Darwin Initiative Monitoring Project measuring the health of the environment Paul Matiku and Fleur Ng'weno Sixty Important Bird Areas - key sites for biodiversity conservation - have been identified in Kenya. Some of these sites may become degraded by human activities or climate change; others may improve as habitats for threatened species through good management or natural changes. It is important to measure these changes, and even more important to use the information to trigger action or influence management. Nature Kenya is establishing and co¬ ordinating an effective, sustainable monitoring system at all IBAs. The three- year project is funded by the Darwin Initiative of the U.K., through the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) - the British BirdLife Partner. The idea is to build the capacity of local communities and Government agencies to track conditions at IBA sites, and feed back into improved site management, conservation action and national reporting. Partners are being trained in ecological survey, data management, management planning, project management and training skills. They in turn will train and support a network of local people and government field staff. Particular focus will be on priority sites where community-based Site Support Groups are established. Next training workshop will run 5-8 March 03 at Naivasha. Low costs and further fund-raising will secure long-term resource requirements. This, and continued RSPB support, is expected to produce a sustainable monitoring system. The programme will act as a model for application by BirdLife Partners across Africa. , '? OFF TFF JFAOK *? .*rFlVf.O Mafich Pass Friday 18 - Tuesday 23 April 03 V 4 ^ - The Marich Pass is a deep, rocky cleft carved where the Moruny river emerges from the Cherangani Hills onto the dry plains of the Lake Turkana Basin. Two kilometres from here is the Marich Pass Field Studies Centre (MPFSC) from where this safari will be based. All meals and overnights will be at MPFSC. Facilities include latrines and showers and mattresses, mosquito nets and blankets are provided. Lighting is by kerosene lamps. There are two reliable stations in Ortum (20 kms from the Centre), selling petrol and diesel. Marich Pass is at an altitude of 3000 ft. Birdlife in the area is prolific and in April, migration of palearctic species should be at its peak. Other activities that can be done from Marich include ethnobotany walks, visits to the Irrigation schemes of the Wei Wei Valley, hill walking and visits to the local market. Marich is 520 kms from Nairobi, which takes about 8-9 hours drive. It is important we leave as early as possible from Nairobi, so as to get to the Centre before dark. Meet at the Nairobi Museum car park at 7:00 for 7:15 a.m. departure. All participant must be insured for medical and for evacuation. Costs for 4 nights - inclusive of meals at Centre and guides Per person sharing banda 8400/- Per person camping Child sharing banda Minivan per person Minimum 12 persons Book by 25 March'03 7300/- 5900/- 7100/- Friends of Kinangop Plateau, South, engaged in monitoring activty of Sharpe's Longclaw, the flagship species for Kinangop Grasslands IBA NATURE KENYA, P, 0. Box 44486, 00100 GPO Nairobi Tel: 3749957 / 3746090 Fax: 3741049 E-mail: office@naturekenya.org Congratulations! ...to our colleagues, Dino Martins & Gordon Boy, for winning the Peter Jenkins East African Conservation Journalism Awards 2002. Both are active members of Nature Kenya and we are happy to see recognition of their outstanding work. Dino is the Nature Kenya Dudu Committee Chairman and works closely with the Invertebrate Zoology Department, National Museums of Kenya. Below are lists of work by Dino: Nature Net The Nature Kenya Newsletter The Coiobus Who Cried Wolf June 2001 Dance Circles July 2001 Chemical warfare August 2001 Photo from The Third Gift: A Christmas Story swara December 2001/ January 