac and a native of the South American Amazon basin, it is theorised to have been brought to tropical Africa mainly ns an ornamental plant and. of course, it has found its way into many lakes The success of this weed in Tropical lakes, including Victoria, is attributed to many factors. Firstly and most important, unlike the indigenous floating aquatic plants, which are in natural equilibrium with the parasites and predators in their environment, this alien species proliferates outside its natural habitat because it is freed from the controlling influence of its natural enemies. Secondly, the water Hyacinth has found a new-nutrient rich habitat in Lake Victoria because this lake, being highly polluted, has a correspondingly high degree of eutrophication. The above factors, combined with the rapid spread of the water hyacinth (both through stnlcns and large quantities of long-lived seeds), can rcsuli in the population sometimes doubling lit from 5 to 15 days. The water Hyacinth's spread in Lake Victoria is unmistakable, although it is more prevalent on the Kenyan and Ugandan waters and than on the Tan/aman side It is mainly due to the choking effect of this notorious weed that the problems of Lake Victoria have been brought to the attention of ihe rest of Ihe world, by both the print and electronic media after the hue and cry of local dwellers Over exploitation and misuse of the lakes resources, strictly speaking, docs not come per se. but is usually the unintended consequence of development For instance over-exploitation of the resources of Lake Victoria is one such major problem and threat that cannot be overemphasised. More often than not the resources in question arc either (ab)used or (mis)uscd to satisfy the short term gams of the exploiters Situated in a densely populated region, Ukc Victoria provides nutritious food in the form of fish and other edible aquatic species, thereby forming a socio- economic base for ihose living in the lake basin region Fish, being popular with the local people, has become an innocent victim of over exploitation Fishing lias tremendously increased over a period of years, usually with an impressive annual yield. The high yield in fish catch is heavily Influenced by the increase in catch ol Nile perch Nile perch Lares niloticus is consumed locally and also exported to markets within the European Union. Hence it is by far the most commercially i mponant fish species in Lake Victoria The increase m fish production has positively impacted the lake community as ii is an important protein source Over- fishing is attributed to not only die increasing demand of a growing populanon, but also to the sudden shift from traditionally harmless subsistence fishing methods, using traps, baskets, papy rus nets, hooks and spears, to technologically advanced, intensive, non-selective and highly sophisticated commercial fishing methods that employ the use of power boats, cotton, nylon and tnullifilatuent gill nets, bench seines and trawlers. The off-take of fish species is thought to be slowly exceeding the maximum sustainable yield (MSY), a factor that can effectively lead to their extinction The other problem of fishing and fisheries in Lake Victoria is attributable, to the severe alteration of the drainage basin tnrough agricultural, vcgetational. urban and industrial changes, often without due regard to the traditional breeding patterns and breeding regions of the fishes. A case in point is the building, by the Kenya government in the early eighties, of the Mbita Causeway, linking the main land and Rusinga Island. It is theorised 18 Bulletin of the EANHS 29(1/2) to have heavily impacted the breeding zones and patterns of several fish species, leading to then population decline Over exploitation of the lakes resources is not restricted to fisheries alone. The reclamation, through destruction and clearance, of swamps for development along the shores of Lake Victoria is cause for concern When talking of swamplands around Lake Victoria basin, as elsewhere, the main question is “do we need swamp lands?" I am not committing myself to providing an answer to this disturbing question, but I am instead dwelling on some vital questions that arise from the many answers that arc likely to come from this question It is sad to note that swamps have been historically treated, not as wvtlands. but supposedly as wastelands which should be “reclaimed" for "better" use However, swamps serve many purposes, including the very important one of controlling silt, a nutrient inflow into the lake. and. by acting as silt sieves, regulating the amount of pollution getting into the water body Done in the name of development, to accommodate the increasing population and provide land for agricultural expansion, swamp clearing has increased massively A ease of conflict arising between development and the healthy ecology of Lake Victoria, is manifested clearly by the swampland reclamation project at the Yala basin, by the Lake Basin Development Authority. Although it boasts a lot of economic and. by extension, political, benefits, the reclamation of this swamp, already underway and projected to cover an area of approximately 11,500 hectares comes at an expensive and painful environmental and ecological price The reclaimed land is economically beneficial because it is used to grow crops like sorghum, hybrid maize and mangoes Other ideal crops include rice, cassava, groundnuts, yams and sugarcane. Much as they may be economically desirable, some agricultural developments, like the introduction of sugarcane production within the reclaimed areas, may not be justifiable for the country in question For the past few years, the Kenyan market has been flooded with cheap imported sugar from foreign count ncs and this has Im most sugar factories in western Kenya hard. Sugarcane is already going to waste m farmlands, and ihc factories arc in fact down on their knees. It would, therefore, appear that development for this use is completely unjustifiable in comparison to importance of this swampland to the lakes ecosystem Lake Victoria’s swamps, like any other tropical swamps, arc very productive ecosystems that affect the health of the adjacent water body. It is noteworthy that the biomass produced in swamps is un indispensable element in the complex food chain within Lake Victoria itself. These swamplands are the natural habitats ot many species of plants and animals, which may disappear in the name of development. These include aquatic plants like the sedges {Cyperus cladium and papyrus Cyperus papyrus) and grasses {Vossia sp . Mi scat hid i urn sp. and Londetia sp.) Bird species that inhabit the Lake Victoria swamp lands include Papyrus Gonolck Lanlanus mufumbiri. Black Headed Gonolek L erythrogasier. Papyrus Yellow Warbler Chloropeta gracilirosiris. and Crow ned Crane Balearica pavomna, to mention but a tew These arc swampland specialists, hence their endemism io this specific ecosystem In addition, swamps are home to animals like the rare sitatunga Tragelaphus spekei. the bushbuck Tragelaphus scnpius, recdbuck Redunca re dune a and the waicrbuck Kobus ellipsypnmnus. all of which may just be on their way to extinction as a result of swampland reclamation. Another threat to Lake Victoria, with serious consequences to endemic species, is the introduction of the Nile perch Lairs nilolicus This has been considered by some authorities as an act of “biological pollution" because the Nile perch is a predator, preying harshly and extensively on the indigenous fish specie* of the lake, leading to a substantial decrease in their numbers within the lake nils fact, however, has been lost on observers and stakeholder* .dike because of the increasing catch and the subsequent handsome prices that Nile perch fetch in both local and international markets, boosting the local economy While the seeming never-ending controversy over ihc effects of its introduction into the lake in the sixties, continues, tt cannot be denied that the introduction of Nile perch has had a detrimental effect on the biodiversity of lake Victoria It has almost eliminated haplochrominc* (of which 200 species exist in the lake and nowhere else) and the endemic tilapia Oreochmmis esculenia This accusation i* further fuelled by- the evidence that Urge individuals of Nile perch are reported to he predominantly feeding on the young i»r their own species, suggesting that ihc number of indigenous fish species has declined to a critical level. Other species facing threats from the Nile perch arc catfishcs. mudfishes and cyprinids which arc increasingly becoming rare. For die-hard conservationists, the Nile perch menace doc* not end with the threat to the extinction of the lake's indigenous fish species only. A school of thought argues that the Nile perch has led to deforestation on a number ol islands It argues that because of its large size and oily nature. Nile perch cannot be sun-dried, forcing the local people incut down trees and use ihctn to smoke the ftsh-an outright ad of deforestation Either way the Nile perch debate, largely ignored by the press* seems to be an irreversible situation and it is only a matter of lime before it shifts to land based and by extension social issues concerning Lake Victoria rhe foregoing threats all boil down to a single major problem "threats to Lake Victoria as a common heritage." and a question “For how long will we allow this destruction to continue?” The effects of these threats, are unacceptable and for iJtke Victoria, the horoscope of tunc shows that tt is at the sunset of its existence if quick action is not undertaken now to salvage the horrible situation. Over and above all. Lake Victoria as earlier mentioned, is important for provision of water for domestic, agricultural and industrial uses Water is the April & August. 