NATURE KENYA, P. O. Box 44486, 00100 GPO Nairobi Tel: 3749957/ 3746090 Fax: 3741049 E-mail: office@naturekenya.org TAUCS i VIP£OS Wanted Dead or Alive An African Environmental Film Foundation Video Production A Review of the Elephant situation in Kenya Mon 9 February '04, 5:30 p.m. Ford Hall, National Museums, Nairobi The East African Safari Rally Thu 19 February '04, 6:30 p.m. Louis Leakey Hall, National Museums, Nairobi with Kenya Museum Society This very special programme will feature • A panel of outstanding rally drivers and organisers • Film clips from a new documentary tracing history of the rally in Kenya • Display of racing cars in front of the hall KMS members 300/-, Non members 350/ - Children 100/- The Youth Committee has organised a camping trip to the swamp, which will include a visit to Chepkiit Falls, bird watching and interaction with the community. Please ensure you carry a sleeping bag or warm blanket, warm clothing and rubber shoes. Charges are KSh 2500 per person, payable by Tue 2 March at Nature Kenya front office. Minimum pax: 15 Maximum: 20 For more information email office@naturekenya.org Nature Kenya is managing a guesthouse named 'Trees', perched at 2,400 m on the edge of the Kinangop Plateau. Trees i offers incredible views across the Rift Valley of Mt. Longonot, Lake Naivasha, Eburru and the Mau Escarpment. The 20-acre farm combines tussock-grass pasture and indigenous escarpment forest, while attractive gardens surround the comfortable, fully furnished guesthouse. Visitors can enjoy hikes and walks on the farm or go further afield with local guides. The guesthouse and its annex comprise of two double bedrooms (one with an m/p TRIPS Gatamaiyu Forest Saturday 28 February 04 This beautiful forest is close to Nairobi and easily accessible with a wide range of interesting birds and plants. Morning and afternoon guided walks have been arranged. Book with 400/- | per person by 24/2/04 at the Kenya j Museum Society office with your Nature Kenya card. Bring along drinking water and picnic lunch. A 4WD is not usually necessary in the extra single bed, while the other has a child's cot), each with its own solar panel heated shower. There is a spacious living room with a fireplace, a large modern kitchen and a large veranda. Rates: Day visit 350/- MEMBER nos Overnight Weekend 1 to 2 4000/- 6500/- 3 4,900/- 7,400/- 4 5,800/- 8,300/- 5 6,600/- 9,200/- For more information, brochure and non¬ member rates please contact Nature Kenya. dry season, but a car with high clearance is recommended. Transport is by car pool and confirmation is reliant on available vehicles. * It is possible to camp overnight (at the Fisheries Campsite) and members who wish to do so should bring their camping gear (including water). Kingwal Swamp Trip Fri 12- Sunl4 March 04 Kingwal Swamp is located in Kapsabet and is home to the endangered semi-aquatic antelope, Sitatunga. st House /VUS-R-P Unsustainable Scuba fishing for Lobster in Lamu There are 1500 fishermen whose livelihoods depend on lobster fishing in the Lamu area. Recently, fishermen using scuba-diving tanks have started fishing here. A few are local, but most are from neighbouring countries, facilitated by international exporters. Local fishermen point out that fishing with tanks is clearly unsustainable: whereas free diving fishermen may, with luck, bring back 20 kgs for sale, the dive boats have been coming in with 300kg, pillaging the reef daily. A number of villages in the area survive totally on lobster fishing, and tank fishermen are a clear threat to the livelihoods of these communities. It is believed that those sponsoring the scuba lobster fishing are also distributing nets to fishermen, which are seriously damaging the reefs.The local fishermen consider these nets the most serious threat to the reefs. There is also information that octopus is being harvested in tonnes off Shanga and Ziwayuu. Carol Korschen korschen@africaonline.co.ke Stop Press: Legal notice No. 214, in Kenya Gazette Notice Supplement No, 105 of 24th December 2003 Fisheries (prohibitions) Regulations, 2003 prohibiting scuba dicing for lobsters and beche- de-mer arid harvesting or trading in immature lobsters has been published. We hope that this prohibition will be speedily implemented! stcr By Ian MacKay and Fleur Ng'weno Moon, Feb 04 6 Feb Full moon: 13 Feb Last quarter (rises at midnight); 20 Feb New moon 28 Feb First quarter (overhead at sunset) Stars, Feb 04 The evening sky holds many bright stars this month. Sirius, the' brightest star we can see at night, is almost overhead, a little to the south. Canopus, the second brightest star, is at its best viewing position, below Sirius in the south. The constellation of Orion, the wqrrior - three bright stars in a row. and four stars forming the corners of a box around them - is now overhead. Look carefully at the four corner stars; the star Rigel is blue-green in colour, while the star Betelgeuse is orange. Almost overhead, north of Orion, is a bright, reddish star called Aldebaran. It