2002 She Sees with Sound March 2002 Pond Skaters: The Ripple Effect June 2002 Seeds with Wings October 2002 Swara, the magazine of the East African Wildlife Society A Walk in the Woods Vol. 22 (2) The Wind in the Whistling Thorns Vol. 23 (2) Denizens of the Dust Vol. 24 (1) Flower Power Vol. 24 (2) Along Came a Spider Vol. 24 (2) Siafu! Voi. 24 (3) The Birds and the Bees - and the Flowers Vol. 25 (1) Wedded Forever- Fig Trees & Fig Wasps Vol. 25 (2) All Yellow in Ngorongoro Vol. 25 (2) In a Green Shade Vol. 25 (2) Deceptive Guile Voi. 25 (2) Pollen Overload Vol. 25 (2) Insects and CITES Vol, 25 (3) An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles Vol. 25 (3) Ecoforum, published by Environment Liaison Centre International Unexplored Potential - Western Kenya's Kingwal Swamp Vol. 25 (4) Jewel in the Dust Vol. 25 (4) Please Save a Place for Pollinators Poster/Insert Vol. 25 (2) £V£NIN6» SKY March Sky, from The Safari Star Guide by Alex and Joy MacKay By Alex and Ian MacKay and Fleur Ng'weno As the Earth rotates, the stars and planets appear to move from east to west during the night. They also move from east to west over the course of the year. The information below is most accurate around 7-9 pm in March 2003. Stars, March The western sky is dominated by the constellation ORION. Near Orion in the south, almost overhead, is Sirius, the brightest Star in the night sky. Below Sirius in the southern sky is Canopus, the Second brightest Star. The bright star Procyon follows Orion and Sirius across the sky. North of Orion is the constellation TAURUS, the bull, The head of the bull is a V-shaped group of stars, with the red giant Aldebaran as the fiery eye. The constellation LEO, the Lion, is high in the east. Look for a crescent of stars forming the lion's head and mane. Planets, March 03 In the evening, the planet Jupiter is a brilliant golden light. On a clear, dark night, look at Jupiter through binoculars. You can see the moons that Galileo saw, called Io, Europa, Ganymede and Calisto. These large satellites orbiting Jupiter are fast moving and rapidly change their positions. Saturn is near Orion and Tgutus In the morning before sunrise, the brilliant light in the east is the planet Venus. Moon, March 3 March new moon: 11 March first quarter: 18 March full moon: 25 March last quarter. Sun, March The equinox is on March 21 - equal length of day and night everywhere in the world. L-LASSIflP-PS • Visit the nursery for individual advice PLANT INDIGENOUS! • Delivery to Nairobi Contact: Carole Hemmings 0151 47332 • Attract Butterflies and Birds hemmings@africaonline.co.ke • We can supply one tree or a forest • Over 80 species of Indigenous trees and shrubs • Well grown in large polypots and ready to plant • Large trees for 'special occasions' Reach over 1000 members by advertising in Nature Net Rates for Classifieds: • Up to 25 words 250/- • Up to 50 words 500/- Ads • 1/4 page @ 1750/- • 1/2 page 3000/- with image +500/- isite' lef oheaux du monde dmumam Im ab M mm Bird Life International Visiting BirdLife Scheme INTERNATIONAL owns or manages over 6,000 sites totalling 1,000,000 hectares worldwide. Many of these sites are internationally Important Bird Areas and host threatened species or important concentrations of birds. The BirdLife Reserve visiting scheme allows all members of BirdLife Partner organisations free entrance or discount services in the reserves listed on the BirdLife International website www.birdlife.net on proof of a valid membership card. A£nvm£s Bird Hotline 3749957 bird ringing Meet at the Museums' Nairobi Botanic Garden, at 7 00 a m. every Thursday. SUNDAY BIRDWATCH Members meet at the National Museum Nairobi car park at 9:00 a.m. the third Sunday of every month, i.e. 16 March The members decide where to go. Bring lunch tree walk Guided Tree Walks in the Arboretum on the second Saturday and last Monday, i.e. 8 4 31 March from 9:30 a.m. Meet at