1999 19 source of life and therefore the threat to Lake Victoria, put in another way. is a threat to the livelihood of more than 30 million people who directly or indirectly benefit from it It is also important for a multitude of other uses As a common economic resource. Lake Victoria provides both direct and indirect economic benefit to the 3 East African states of Uganda, Ibn/ania and Kenya as well as numerous multiethnic communities Direct economic benefits are the provision of food in ihe form of fish for local consumption and for export (bringing the much needed foreign exchange) and water for pilot irrigation schemes, eg . the Ahero Irrigation Pilot Project for production of rice Numerous towns and cities which arc important centres for commerce and industries also owe tbeir origin and existence to Lake Victoria These include Kisumu in Kenya, Jinja in Uganda and Musoma in Tanzania, among others. The associated swampland within ihe shores on the gulf of the lake provide raw materials like reeds used for small scale enterprises like producing mats, simple furniture, baskets, etc . boosting entrepreneurial growth Navigationally. Lake Victoria is an important waterway that has accelerated trade within the East African region The lake traffic is high, with water vessels ranging from sieamers and terries to small boats and canoes. This increases the exchange of goods and services, promoting intra- and interstate commerce Tourism has been a booming business, as tourists are attracted to the magnificent scenery and animals of Lake Victoria Scenic areas include Ndcrc National ftirk and Kisumu's Impaia Park They also engage in other diverse activities like boating, swimming, birdwatching and sightseeing The indirect benefits coming from lake tourism arc employ ment in hotels and lodges, transport and fuel sales, shopping, revenue provision through state and local taxes, as well ns park fees. These economic Iwncfits, as lucrative as they are. will soon he placed in historical dustbins by the threats lacing the lake The ecological and environmental aspects of these threats is equally more disturbing. Lake Victoria maintains a unique biodiversity, it has a rich community or both aquatic fauna and flora. Among the faunal invertebrates arc the benthic or bottom dwelling organisms like the leeches, water mites, aquatic worms and aquatic forms or stages of insects, clams and snails Other fauna include zooplanktons, insects, amphibians, particularly toads and frogs, reptiles, like monitor lizards, turtles, tortoises and crocodiles birds and mammals, eg., the hippopotamus. The spice of life in Lake Victoria is however the fishes, a group that has received the greatest attention because of the magnitude of their economic importance They arc categorised into four major groups based essentially on habitat requirements. Included in the first group arc the deep water fishes eg Bogus dt/anue. Morrynis kanaumme and the haploch routines Group two is largely confined to fishes that have the tendency to migrate upstream in rivers during rainy season, i e . . the anadromous species like Barbus altlanalis. Mud dwelling fishes which interestingly are capable of staying buried in the mud for long periods during the dry seasons fall into the third group, herein are also included fishes like i he Protopterus aelhiopicus and Clarias sp. The fourth group has minimal presence in Lake Victoria and more often than not arc present more by accident than by design, they are river and stream dwellers eg. Barbus amphigmma Finally, as a tool for research, the scientific importance of Lake Victoria is unrivalled both in immensity and quality as it provides scientists and scholars with unequalled opportunities to study, among other disciplines, patterns and processes of evolution In my view, adequate measures need to be put in place to curtail the degradation and initiate the restoration of Lake Victoria to its past glory. I would not hesitate to recommend the following steps and measures to help curb the problems To decrease pollution, all sewage wastes disposed into the lake must be accorded thorough pre- disposal treatment and only disposed at safe levels For this to succeed modem sewage treatment plnnts should he constructed in all ihe major urban centres along tlic lake shores Kroplc living in the rural areas within ihe lake basin must be encouraged to build and use pit latrines All effluents produced by industries, factories and other plants must also be treated before being released This process should be monitored by the governments who should in mm ensure that the companies involved adhere strictly to the requirements and those that do not meet the specified standards must be reprimanded and punished Pollution may also be drastically reduced by the halting of swampland reclamation and clearance since these regions aci as buffer /ones In addition ripanan /ones of the inflow' rivers should be left intact to ensure control and put checks on the flow’ of agricultural fertilisers, fungicides, pesticides, etc . into these rivers and subsequently into the lake itself Promotion of commercial fish fanning within the lake basin would be an alternative to fishing from the lake and this would alleviate the current overfishing Governments and other financial institutions should provide an impetus for this through the provision of soft loan facilities to fish farmers and co operative societies to undertake this proposal In addition, promotion of captive propagation as well as the establishment of fish nature reserves arc other alternative methods that are capable of changing ihe trend Aquarium and archival exhibits, if set up. would promote know ledge about the lakes fisheries, thereby helping to create awareness of the problems afflicting ihe fishing industry Fish breeding zones should be protected to reduce the impel of interference on their breeding piterns and ensure species sustainability. These measures, if adequately put in place, would address the problem of over* fishing. The most pressing problem that needs immediate attention and solution is the water hyacinth menace In tackling this issue, we have three principle options, t e 20 Bulletin of the FANHS29(|/2) employing biological, chemical or mechanical methods However, all and each one of them have pros and cons as regards the lake's ecology, which is the paramount factor to consider when deciding the method to be employed Generally it has been found that physical and chemical methods of water hyacinth control art useful only for a short time, since growth is rapid and these methods often have to be repeated Chemical methods, though useful, can lead to pollution and may affect non target species Biological control on the other hand docs provide an environmentally friendly, cost effective and permanent reduction of the hyacinth Host specific agents for biological control of water hyacinth have been found and their establishment in Lake Victoria may be a brcukihnwjgh in the control of the wved These controls include 2 weevil species Neochetina bruchl and Neochetina eichhomiae, and a moth Sam codes albiquttalis The two weevils have achieved a high level ol control in both USA and Sudan where the two species have been established for several years. Earlier attempts by the Kenya Agricultural Institute to employ these methods seem to have failed, or at Icasr a positive result has not been forthcoming. These effons were not only piecemeal and disjointed but seemed to have been influenced by publicity excitement rather than by objective ness Likewise earlier mechanical methods by a company supposedly awarded lender through the Kenya government also seem to have failed and ceased altogether Such lukewarm and superficial effons should be discouraged as they amount to nothing more than waste of resources On the positive side, there should he increased education and awareness raising, this should involve all the stakeholders, and more so at the grassroots level, because environmental issues affecting Lake Victoria have become very popular, while many people interested lack specific data and recent information It is also through education that people can learn, understand and appreciate the magnitude of the problems facing Lake Victoria and ihcir potential impacts The youth must be massively involved because it is in Ihcir hands that the future of this lake belongs, by so doing we arc not only building them for the future but also building a future for them. Environmental impact assessments should be conducted to develop sustainable ways of exploiting the resources of Lake Victoria with the aim of obtaining an acceptable balance between the needs of the environment and the interests of the beneficiaries; this should be in the form of a masterplan, or blueprint, detailing all the documented facts about the potentials and pitfalls of the exploitation of Lake Victoria. It should be constantly updated and reviewed to conform with the changing status of the lake to ensure overall sustainability. The master plan must involve a participatory' approach which must integrate and address the views, hopes and fears of all the stakeholders and should be undertaken by experts. Wfc may never eliminate completely the negative environmental repercussions of development but on the positive side we can live harmoniously with this ecosystem by putting in measures to curb excessive (abjusc of its resources. VVe. the peoples of Kenya. Uganda and Tanzania, now. more than ever before, need the courage to act collectively with the realisation that as a common resource. Lake Victoria and its problems do noi respect political boundaries and so the solutions must also transcend these boundaries It is encouraging to note that much effort has already been put in place to remedy the situation Awareness is fast approaching its zenith and action is going on at local, regional and international levels, involving the three East African governments, agencies and NGOs. like UNEP. VWarld Bank. KARI and OSIENALA. Lake Victoria Wetlands Team, to mention but a few Of particular importance is the establishment of the Lake Victoria Environmental Management Programme iLVEMPi charged with, among other responsibilities, the task of co-ordinating the involvement of all stakeholders with the eradication of problems affecting Lake Victoria. As the century comes to an end and a dawn ot a new century unfolds, my wish, and the wish of many people, is that these effons will translate into action that will secure the future of Lake Victoria as a common heritage and resource. The lesson has been learnt. Lake Victoria is actually not the Lake without termination flic task that Hes ahead is enormous indeed and it may not be achieved tomorrow, just as the problems did not start yesterday, but like a journey of a thousand miles, it must start with a single step. Should my wish be granted, then perhaps in die coming two decades, when I will grab my .pen and paper to scribble columns about ihc magnificent Lake Victoria, history will accord a chapter, if not two, to the successful restoration of the worlds second largest freshwater lake Philip Molo MeOsano, Egerton University. Department of Natural Resources, BSc Course: (Environmental Science) and Intern. Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya. Box 40658. Nairobi. Tel. 742131/61 Ext 242/3. Fax 741424, E-mail: Kbirds(8>afncaonlinc.co.kc EARTHWATCH THE MALLORCAN EXPEDITION My Earth watch fellowship was to the Spanish Island of Mallorca This is one of the Balearic Islands, situated in the Mediterranean Sea. The project area was the S'Albufera Natural Park I received the fellowship through the East Africa Natural History Society. Nairobi, Kenya. As a first lime visitor to Europe being given this opportunity to visit one of ihc world’s premier wildlife areas was most certainly a rewarding experience! April & August. 1999 21 As the aircraft approached the island, I looked through the window eager to catch a glimpse of Mallorca I could see the mountains set on a base of deep biue sea The sunset hitting the mountaintops was making them more spectacular. It had been some 20 hours since my colleague on this project. Michael, and I had left home Within just a few minutes we had landed in Palm dc Mallorca Airport. The sun was now just setting. By the time the Earthwatch representative. Chris, managed to get us to S'Albufcra Natural Rirk. it was already dark. After dinner we were briefed on the progress of the expedition, as it had started a couple of days prior to our arrival We had arrived laic, due to our visa delays We both quickly settled into the programme after our first full day. The theme of the project was "monitoring for biodiversity and environmental changes at S Albufera Natural Park” The main fields of research were grouped into the following biological monitoring, biodiversity, human and management impact studies Our Principal Investigator was Nick Riddiford. We worked in teams with each team split into different study groups These in turn, were headed by a scientist specialising in their particular field. Each day the field workers were rotated, allowing everyone to participate in all the study areas I spent my first few days with Rob Stracban working on mice. On the first morning Rob. one other, and I walked to the research site Several Longworth traps (specialised small mammal traps) had been set 10 m apart in a grid pattern amongst ihc grass and reeds. Closed traps usually meant that there was a mouse inside Wc only dealt with closed traps. Each trap was opened with great care into a large polythene bag and the subject was then isolated towards the corner of the bag. It was then carefully handled to weigh it and then examined to ascertain age, sex and breeding condition Then it was released adjacent to the area it had been trapped hi New captures were marked before being released Each trap was then reset and laid back into its respective position. This process was done repeatedly for a number of days before the imps were then moved to a different site. The trapping results were used to determine which species arc present in a particular area. One evening wc went to some caves to look for bats. Wfe captured eight in total. Each bat was identified, weighed and then examined to determine age. sc.x and breeding condition. After this was done, they were liberated VJc spent some afternoons walking areas of the park identifying wild flowers and seeds On calm sunny afternoons, wc conducted butterfly and dragonfly transects. This involved walking on fixed routes of different habitats, identifying and counting individual species within a five-metre range on all sides Species, such as the painted lady butterfly Vtnessa cardui. were identified; this is a common migrant throughout Europe from Spain This exercise was more enjoyable ai the sand dunes because it usually ended with a long walk on the sandy coastal beach . Another area of the research study was moths. This involved the use of an ultra violet light trap being set and left overnight, to trap the moths. In the morning the specimens captured in the trap were identified and recorded on the data sheets, then the specimens were released while new specimens caught were mounted for collection reference. Several beetles were also attracted to these traps. Early each morning wc participated in bird transects, these were led by Nick Riddiford. Wc walked different set routes and identified birds by sight and by their calls. This was done within 25 metres on all sides of the routes Small birds such as Moustached, Cctti's, fan-tailed and other warblers and robins, finches and pipits were identified Among the birds of prey wore the Marsh Harrier and Merlin In the open waters there were usually the more common waterfowl such as ftxhard. Mallard. Coot and Moorhen. Reed bed vegetation monitoring was an interesting area of research Most of the landscape of S’Albufcra is covered with a thick mass of phragmiies reeds. These areas arc normally wet and muddy. A study of the reed bed vegetation was performed to establish the present status. This involved measuring 1 5 m transect lines in the reeds which we then divided into 25 cm quadrats at 2 m intervals The total number of reeds (dead and allwj within the quadrat were recorded Other plant species occurring within the qundrat were also identified. All this data helped to give a full description of the vegetation cover of a particular area of the park Occasionally. Charlie Rugeroni led us on a baseline survey on S ’Albufera 's endemic fungus. Psaihyrella halophila This involved visiting those areas where the fungus occurs and making a simple investigation of its habitat preferences One of the more interesting parts of the research was on aquatic invertebrates in relation to water quality The aim of the study was to monitor water quality within S’Albufcra by identifying Uiose communities of species which are useful indicators of water quality. One morning, I joined Michelle’s (our specialist scientist) team and it was ilic most exciting pan of my fieldwork Wc had to cycle to the sample sites and each of us took a sample from a different wetland This was done by sweep-netting the water at least 25 times, to ensure that a variety of species was captured Wfe took the samples to the centre in containers. In the afternoon wc worked through our samples identifying them with the use of hand lenses W: then recorded the captured species. Species such as water beetles, stone flics and freshwater shrimps were caught. I enjoyed this study so much that the following day I volunteered tor Michelle’s team once again but this time cycling funher afield to different sites. A vital part of our expedition was discussing how S 'Albufera can be developed as a biodiversity model using already gathered ecological data This concept was to find a suitable criteria that would best describe the various components of S’Albufera using the detailed data already available Everyone participated by putting forward ideas on how the model can be developed, with 22 Bulletin of the EANHS 29(1/2) Chris being the leader. Once the model is completed, n can be used as a guide in other areas that also have a rich biodiversity. The model is an important part of environmental auditing. Other work done during the expedition was the labelling of flora photographs and grouping species in their respective botanical families, and general entomology with the insect reference collection The knowledge gained Participating in the Earthwatch project was one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to inc I was exposed to an international working environment and through this I feel I haw developed a more open mind especially in the world of conservation Hie expedition has had a great impact on my career in the field of environmental studies. I haw gained a great deal of knowledge hy working with an international research lam It is now wry clear to me that multi- disciplinary studies of a specific area are very important m die management of natural resources Wte need to do extensive and practical research such as the one ai S'Albufera in order to fully understand how environmental systems work, so that we can apply the appropriate conservation measures In Kenya, i am involved with a lot of environmental conservation activities. Already. I am sharing some of this knowledge dial I haw gained with my colleagues. I hope by doing so. I can make them understand more the meaning of research in relation to environmental conservation High diwrsuy of species can only he maintained through careful management of their habitats and this is the message lhai I feel I must convey. I gained knowledge •hi practical research procedures dun arc standard, which I can apply whenevrr I nm in the field. Above