is in a group of stars, the Hyades, which seem to form a V in the sky. (To the ancient Greeks, this 'V' was the head of a mythical bull, and Aldebaran its fiery eye.) A little lower, towards the northwest, is another star cluster, the Pleiades. The Pleiades are very new stars, blue and hot, Still surrounded'by the dust and gas clouds from which they were formed. In the north, directly below Aldebaran, is the exceptionally bright star Capella. The constellation of Perseus is setting in the northwest, below Capella and the Pleiades. Perseus contains a curious bright star called Algol, known as the demon star. Every 2 days and 20 hours and 49 minutes, it quickly fades to about one third of its usual brightness. Algol remains so for about 5 hours before returning to its normal brightness. This behaviour is caused by a dimmer companion star periodically moving between Algol and ourselves, cutting off the bright light for a while. One can only imagine how fast these stars must be circling each other to achieve this effect in less than 3 days 1 Planets, Feb 04 Venus is low in the sky, close to the setting sun in the early evening. Mars is now in the western sky, also setting slowly. Saturn is high overhead. On February 8, Jupiter is close to the moon. Intern & Volunteer Posts to Fill! Public Relations Officer (an Internship) The Membership Services programme of Nature Kenya needs a skilled communicator, to assist with coordination of print and media requirements. We are looking for someone with some experience and self-initiative, who has an understanding of current national and global environmental issues. A public relations, marketing or journalism professional qualification will be an added advantage. The internship will run for a year, reporting to the Membership Services Manager. Please send your application and resume by 28 February 04 to office@naturekenya.org or mail to Nature Kenya. Event & Outings Organiser (Volunteer) Flow would you like to help coordinate major member and public events? Are you a good organiser? Do you have some experience? Do you have plenty of time? Yes! Then please contact us at office@naturekenya.org /uak Aorwine-s SUNDAY BIRDWATCH Members meet at the National Museum Nairobi car park at 9:00 a.m. the th.rd Sunday of every month, i.e.15 February The members decide where to go. Bring lunch TREE WALK Suided Tree Walks in the Arboretum on the second Saturday and last Monday, i.e. 14 & 23 February 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 7 February, at 6:30 a.m. from the Visitor Centre. Gede. Cost 100/- per person KWS fees may now apply (100/- Citizens, 500/- Residents) FFJ Bird Walk (Coast) Friends of Fort Jesus birdwalks are held the third Saturday of each month, i.e. Zl February Please call Marlene Reid on (041) 491 648 to confirm &£ASS£DOT5> Mount Kenya Site Support Groups (SSGs) on the Move In November 03, members of the Summit Ventures SSG, together with the Nature Kenya Site Conservation Intern, embarked on a division-wide awareness and tree planting campaign at local schools. The Green Avenue Project and Mount Kenya West Reafforestation Program were also involved. An average of 150 seedlings have been planted in the following schools: Naromoru Township Primary, Naromoru Township Secondary, Gitero Primary, Ndiriti Primary and Karundas Sececonday. Schools were informed about Nature Kenya's up-coming Eco-resource Centre. a-Assifieps 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 !g> 3000/- with image +500/- PLANT INDIGENOUS » TREES AND SHRUBS ATTRACT BUTTERFLIES AND BIRDS 80 SPECIES INDIGENOUS TREES AND SHRUBS, WEIL GROWN (1M+) IN LARGE POLYPOTS. ORDER YOUR YELLOW NANDI FLAME TREE. "LANDSCAPE" SIZE TREES ALSO AVAILABLE. VISIT THE NURSERY FOR ADVICE OR TREES CAN BE DELIVERED. CONTACT: CAROLE HEMMINGS cropwatch tree nursery, thika 067 47332 EMAIL: hemmingsigiafncaonline.co.ke Sokoke Cats Would you like to own a unique Sokoke Cat? There are very few of these domestic cats in the world, but Sokokes are winning championships at shows In Europe! Look them up on the Internet www.sokoke.dk/kenya A few kittens are available at Ksh 5000 from Jeannie Knacker, P. O. Box 77 WATAMU Tel: 042 32465 Email :corncon@africaonline. co. ke Calling All Naturalists ! Ngong Road Forest Wall (Nairobi) The Ngong Road Forest Sanctuary 1 Nature walks are held on the first and : Saturdays of the month ie 7 4 February, at 9:00 a.m Meet at the s leading to the Restaurant at the Racecoi A Unique 7 Day Safari via Tsavo to the Coast & Back! Via Galla Camp, Taita Ranch (part of a 160,000 acre conservancy in the Tsavo ecosystem),Tsavo East, to 2 nights at the luxury Tana Delta Camp. Thence up the Tana to Mchelelo Camp (2 nights) in the fabulous jungle of the Tana River Primate Reserve, where sightings of 2 species of endangered primate guaranteed! Return Nairobi via Tsavo East & Umani Springs Camp in the Kibwezi Forest. Lake Victoria Sunset Birders (Kisumu) The Lake Victoria Sunset Birders are a Nature Kenya Site Support Group and organise