the Arboretum gate. Those who are not members of FONA or Nature Kenya pay Ksh 100/- fee on arrival at the gate. WEDNESDAY MORNING BIRDWALKS Bird watching walks at sites in and around Nairobi. Meet at the National Museum car park every Wednesday at 8.45 a m. Return about 12:30 p.m. Those who are not members can get temporary membership at Ksh 100 per birdwalk payable on arrival at the car park. ARABUKO-SOKOKE (COAST) The Saturday birdwatch with the Arabuko Sokoke Forest guides Association is on the first Saturday of each month i.e 1 February, at 6:30 a.m. from the Visitor Centre, Gede. Cost 100/- per person. FFJ Bird Walk (Coast) Friends of Fort Jesus birdwalks are held the third Saturday of each month i.e. 15 March, at 4:00 p.m. Please call Marlene Reid on (Oil) 491 648 to confirm Ngong Road Forest Walks (Nairobi) The Ngong Road Forest Sanctuary Trust Nature walks are held on the first and third Saturdays of the month i.e. 14 15 March, at 9:00 a.m Meet at the stairs leading to the_Restaurant at the Racecourse. PIAP-Y Sat 1 Sat 8 ASF Birdwalks A NRF waiK Dudu A Tree Walks at Arboretum Sat 15 FFJ Birdwalk & NR r waiK Sun 16 Sunday Birdwalk Cnt 22 A Sun 23 Kereitatxcursion_ Mon 31 Tree Walk Green-backed Twinspot (ringed), Arboretum, Nairobi/ Jan Nairobi Ringing Group Ferruginous Duck, Thika Sewage Treatment Ponds/ Jan Sunday Birdwalk Spotted Crake, Nakuru N. Park/ Jan Nicodemus Nalianya, Muoki Kioko A KWS staff Spotted Redshank, Common Redshank, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Thika Sewage Treatment Ponds/ Jan Brian Finch, Itai Shanni Woodchat Shrike, KWS Hippo Camp, Naivasha/ Jan Waterbird Counts team Fundamentals of Ornithology A course for birders and bird guides Elsamere Field Studies Centre, Lake Naivasha 28 April - 5 May 2003 Please find details in the Dec 02 - Jan 03 of Nature net or write to tba2@africaonline.co.ke Community Guide to Environmental Issues And to the Environmental Management and Co¬ ordination Act, 1999 by Environment Liaison Centre International Nairobi Guide available from Nature Kenya front office (while stocks last) P^AA^ATIOM Nature Kenya does not accept any responsibility whatsoever in respect of negligence of any of its staff, volunteers or members organising the outings/trips or for any loss, injury, death or damage to property. Birdwalks every Wednesday Morning Catherine NgaraChll Bird ringing every Thursday Morning fia-p /vc-nvine-s Wadudu walk Arboretum Sat 8 March 03, meet at the Arboretum gate at 10:30 a.m. Lukenya Hill art archeological site 15 March 03, meet at the Museum car park at 8:00 a.m. The archeological sites, which date back to 40,000 years ago, were created by prehistoric hunters who exploited the large mammalian fauna in the savanna of the Athi-Kapiti plains. For more information contact the Prehistory Club of Kenya Palaeontology@wananchi.com Kereita Forest Camping at Gatamaiyu Fishing Camp Sat 22 & Sun 23 March 03, meet at the Museum car park at noon on the Saturday The Kikuyu Escarpment forests include Ragia, Kieni, Kamae, Kinale, Kereita, Uplands and Gatamaiyu forests and form the southern end of the forests covering the Aberdare or Nyandarua range of mountains. They are situated close to Nairobi on the eastern wall of the Great Rift Valley. The forests are home to a globally threatened forest starling, Abbott's Starling, several regionally threatened species, and a rich variety of highland forest birds. This is a do-it-yourself camping trip and you need to bring your own tent, sleeping bag and any other gear you think necessary. Our hosts, the Kijabe Environment Volunteers (KENVO) will be arranging a basic dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday, you will need to bring food for Saturday and Sunday lunch. Water is scarce and you def inately need to bring your own drinking water. Book with payment of 300/- per person (child under 10, 150/-) at the Nature Kenya office, by 20 March 03.