all I feel more confident to work in field research An important part of my work that 1 greatly enjoy is networking m the field of environment. This ix .iIhhii know ing who docs what and sharing experiences with die others on environmental issues The Mallorcan expedition has made me build international networks with those who have the same interest During the expedition we sliarcd lots of experiences, achievements, challenges and problems and I also gained some wonderful ideas from these This meant an exchange of information, ihc dissemination ol knowledge is a wonderful thing. S'Albufera is an outstanding migration area for birds and as such is a specially protected region for birds Bird watching out there has made me become a belter birder This is mainly because I feel I have gamed incredible knowledge of European species, especially of dieir habitat preference, migratory patterns, feeding and territorial behaviour. An example of this was I know why we found such large numbers of the moustached warblers in the reeds After learning about their behavioural patterns I came to learn these birds are shy and have a tendency to skulk having a preference for frequenting undisturbed habitats where there is tall vegetation Also I learnt that S'Albufera dc Mallorca is a RAMSAR site (wetland site considered of international importance), something I was unaware of until I researched the area prior to my visit Tins is because of ihc unique wetlands of S'Albufera The park and the entire island ace as refuge for thousands of birds, many of them migrating each year between Europe and Africa When I am birding in Kenya, rhe sight of a migrant Reed or Marsh Warbler w ill definitely excite me just that little bit more because that bird may have come bv way of ihc Balearic Islands and S'Albufera. F am already sharing this exciting knowledge with fellow birders. As a person who enjoys ecology. I have learnt of how species richness, their distribution and abundance can be used to measure and assess the ecological importance of a particular area Everything gave fresh impetus to my own interest in nature. I feel a thirst for kjuiwledgc in the field of ecology and conservation and I am nmv ready to absorb and to learn more from nature That know ledge 1 have gained through interacting with nature in the most harmonious and gentle way. Other experiences Mallorca I found was a fresh and creatively inspiring island Just being there in another part of the world awav from where I was born and have always lived, enjoying natural history (my favourite hobby) was a great experience. I worked with dedicated, enthusiastic true naturalists in the most professional and enjoyable manner I mei Max Nicholson, whose age is close to three figures, possibly Ihc oldest world conservationist. Max wits our Advisor. One morning I woke to the sound of pou ring rain It only then I remembered that I had volunteered to help Rob with the mice that morning and now ii was co,d and wry wet Each one of us in the team put on a |»air of Wellington boots and a raincoat I had several layers of clothes on under the raincoat as well, just to be sure I was warm enough VVfc walked down to the site bei ween the wet reeds, in the drizzling rain Wfc tried to work as fast as possible yet very carefully concentrating more on the newly captured specimens because a great deal of daLa had already l»een gathered on re-captures YSfc found a nit inside one of the traps and took it back io the centre, only later to find out that it was another re trap. Everyone was excited to see the rat again The experience of cycling long distances to the field was also exciting to me because 1 had never been able to cycle before reaching S'Albufera Sometimes, we cycled to the beach in the evenings S'Albufera Natural Park is a unique freshwater coastal wetland that combines many special features, from tresh water inland marshes to the coastal salt-water marshes. Plant and animal biodiversity is high As a true naturalist. I often felt the urge to explore the park on my own There is plenty to see and to listen to. It is a place where you want to wander alone for hours and experience the true feeling of nature. The fact that there April & August. 1999 23 arc no dangerous wild animals in S'Albufcra made me feci rather more confident about walking around the park without fear Birding on my own was therefore a most enjoyable experience. It was always quite refreshing to walk or cycle, an the clear tracks between the reeds. During my bird walks. I enjoyed the hesitant Cetn's Warbler and its insistent staccato song, the jerky flight of the Fan-tailed Warbler, and the peaceful flight of the Marsh Harrier and the sight of the water birds swimming All these and more were delights offered by the park One morning, I cycled slowly on a long wet and muddy track towards the old farmhouse. There was lots to see from both sides of the track Each time I saw or heard something interesting, I stopped to enjoy It I watched the numerous wetlands full of life, Coot, Purple Gallinules, gulls, and many more Occasionally I heard the wild cry o! a Water Rail hiding within the reeds As I approached the farmhouse. I could fed the warmth from the nsing sun on my face. A group of feral pigeons made a sudden noise from the nearby pine trees Reaching the gate to the farmhouse I put the bicycle down and stood still, watching the awakening nature. There was the soft and delicate colour of the cattle egrets feeding on the insects in the Held, lots of small birds feeding on the nearby’ bushes, a group of gulls flying high in the sky I stood there for about an hour. In the middle of all these. It was a lovdy way to start my day One evening, as a group we visited one of (lie hide* overlooking a wetland. We sat there, each one of us with a pair of binoculars enjoying the spectacular views of the water birds. Several Cools were swimming in the water, the Mallards were sitting by the shore There was a Common .Sandpiper picking its way along the shore, several ducks flew- in shortly followed by a Grey Heron. It was as if there was a party, with the water providing all the delights required Our day off was spent louring other parts of the island. We drove to the coastal mountains, the tormentor IVninsula The approach to the mountains begins on .1 long straight road that bypasses the beautiful beaches. Then a winding road starts as the mountains near When we reached them die air was cool and there was a b reive We climbed up through the hard limestone, stopping occasionally to identify special plants which grow between the hard limestone rocks From a viewpoint we watched the pleasant combination of the blue water and the buildings behind the open view of the surrounding hills and cliffs. From there, we drove to the Lluch Monastery I was told this is a spiritual heart of Mallorca The mad to the Lluch is even more winding When we reached there, we quickly settled down to have a picnic Aflcr ibis we toured the surrounding areas The Lluch Monastery is in a beautiful setting with its cultivated fields and an interesting looking valley that runs below' it. Lots of sheep could be seen grazing, we could hear the bells hanging around their necks. It was interesting to me to sec wild goats wandering in the nearby hills On our w-ay back we had a stop and a short walk, passing through fields of almonds That was the first time 1 had seen almond irees. We stopped again at Rillcnsa Town and Chris, our guide, took us to have a cup of coffee at a rather fine hotel by the beach. In the evening we crowned it all with an outing for dinner. Other experiences were cooking together, which gave me a few tips on cooking methods. Now I know how to make some Spanish and English dishes. Going out to assist with shopping was another experience that gave me a chance to see many things and to make comparisons with Kenya Wfc visited the local market On our way to the market, we passed large farms with windmills on almost all of them. Wfe spotted hundreds of Yellow Legged Herring Gulls feeding in the fields When we arrived at the market it was busy, people buying and selling, the stalls full, with a variety of commodities, from fresh produce to household items Wfc walked around the market. It was different and yet it reminded me of a typical market back home in my small village. Bui there I was walking on the narrow streets of a typical Mallorean market, mingling with these local people, trying to bargain and buy using this “strange" (to me i Mallorean language that I barely knew anything of It was a different and rather exciting experience On my last evening in Mallorca I cycled through the park with my binoculars around my neck. It was quiet with the soft sound of the whispering reeds, the most characteristic planl of the park. I cycled slowly towards ihe area adjacent to the power station I watched the sun setting on top of ihe hills, On the nearest wetland I watched more than ;i hundred cormorants sitting on ihe dead branches of ihe trees. I was thinking that the next day I was going to be on that aircrafl. returning home I felt like rewinding everything back to the beginning, as if this was not enough No one can ever know just how thankful I am to have taken part in such an experience as this. All these experiences have left me with a memory filled with the images of the island. Environmentalists say “think globally and act locally". I like the idea, but how could I even hcg$n to think effectively and globally lie fore travelling globally'' But now when I think of nature it is not only about the loud ringing voice of the Fish Faglc in Uke Naivasha. or the choruses of the Rock Hyrax at the cliffs close to Lake Baringo I can also let my mind wander around the Mallorean Island. I can clow my eyes and hear the whispering sound of the reeds in the Parc do* S'Albufcra. the scolding alarm calls of the Sardinian Warblers from the reeds Or imagine that I am watching the beautiful colours of the Runted Lady Butterfly flying over the sand dunes or listening to the high pitched voices of the frogs of Mallorea. It is one world and I am most definitely thinking globally now Evaluation First of all. I have to commend Earthwatch for initiating such an inspiring and educational project. The Mallorean cxpencnce was a great thrill and the knowledge I have gained lias definitely changed a pan of me forever. 