Evolution of Skin Colour Illustrated talk by Prof, Nina Jablonski Wed 22 Sept ‘04 6:30 p.m, Louis Leakey Hall, National Museums, Nairobi Organised by Kenya Museum Society KMS members 300/-, Non- members 500/- Child 100/- ******************* COURSES Aloe Workshop 11 September ‘04 with Prof. Len Newton, from the Kenyatta University Botany Dept. Identification and growing of aloes, organised by the Nairobi Botanic Garden, and led by Len Newton. Fee: 1500/-, which includes tea and lunch. Book and pay at the Nairobi Botanic Garden, National Museum, Nairobi tel: 0722 756757 ******************* cfptFMBER at a glimpsie Sat 4 ASF Birdwalks & NRF walk Sat 11 Sun 19 Wed 22 Tree Walk Sunday Birdwalk KMS talk Sun 26 Succulenta Plant hunt Tr’pp. Walk - Birdwalks every Wednesday Morning Bird ringing every Thursday Morning Editorial Team Cd'i for Catherine Ngarachu Cvem^. Sfde4 Fleur Ng'weno Habral'igVi Corner Dino Martins ture Fair Nairobi Arboretum Sat-%& Sun 3 October 04 * T Come to the Nature Fair Whether your interest is bugs, birds or botany, mammals or frogs there is something for everyone. Come this October to the first Nature Fair, to be held at the Nairobi Arboretum, organised by Nature Kenya. The Nature Fair is a display of Nature Kenya animal and plant action groups and community groups, who have organised a great day out for the family, with lots to see and do, including: • Birdwalks • Treewalks • Community Arts & Crafts • Children’s activities • Succulenta display & sales There will also be stands selling products and services for the wildlife enthusiast. Entertainment At the fair you can attend a continuous programme of illustrated talks, see wildlife videos and watch the community drama performances. Stand space available Tent space, with table and chairs, is available at different prices. Please contact the Nature Fair coordinator Lara Salido, at Nature Kenya as soon as possible. Celebrating nature and its contribution to the lives of people FIELD TRIPS Plant hunting at Kitengela Sunday 26 September 04 A day trip with picnic lunch to Kitengela and Rex Dobie's new garden. Carry your own drinks and a contribution for the buffet lunch. Please liaise with Sue Allan (890375 or 0733 891721) about the lunch and sharing transport. For directions please send for a copy of the Succulenta newsletter Succulent News, from the Nature Kenya front office. NATURE KENYA, P. O. Box 44486, 00100 GPO Nairobi Tel: 3749957 / 3746090 Fax: 3741049 E-mail: office@naturekenya.org action GRANTS The International Foundation for Science (IFS) IFS is providing research grants for amounts up to USD 12,000. An IFS grant is intended for the purchase of basic tools for research: equipment, expendable supplies, literature and field activities. Applications are welcome on a year-round basis. Applicants should be at the beginning of their research career, have a minimum academic degree of an MSc/MA or the equivalent experience, and be younger than 40. Candidates must be attached to a university or non-profit making research institution. IFS gives preference to researchers whose grant will be administered by a national research institute (eg university, research centre, NGO). For full details go to www.ifs.se or write to the International Foundation far Science, Karlavagen 108, 5 m Floor, SE - 115 26 Stockholm, SWEDEN The BP Conservation Programme Awards Application deadline for 2005 awards is 31st October 2004 • Does your project address a biodiversity conservation priority of global importance at the species or habitat level, preferably linking with established work plans, e.g. national biodiversity action plans? • Does your project involve local people? • Flas your project been approved by the government, a non¬ governmental organisation or university within the host country? • Is the team made up of and led by students or early career conservationists? • Do you have at least 3 people in your team and are team members of different nationalities? (The BP Conservation Programme is able to help with creating international links for your project). • Does your project last for less than one year (but show potential for follow-up work)? If you answer yes to all the above questions, you may be eligible a BP award. Awards for first time projects range from £5,000 to £12,000; follow-up awards average £25,000; and consolidation awards receive £50,000. For full guidelines email Robyne Dalzen