bird walks at sites in and around Kisumu every Friday of the month. For further details call 035 42952 or email wck@vicweb.net 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. K.Shs.61,000 per person 4 pax. 74,000 per person 3 pax. 100,000 per person 2 pax. 179,500 per person 1 pax. For further details, see contacts below. KWS fees for Tsavo East not included (2 days). Bring own smart cards. Porini Resources Services for Conservation, Community & Wildlife Management PO Box 22759, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: 254-2-891702 Fax: 254-2-891307 E-mail: info@poriniresources.com Web: www.poriniresources.com 3 NAT VKAU^l corner Green Nairobi Ann Birnie What a surprisingly green time of the year in Nairobi! An afternoon in Nairobi National Park followed by the Saturday morning walk in Ngong forest gave fine opportunity to notice the vegetation. In the park we were pleased to spot the horns of a resting buffalo appearing just above the abundant tall grasses, which were in flower. Bronze, silver or delicate green, the variety of flowering heads included the unmistakable fluffy pink of Rtiynchyletrum repens or red top . We observed giraffe in the upper woodlands munching leaves of shrubby Croton dichogamous, but down on the plains a large group were picking out the young shoots from thorny Acacia mellifera bushes. An Acacia gerrardii, could be seen below Impala Point. Many were in flower with dense white bobbly flower heads along the branches, supplying nectar for insect visitors. * Forest guides led our small party at Ngong Forest on a bright, fresh morning. Many horses from the racing stables were being exercised along the narrow muddy path, passing us as we looked at the forest understorey. Soon everyone could distinguish between the orange-yellow, prickly exotic weed Lantana camara and the pale mauve flowered indigenous wild species, Lantana trifolia. A discussion about weeds followed as we noted flourishing Datura stramonium, or Thorn Apple. The understorey, at eye level, could be seen, touched and smelled - quite useful for identification! We noted young Olive saplings and an Ochna tree with a remaining yellow flower or two. Its bronzy soft young leaves become stiff as they get older, rough above with raised veins, but very smooth below. Everyone noted the strong aroma of Clausena anisata leaves on a forest sapling and the less pleasant smell of the weed herb, Tagetes minuta, the exotic Mexican marigold. In the patches of sunshine between the trees, it was good to see grass flowers at close quarters (by reversing binoculars) and our youngest walker easily collected over a dozen grass species. Prickly young leaves of Pterolobium stellatum were felt and seen on young twining stems and large woody lumps noted on strong old lianes. Finally we spotted their red winged fruit topping the tree canopy on our return walk. Fundamentals of Ornithology 23 - 30 April 04 Elsamere Field Studies Centre, Lake Naivasha This is an introduction to ornithology, designed for amateur and professional bird guides and birdwatchers who want to improve their understanding of birds and their skills in the field. Teaching is through illustrated lectures, discussion sessions, groups seminars, demonstrations and field practicals, in an informal environment. Fees; Ksh 25,000, which includes full- board accommodation, transport to and from Naivasha and during field outings, course materials, fees, equipment, and teaching expenses. Applicants must have some experience of birding and education up to- KCSE level. Send application to the Course Coordinator at Nature Kenya with a non- refundable deposit of 12,500/-. 1r&5K±JAKX PIAKY Sat 7 A5F BirdwalksjLNR^wali-- Mon JUD^d^A livcyjdeo - Sat 14 Tree Walk _ Sun 15 Sun day Birdwa lk—-- Thu IQ Safari Rally P resentation- Mon 23 Tree Wa lk--- Sat 28 ftntamai yu Outing --- Mornin9 £cii hr, Catherine Ngarachu Nature Kenya Membership form Yes! [ | Start Renew my Nature Kenya membership MAILING ADDRESS (BLOCK LETTERS) Surname First Name Ms/Mr/Title Address Tei (H) .„.....(?) Mobile Email (OPTIONAL - but useful to us in planning) Occupation Age Bracket (tick) under 21( ) 21-3.5( ) 36-50( ) over 50( ) Country of Origin Would you like us to share your contacts Yes/ NO For Official Use Only Sub No. Recpt. No. Mode Due Date Recpt Date MEMBERSHIP TYPE Ksh Per Year Enter Amount FuM 800 1 ... _.. j Sponsor 3000 j Family 1000 Pensioners 300 Students (Full time & undergraduate) 3C0 Institutional (Libraries, schools, clubs) 1000 Corporate (check with the office) ADDITIONAL SUBSCRIPTIONS Kenya Birds (please tick if you would like to receive this Bird magazine) Free of charge Journal of £. A. Natural History 1000 Scopus (Ornithological Journal) 500 World Birdwatch (the BirdLife International,magazine) 1500 Succulenta East Africa 400 Friends of Nairobi Arboretum Single - 400/-, Student - 250/-, School or Club - 800/- DONATIONS Help us to do even more! 5000/ 8000/ Other Total If you live reside outside of Kenya please refer to www.naturekenya.org