24 Bulletin ofthcEANHS 29(1/2) During fieldwork, responsibilities were rotated among each team so we had a chance to participate in all the studies, forticipation in all the activities exposed each one of us to the different methods and procedures Simple and cost effective techniques were used while a high quality of data was gathered It was usually exciting to move from one team to another working with a different scientist each and every day. I feel this is very important because at the end one feds that they have fully participated in the project as a whole The members of the scientific team are highly qualified in their specialised fields Each one of them is a dedicated and hardworking individual but here they work as a team Beside then specialised knowledge they have a knowledge of the park and Its surrounding areas During field work they look their time to explain things whenever necessary and were always ready to share their knowledge with ihc volunteers. They showed patience in answering our numerous questions I will never forget those afternoons when we sat outside with Michelle around a big table, each one of us with a container of invertebrates from various sites Our heads were fixed over the containers, sorting, identifying acid counting those little creatures, most of them so tiny that we had to use hand lenses to identify them A minute hardly passed before someone consulted Michelle about something that they could not identify even with the checklist in front of them She never became tired of our questions and this is just an example that showed how the scientists were so dcdicaicd and committed to their work and how patient they were wuh the volunteer* Also the park staff were very friendly and helpful I enjoyed most of the food I tried. I liked the way we shared all the responsibilities, this was done with teamwork ll was always so much fun doing things together The park and the surrounding areas were peaceful and quiet and therefore it was more enjoyable doing research with no obstruction I was told that in the summer, thousands of tourists come to Mallorca from all over the world. During this period, hundreds visit S'Alhufcra everyday 1 therefore prefer the timing ol ihc project because ihc research is done when there is less pressure on ihc park and less disturbance. Briefing before ihc actual fieldwork by the specialist scientist prepared us for the work involved Also volunteers were usually given a chance to talk about what they did during the day. Every day after dinner, we shared our daily experiences and consulted with each other This formed a vital part of the project’* evaluation What did 1 not like about the project? It all went too fast! I remember ihc last Saturday when we all sat outside with a cup of coffee w hile we volunteers talked about ourselves and what we do in our own country That was the time 1 felt that we were really soon to depart from each other's company, we had become friends. I just wished we could start all over again! Doricc Agol, c/o EANHS. Box 44486. Nairobi. Kenya BOOK REVIEW The Rhinoceros in Captivity , by L.C. Rookmaakcr, SPB Academic Publishing. Tlic Hague. 1998. 410 pages. Kccs Rookmaakcr has been extremely interested in rhinos his entire adult life. This book, a massive compilation of all known rhinov which have been in captivity from Roman times until 1994, would be a life’s work for most people, but not for Dr Rookmaakcr He has also produced other tomes which have taken years to compile such as The Zoological Exploration of Southern Africa 1650- 1 790 (A. A Balkema. Rotterdam, 1989) and the only reasonably complete bibliography on the rhino entitled appropriately Bibliography of the Rhinoceros (A A Balkema, Rotterdam, 1983) Presently, Dr Rookmaakcr is the Curator of The Rhino Museum in Vaalwaicr in South Africa. Some of his time is now being spent putting logether in ihc museum the largest collection of articles, books and offprints on die five species of rhinos, over 5,000 items. The Rhinoceros in Captivity is divided into ten chapters with the bulk of the text devoted to references of the five extant rhino species in captivity: the Indian, Javan. Sumatnm, black and while. The author has been able to list 2,439 rhinos in captivity, from only 22 for the Javan to 1 . 105 for the white, despite the fact that the first specimen of a white rhino only arrived at a zoo as laic as 1946 (p.245) Tins book is not just made up of a list of rhinos in various axis, safari parks and circuses. There is a large amount ol descriptive text giving details of some of the individual animal*. One of the more fascinating themes which runs through the volume is the importance of wild animal dealers, they were mostly Europeans who went to Africa and Asia to catch the animals An interesting book could be written about these men. some well known and other* obscure individuals Perhaps Dr Rookmaakcr could consider such a proposal for future w*yrk Obviously, with such an ambitious project to list every single rhino ever caught over 20 centuries there will be omissions Dr Rookmaakcr admits he has not found all the references (p.4j The most conspicuous oversight for Kenya has been the lack of any mention of Ol Jogi Ranch which has 16 black and three white rhinos In a larger geographical context there is a shortage of data for rhinos in Russia, this is probably due to the fact that the author has spent little lime in Russia and the zoo authorities there failed to communicate adequately with him I would like to disagree with Dr Rookmaakcr on one point He say* on page 155 that "the black rhino is not easily tamed like the other species". However, wild black rhinos can be tamed in only a few days, unlike white rhinos which take longer. I remember visiting some white rlunos enclosed in bomas in Kroger National Park which had not become tame after one month in captivity. April & August. 1999 25 For a reference book, the 166 black and white illustrations are generally outstanding and well printed with some published for the first time However, there is not a credit for any photograph, which 1 find mildly irritating. Dr Rookmaaker writes in the introduction: "Of course, this book will fall far short of your (and my) expectations'* (p.4). I strongly disagree. I find the book a gold mine of fascinating and relevant information on all five species of the rhino. It is clearly written, skillfully organized, profusely illustrated and well printed. Anybody interested in rhinos must obtain a copy of this book. Unfortunately, it is expensive (over US$ 100). but the book is well worth it. Esmond Martin, PO. Box 15510 Mbagathi. Nairobi Kenva REQUEST FOR INFORMATION 18 May 1999 Dear Madam , The Greyheaded Parrot in East Africa: a plea for sighting records l am a student at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and am conducting a Masters project on the "Conservation Status and Biology of the Greyheaded Parrot Poicephalus fuscicollis suahelicus Reichenow in Southern Africa Part of my study involves recording the historic and present distribution of the species in the wild. In doing so I am referring to museum collections worldwide, atlas data records and reports of ornithologists through the range of the species. The input of ornithologists in East Africa would be most valuable in this study. Please find attached an article for consideration in your quarterly Bulletin. Please feel free to contact me either \ia e-mail or post, should you wish to know more about my project. Yours sincerely Craig Symes Cape Parrot and Greyheaded Parrot (Brown- necked Parrot): valid separate species In 1992 a study of the nominate race of the Cape Parrot Poicephalus robustus robustus (Gmelin) was initiated by the late Olaf Wirminghaus. This forest-specific species is confined to the afromontane forests of eastern South Africa and this long term smdy is continuing under the supervision of Dr Colleen Downs (wife of the late Olaf Wirminghaus) and Prof. Mike Perrin (W.P.T. Africa; R.C.A.P.C). In that study the taxonomic status of this species was reviewed using morphometric analyses, plumage colouration, habitat requirements and distribution, and two separate species were proposed; P. robustus, the smaller of the three confined to the fragmented afromontane forests of South Africa, P. fuscicollis suahelicus, with a wider distribution inhabiting woodland, and P. fuscicollis fuscicollis. similar to P f suahelicus in appearance, yet discontinuous in distribution and inhabiting a reduced range of woodland and forest in West Africa (Wirminghaus & Perrin, 1994; Wirminghaus et al., in prep.). These findings support the proposal of Clancey (1997). The Greyheaded Parrot Poicephalus fuscicollis suahelicus, is found from the Northern Province'of South Africa south of the Limpopo River, north through Zimbabwe, Mozambique, the Caprivi of Namibia, eastern Angola, Zambia, to northern Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and southern Zaire (Fry, Keith & Urban. 1988; Forshaw 1989; Wirminghaus et al., in prep). In East Africa it is an uncommon resident of woodlands being patchily distributed in some regions (Forshaw, 1989) and in the highlands of eastern Zaire (now DRC) it occurs in montane forest up to 3750 m.a.s.l, (Chapin. 1939; Britton, 1980; Forshaw, 1989). In Zambia, where it is widely distributed (48% of Atlas squares) (Aspinwall. pers. comm.) it is nowhere common (Leonard, pers. comm ). In Malawi and Zambia it is generally uncommon in woodlands up to about 2000 m.a.s.l. where woodland tree species provide seeds for food and hole cavities for nesting (Fry et al., 1988). Zambia is reported as one of its strongholds and seasonal, movements are recorded (Aspinwall, pers. comm.). These movements are noted as being more nomadic than other Poicephalus species (Forshaw, 1989). In Zimbabwe it is widespread, yet uncommon, in woodlands along major river courses and scarce above 1000 m.a.s.l, The Cape Parrot Poicephalus robustus is regarded as vulnerable in the Red Data Book— Birds (Brooke, 1984). Fewer than 1000 are estimated to survive in the wild today, hence making it highly endangered (Downs & Symes, 1998). Population declines have resulted through capture for the wild bird trade and aviculture, shooting as pests and destruction of habitat from agriculture and expanding human populations. As a result recommendations have been made for its conservation (Downs & Symes, op. dt.). Similar factors may result in population declines of the Greyheaded Parrot Presently its conservation status is undetermined and very little is known of the biology of the Greyheaded Parrot in the wild. Although widely distributed, it faces similar threats as other parrots worldwide The IUCN/ CITES Significant Trade Review records a significantly high trade in P robustus from 1991-1995. It is therefore proposed, under the auspices of the RCA PC that a study concerning the status, biology and conservation of this species in the wild be conducted. As pan of the study of this species I am investigating 26 Bulletin of the EANHS 29( 1/2) the historical and present distribution of the species in the wild. Sighting records (grid reference for greatest accuracy) of this species, together with Atlas and museum specimen data will assist in creating an understanding of past and present distribution ranges of the species. A form for entering records can be obtained directly from the author or from ihc Ornithology Dept . National Museums of Kenya. Nairohi. Kenya I took forward to hearing from interested parties If anyone is interested in corresponding with me please feel free to do so Craig Symes, Research Centre for African Parrot Conservation. School of Botany and Zoology. University of Natal. Private Bag XOI. Scotlsvtlle 3209. South Africa. School Office Tel (0331) 260 5104. E-mail sy mes/ooIogy. unp a: za REFERENCES Britton, P L.. Ed (1980). Birds oj east Africa: Their habitat , status and distribution East Africa Natural History Society Nairobi. Brooke. R.K. (1984). South African red data book— Birds South African National Scientific Programmes Report 97:1-213 C S I R Pretoria Chapin. J.P (1939) The birds of the Belgian Congo. Part II . Bulletin of the American Museum oj Nut urn! History. 75.1-632. Clanccy. P.A. (1997). The Cape Parrot an additional valid species. Honey guide 43:61 -6Z Downs. C.T ACT. Symes (1998). Cape Parrots. Report on the second Cape Parrot Big Birding Day. (25 April 1998). Psittascene IO(3):5-7 Forshaw. J M (1989). Parrots of the VA>rht. Bok Books Mbabane Fry. C. H . . S. Keith & E. K U rban (19881 Vie birds of Africa. Vol III Academic Press London Wirminghaus. J O & M R Perrin (1994). The taxonomic relationships of races of the Cape Parrot Potcephalus robust us (Gmclin) Z.S.S.A Symposium. Pietermaritzburg, July Wirminghaus. JO. C.T Downs, C T Symes & M R ftrrin (in prep.). Taxonomic relationships of Ihc subspecies of the Cape Parrot Potcephalus robust us (Gindin). NETWORKING The EANHS and us sister organisations in East Africa arc a force for conservation in the region One of these organisations is the Albcrtinc Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS) They have been active in promoting conservation and biodiversity research in the Albcrtinc Rift for some time and have struggled on in spite of the many problems and disruptions in the area. The following is a press statement issued after a recent workshop of parties interested in the conservation of the biodiversity within Albcrtinc Rift ALBERTINE RIFT CONSERVATION SOCIETY/ ARCOS: PROMOTING COMMUNITY-BASED CONSERVATION AND REGIONAL INFORMATION EXCHANGE IN SUPPORT OF ALBERTINE RIFT MONTANE FORESTS Regional Priority-Setting Workshop, Kampala, Uganda 13-15 July 1999 PRESS RELEASE Context From 13® lo 15“ July 1999. a regional priority-setting workshop on 'Promoting Community-based Conservation and Regional Information Exchange in Suppon of the Albcrtinc Rift Montane Forests" was held at the Economic ftilicy Research Centre. Makercrc University, Kampala, Uganda. The workshop was facilitated by ihc Albcrtinc Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS) in collaboration with the Uganda Wildlife Society and NaiurcUganda. The Albcrtinc Rift is die western branch of the Rift Valley, crossing along 1500 km from western Uganda, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (D R.C.). Rwanda, Burundi, western Tanzania to northern Zambia. This region is recognised to be important in termv of biodiversity due mainly to a high proportion of endemic plants and animals, most of them located in patchy remaining montane forest blocks. These montane forests provide various services ranging from watershed protection, climatic regulations to various services to local people However, the Albcrtinc Rift montane forests arc under increasing threat resulting mainly from an expansion of human demands upon new land and resources from these forests, but also by the lack of effective conservation measures Many previous or planned conservation initiatives are currently inhibited or not operational due to political instability in various areas. The Albcnmc Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS) was founded in 1995 with the mission to promote information and experience exchange, ctihancc public awareness and conservation, and sustainable use of natural resources in the Albcrtinc Rift region ARCOS believes that the key for the conservation of natural resources is to support local communities and to allow organisations and groups working on similar issues lo contact each other and discuss strategies to improve their actions. One area that ARCOS has attached particular attention is the Albcrtinc Rifi montane forests Specific objectives of the workshop The objectives of the workshop were the following April & August. 1999 27 • To assess existing initiatives and to agree on common priority needs in terms of biodiversity conservation in support of Albertine Rift montane forests in the region; • To promote linkages and collaboration between NGOs and governmental institutions throughout the region, in support of local initiatives on the conservation and sustainable use of Albertine Rift montane forests; • To set up a mechanism for improved exchange and collaboration in the joint implementation of conservation activities, joint fundraising for small grants to support community- based initiatives and micro-projects Participants The workshop involved representatives of key conservation institutions (NGOs. governments, universities. Wildlife Clubs) from each country of the region and regional and international organisations operating in the region. It was attended by over 40 participants including one delegate from Burundi, eight delegates from Democratic Republic Congo, three delegates from Rwanda, one delegate from 'Rinzania. 20 delegates from Uganda, and eight delegates from regional and international organisations with interests in the Albertine Rift. Every participant presented a paper to share experiences with others, as this was one of the objectives of the workshop. Guests of Honour: Hon. Baguma isoke. Minister of State for Lands. NNhtcr and Environment who was the Guest of Honour, opened the workshop He emphasised the importance of cross- border co-operation in biodiversity conservation and welcomed the regional initiative promoted by ARCOS Other guests at the opening of the workshop included Mr Mafa Chepata. FAO Representative in Uganda. Engineer Charles Dra/u from The Royal Dutch Embassy m Kampala and Mr Isaac Kapalaga from Grants Management Unit of Action Programme for Environment. USAID. Workshop conclusions and recommendations The Workshop reviewed current regional and international initiatives as well as national initiatives including specific selected site based conservation case studies. It also carried out an analysis of the current conservation status of the Albertine Rift montane forests; identification of problems, constraints, opportunities and ihrcats. identification of potential responses and actions, identification and prioritisation of proposed follow up actions; and formulation and adoption of final recommendations. The workshop also established a reporting and follow- up mechanism which includes preparation of a report on the status of conservation initiatives, priority needs and priority actions for montane forest conservation in the Albertine Rift; and dissemination to a wide range of users in the region and outside the region through the ARCOS Regional Newsletter (‘Backbone’); and development of activities to support the mechanism established and community-based initiatives in the region respectively The following issues were identified by the workshop as major issues affecting conservation of Albertine Rift montane forests: • Limited knowledge or. the status of the Albertine Rift montane forests • Need to promote regional networking, information sharing and awareness raising • Need to promote capacity building and training • Need to integrate the Albertine Rift montane forests in national policies, planning and strategies • Need for effective funding and fundraising mechanism • Need to integrate local communities in the Albertine Rift moniane forest conservation • Need to improve sustainable management of the Albertine Rift moniane forests (site and system level) Finally, the workshop developed a number of recommendations, some of them reported below • The workshop recommended that appropriate monitoring programmes be developed, that additional information to fill gaps be collected to achieve proper understanding of die Albertine Rift montane forests, and information on the biodiversity, conservation and management status of the Albertine Rift montane forests be made available • The workshop strongly recommended that ARCOS be a vehicle for information acquisition, exchange between countries and within the region and outside the region, and that an information officer be appointed The workshop recommended that a regional information centre be established by ARCOS io serve for all stakeholders in the region and cover both training and networking The workshop strongly recommended that ARCOS should provide regional co-ordination for ihc preparation and submission of rational and regional funding proposals to funding agencies, and thai a fund-raising officer should be appointed by ARCOS The workshop encouraged governments and/or NGOs and donors to explore appropriate actions to ensure minimum maintenance of biodiversity conservation and protection in the Albertine Rift, particularly in critical hotspot areas and those affected by conflicts. The workshop recommended that experiences and lessons learned in community involvement in the region be reviewed and provided to those involved in community participation The workshop recommended that specific actions 28 Bulletin of the EANHS 29(1/2) be taken by governments and relevant authorities to protect critical sites in the region '•urrently threatened, such as llombwc forest in the D R C. • The workshop recommended that a bi-annual regional forum and annual meetings of focal groups to rev iew progress be organised regularly Funding WWF/World Bank Alliance lor Forest Conservation and Sustainable Use FAO (TCDC/TCCT Experts Programme) Tropical Rainforest Programme of the Netherlands Committee for IUCN The Royal Society for ihc Protection of Birds, and The IVildcn-Puckham Charitable Foundation. The workshop summary will be available soon and the final rcpori in 2 months For further information, please comail ARCOS ai the following address c/o WCMC. 219 Huntingdon Road. Cambridge, CB30DL. UK . Tel + 44(0) 1223277314. Fax. + 44(0) 1223 277136. E-mail: samk@wemc.org uk WfcbSite http://www.wcmc.org.uk c/o NaturcUganda. Makerere University, Zoology Dept. PO. Box 7062 Kampala Uganda. Tel: +256 41 540 719. Fax: +256 41 533 528/530134. E-mail eanhs@imul.cotn. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The 89th Annual General Meeting of the Society took place on 10th May. 1999. This was a very special meeting, being that it marked the 90th year of the existence of the East Africa Natural History Society, the oldest scientific society in Africa In March, on the anniversary of its founding, the Society's 90th birthday party was celebrated in the Museum with various members relating what the Society has meant to them, discussing the past and looking to the future Later there was a birthday cake, dancing and a generally good time for all EANHS CHAIRMAN’S REPORT. 10 MAY 1999 Ladies and Gentlemen I am very pleased to welcome you to the Society’s 89th Annual General Meeting. The task of making this annual report does not become any easier from year to year This is not by any means because the Society is. languishing, but because there is so much activity, in which so many people are involved, that it is next to impossible to cut down this report to a sensible size without leaving out some essential nui or bolt. For those nuts and bolts that I fail to mention, either intentionally or through absent-mindedness (a state which a number of years as Chairman has done nothing to alleviate, and possibly something to intensify) I beg vour indulgence Let me start with the big picture and gradually zoom in This is our 89ih AGM but our 90th year Our first meeting was held on 25 March 1909. An absolutely perfect excuse for a celebration; and what I gather was an excellent party was held on the anniversary evening This may well have been one of the largest get togethers of the last 90 years, as more than 150 members were present A splendid turn-out and I hope a sign of things to come Turning 90 is. I imagine - I have no personal experience yet a good time for reflection and taking stock My report last year spoke a lot about change This year perhaps the theme is more to do with consolidation. Your Executive has taken the mandate we received at last year’s AGM. and the lists ol tasks still remaining from our planning workshop, and done its best to make things work. Finally, we have a proper strategic plan for the Society It has taken a year and a half to produce it. so the plan now extends for four years rather than five, but it will act as a guide for all our activities from now on The delay has had wine advantages, in that much of the foundation for progress has already been laid Thus we can indeed start to consolidate rather than just change things. The plan is available for reference in the Nature Kenya office, any member who in interested can obtain a personal copy, subject to a small charge to cover photocopying The name Nature Kenya' now seems well established (much to my own relief, as I have never been able to say East Africa Natural History Society’ intelligibly over the telephone) With pleasing symmetry our Ugandan branch is now calling itself 'Nature Uganda' (though they have the italicisation reversed, presumably as a subtle affirmation of independence). We printed a new membership brochure last year, rather radically using FULL COLOUR, and showing off the new name. More on that later The third main item that came up at the list meeting was the formation c*( a limited company For various technical legal reasons, this is not looking to be such a good idc*3 as it seemed then Your Executive is still deciding how to handle the issue, and taking additional advice, and may bring back a recommendation to the next AGM Time now to apply the zoom. In terms of activities, there has been lots going on. The Arboretum Master Plan is still not formally approved by the Forest Department, which is very frustrating, but if this has in any way dampened the enthusiasm of FONA one would be hard pushed to tell As well as the regular monthly tree walks, they have held a Solar Energy Day. a Holiday Nature Day for school children, a Christmas Carol sing-along and of course Wind in the Trees — now established and looked forward to as an annual event Those not involved may not realise JUST how April & August. 1999 29 much legwork goes into the organising of any these events— just one a year would be sufficient to exhaust most voluntary groups, so well done FONA Succulcnta continues to he the group that puts the fight in •xerophyte’ A busy year has seen a number of intriguing succulent activities, including a visit to an Industrial Area sisal factory' The group has also been closely involved in establishing the living collection or succulents in the new Botanic Garden at the Museum I drive past these plants every morning and they seem to be doing well — this should certainly be an enduring achievement for the group In the last few months, the Mammals Committee has been showing distinct signs of coming out of hibernation, yawning and stretching and thinking about what to do next. Wfc await developments. The Bud Committee has met regularly and kept itself busy with various ornithological matters, including setting up a small grants scheme, but has hnd no public events this year The Ktpepco Project made us all very proud by winning the 1998 Dubai Award for Best Practices in Improving the Living Environment What this means in plain terms is that the project's innovative approach to conservation through butterfly farming is regarded internationally as a model. Congratulations to the Kipcpco staff and in particular to Dr Ian Gordon Kipcpco has nenv come to maturity and needs a more solid institutional base. Nature Kenya is presently in the process of arranging a handover to the National Museums The general members' programme ilus year has been remarkably varied. There have been outings all over the country, to Olorgcsailic. Amboseli, Masai Mara and Marich Phss among other places Talks and lectures have covered subjects as diverse as integrated pest management, human origins, sacred forests and alien ducks I am interested to see that this year we seem to be pioneering the lideo, or lecture video, where a speaker introduces and takes questions after the film This seems to keep everyone happy — so far. so good. Our work on the Important Bird Areas programme lus really taken off this year. As most or you will know this is underpinned by GEF funding for the project NGO-Government Partnerships for Sustainable Biodiversity Conservation’ (a title that trips almost as neatly off the tongue as 'East Africa Natural History Society ’ i Although focused on I BAs. this work allows us to tackle a large chunk of the conservation activities in our strategic plan VSfc have made substantial advances at both the national and local levels. Nationally, an IBA National Liaison Committee (on which 20 institutions arc represented) is up and running, and has held five meetings. With the help of the NLC. we have also published, and started to distribute, an attractive IBA poster At the same time. Nature Kenya is taking an active part in a number of key committees and fora. Almost all of these also have impossible names, ranging from the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Environment Biodiversity Sub-committee to the Mt Elgon Integrated Conservation and Development Project Steering Committee Although it is often an uphill struggle, the Society’s views arc being listened to and taken seriously, and this gives us a real chance to exert a positive influence for conservation. The other side of the coin is the development and support of IBA site-support groups At least half a dozen of these arc now active at various sites, with more springing up all the time Two. in Kakamega and Kinangop, have already secured some funding (from the African Bird Club and RSPB) for carrying out conservation education work with schools The process of helping these groups to develop is fraught with hazards and pitfalls, but we arc all learning fast and I dunk making considerable headway As the project ‘Tri- partite Review' for last year put it. With encouragement, support and some input of resources, local groups can potentially make a real difference for biodiversity conservation However, the local community's needs must be addressed — conservation cannot be tackled in the abstract The conservation prospects in Kenya in particular have remained gloomy this last year, and in the present slate nl Governmental inertia it is very difficult to make headway. The most pessimistic view sees the country steaming inexorably towards biodiversity disaster, and organisations like ours busy rearranging the deck-chairs, as il ii mattered I think our work docs matter; docs make a difference; and the Society’s investment in linkages and awareness-raising, both nationally and locally, will really pay dividends in the long run From a detached point of view, one of the most interesting aspects .if the GEF project so far has been wrestling with the United Nations bureaucracy. The most • positive thing one can say about this is that it has been a real learning experience. Wfc have not given up hope ol receiving our set of desk-top publishing equipment, which was first ordered more than a year ago On the other hand, to everyone's amazement, we did recently lake possession of the project Landrover Unfortunately ihc UN procurement agency had somehow managed to order the wrong model, but who’s quibbling? Society publications have seen some progress, albeit patchy and slow. The one and only Society publication ever dial has always appeared on time, every time, has now ceased to appear at all. I refer of course to Ballya. It* Editor, Professor Len Newton, has kept it going more or less single handed since its inception, and finally felt that the publication was evolving too rapidly into Nentonta. The 1998 volume will therefore be the LiM. at least in its established format. Congratulations lo Len for lus efforts; I am told that full sets of this excellent and well-regarded journal will be bound for sale in due course. After continued disappointments with local printers, the Journal has migrated to Belgium. Through an agreement between the Society, the National Museums, and the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren. the Journal will be produced and distributed overseas. The first volume under the new arrangement has just appeared, and I think represents a vast improvement in production quality On Ihc other hand, we arc still two Bulletin of the EANHS 29(1/2) 30 REPORT OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER. 1998 The following is a copy of the Income and Expenditure Account for the year ending 31 December, 1998. prepared by J T Birnie and presented at the 1999 AGM INCOME Members, subscnptions Donations Interest Sundry income Surplus on office sales. Sales of journals and bulletins 36 8812 11 673 236 071 5 620 111 109 48 012 Society Income 781 297 EXPENDITURE MEMBERS SERVICES Newsletters, brochures & postage Bulletin Journal 374 625 26 495 401 120 ADMINISTRATION Bank charges Insurance Telephone, fax & e-mail Repairs and maintenance Salaries and staff costs Training and seminars Travel and support Stationery Storage General office expenses Accountancy services BirdLife International Depreciation of fixed assets 31 216 33 319 55 161 443 326 1 082 407 90 981 72 413 183 901 41 416 150 955 180 000 28 400 107 304 2 500 799 Less Contributions Royal Society for Protection of Birds GEF/UNDP Tropical Biological Association African Bird Club Earthwatch General recoupment of overheads 1 622 658 1 214 544 14 345 72 902 95 140 375 965 3 395 554 SURPLUS FOR THE YEAR 1 274 932 >x?ars behind schedule (this should be seen in perspective -it is only 2.2% of our Society's age) Additional issues are in hand, fortunately, and there should be rapid catching-up from this point on Thanks to the Editorial Board for all their hard work to secure the Tcrvurcn arrangements, and to bring the journal back on schedule The Bulletin is 3lso catching up. indeed a little faster The last issues for last year have just gone to press Wt April & August. 1999 31 arc now printing in Mombasa, rather than Nairobi. Contrary to most people's impression of coastal business practices, this is costing the Society half as much, taking half as long, and looking twice as good as the previous printers could manage. As for Kenya Birds and Scopus— I can only quote the philosopher Wittgenstein, in that ‘whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent' The)’ will, no doubt, appear very soon Time to turn to people. Our rate of acquiring new staff has slowed, but not stopped The latest to join the team are William Olang‘. as driver 'messenger, and Stephen Wamiti, as field facilitator to the RSPB Kinangop project Why docs the Society need a driver when it has no vehicle, you may ask? Well, there are in foci good reasons— even before the United Nations Operational Services sorts out our Landrover. We also welcome David Mutekanga, from Uganda, as the GHF project Sub regional Co-ordinator He Is employed directly by BirdLife International, but will be operating out of our office here to bring together BtrdLifc Rirtners in the East African sub- region •As always, we haw relied this year on numerous volunteers, without whom the Society's wheels would quickly gnnd to a halt. I cannot list them all. but would like to say particular thanks fin no special order i to Nanndcr Hover. Giihtnji Kamau. Mercy Njeri. Doricc Agol. Shailesh Patel. Elly Gathungu. Anne Nyaittbura. Louise Fordvee and Marlin Hinstridge. Our expanded activities mean that volunteer input is even more vital than in past years, and we are most grateful to those who generously give their time to help the Society out The Executive Committee, all volunteers too. cannot Ik forgotten here 1 would like to thank all of them for their hard work and support It is not invidious to single out John Silvester, who bow* out of the Committee this year, for his work on our Constitution and other legal and management matters Tins has been a tremendous injnji for which I am personally very grateful Perhaps ihis is also an appropriate [joint to congratulate our former Vice-Chairman, Dr George Abungu. on his appointment ns Director-General of the National Museums of Kenya. Although George has consequently had to step down as Vice-Chairman, this can only strengthen the close and constructive ties between our two organisations. As a final point, I would like to revisit the issue ol membership You will hear shortly an account of our finances (sec p. 30), They are certainly healthy enough, hut the figures conceal a serious long-term problem: as for some time now. membership subscriptions do not come close lo covering die aclual costs of membership services There are two (perhaps incompatible) approaches to this problem to raise subscription charges, or to increase the number of members. Before anyone becomes too agitated, let me reassure you that yxxir Executive has firmly plumped for the latter strategy, at least for the time being With our new name and new brochure, and an exccllcm membership package, we should be making great strides in membership recruitment Unfortunately, our present strides are not as long as we should like Membership is rising steadily, but we need six or seven times as many new members coming in if we are to have some hope of breaking cwn over the long term I f you can do nothing else to support your Society this year, please iry to recruit at least one additional member. It isn't all that hard to do. Thank you. Leon Bennun, Chairman EANHS MEMBERSHIP RATES PER ANNUM Local USS UK Life now closed to further subscription Corporate 5000 200 135 Sponsor 1000 56 40 lnstututlonal• 700 36 24 Full 500 26 20 Family 700 30 20 Pensioner 250 - - Student* • 250 15 10 Conservation Group Member* •• 100 * Schools.Librarics and Conservation groups ••Only children under 18 and full-time University undergraguates. Graduate students register as full members ‘••Only open to individuals who arc members of an Institutional Member which is also a Conservation Group approved by the Executive Committee. Membership offers you free entry to the National Museums; free lectures, videos, films or slide shows every month in Nairobi; field trips and camps led by experienced naturalists; free use ol the joint Society-National Museum Library (postal borrowing is possible) and the monthly newsletter and thrice yearly Bulletin The Society is the Birdl.ifc Partner for Kenya. It organises the ringing of birds in eastern Africa and welcomes new ringers. It also runs an active Nest Record Scheme. Subscriptions arc due on I January From I July you may join for half the yearly subscription and receive publications from that date. Application forms may be obtained from the Hon. Secretary. Box 44486. Nairobi. Kenya. 32 Bulletin of the EANHS 29(1/2) THE EAST AFRICA NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chairman: Ur L.A. Bennun Vice-Chairman: Ur R. Bagine Hon. Secretary: Ms F. Ng'weno Hon. Treasurer: Mr Jasdev Imani Hon. Editor: Ms L.A. Depew Hon. Librarian: Or D. Nightingale Executive Committee: Ur. 1. Aloo. I)r T. Butynski. Mr B. Bytebler, Mr N. ORUge. Mr J. Oyugi. Mrs .1. Rudnai Co-opted & Ex Officio members: Mrs. A. Bimic. Prof. L. Newton. Ms. C. Ngarachu