dalzr1@bp.com RSPB Small Grants for Research on Endangered Bird Species Each year, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the BirdLife Partner in the UK, offers grants of up to US$ 1,000 to fund research on bird species listed by IUCN as “Critically Endangered" or “Endangered". Only work on these species will be considered for grants. Please go to www.birdlife.net/datazone/ search/species search.html, if Priority will be given to people working in-country, particularly BirdLife Partners and other conservation NGOs. The closing date for applications is 31 October 2004. For further information via email write to: Dr Paul Donald, RSPB paul.donald@rspb.org.uk increases the Water Holding Capacity of soils for several years Irrigation frequency may be reduced by 50% v'' Limits losses of water and nutrient due to leaching ✓ Improves the physical properties of compact soils through aeration S Enhances plant growth. Water and nutrients are continuously available in the root zone for optimal absorption by plants. Degrades naturally in soils v' Used in forestry, tree crops, lawns, gardens, horticulture and floriculture. READ THE LABEL CAREFULLY BEFORE USING. ^( 5=7 Orgamx Limited P. O Box 14494 Nairobi. 00800 Kenya Tel: *254 20 3741482 Fax: *254 20 3742605 e-mail: in-fo@organixco.ke www.organix.co.ke ✓ Reduces evaporation from the soil ^ Protects the environment against drought and groundwater pollution SNAKEBITE SEMINAR 2004 Bio-Ken Snake Farm will be holding the fourth ‘International Snakebite Seminar’ at Hemingway’s Resort in Watamu on Friday 1 sl and Saturday 2 nd of October 2004, commencing at 9am. Our guest of honour will be the Minister of Health, The Honourable Charity Ngilu. Our lead speaker will be Professor David Warrell, the world’s leading authority on the correct treatment of snakebite, from Oxford University in England. Please 'RSVP to snakes@africaonline.co.ke. Those who do reply will be given priority for the seminar. We look forward to seeing you there! CLASSIFIEDS Reach over 1000 members by advertising in Nature Net Rates tor Classifieds: • Up to 25 words 250/- • Up to 50 words 500/- Ads • 1/4 page 1750/- • 1/2 page @ 3000/- • with image +500/- unsure. EVENING SKY Moon, Sept 2004 6 Sept Lost Quarter; 14 Sept New Moon; 21 Sept First Quarter; 28 Sept Full Moon September Stars September skies are full of birds. Overhead is the constellation Aquila, the Eagle. Its bright star Altair is flanked by two smaller stars. Below Aquila to the north, Cygnus the Swan is flying across the northern sky. Its bright star Peneb is about halfway between the horizon and overhead. Less bright stars form the swan's body, wings, and long outstretched neck. To the left (west) of beneb is the brilliant star Vega. The Milky Way, a wide pale band made up of millions and millions of stars, stretches across the sky from northeast to southwest. The Milky Way is the galaxy to which our Sun belong. Between Cygnus and Aquila is a very dark stretch of sky in the middle of the Milky Way. This is known as the great rift; it appears dark because of dust obscuring our view of the stars behind. Pegasus the Flying Horse is rising in the east (to the right of Cygnus). This large constellation is easy to spot as the stars form a huge square shape in the middle portion, and do not have the stars of our own galaxy in the background. Scorpius is setting headfirst in the west (look on the 19th - the crescent moon is nearby). Scorpius is followed by the constellation Sagittarius, the Archer, shaped like a teapot or kettle. Planets, Sept 2004 Venus shines brightly in the morning sky, rising around about 2 hours before the Sun. Look on September 13th - the Beehive is nearby. The Beehive is a prominent star cluster in the constellation of Cancer the Crab. At a distance of 500 light years, these stars are close neighbours of ours. The individual stars can be made out by the naked eye if the sky is very clear but it is more fun to use some lenses for a better view. Cancer is currently low in the sky before sunrise, and directly east-northeast. Saturn is now in the morning sky; it seems to be in the constellation Gemini. This is a good time for viewing because the air is cleaner at dawn. Sun On September 22nd the sun crosses to the south of the celestial equator, marking the start of spring (the vernal equinox) in the southern hemisphere, and the start of autumn in the northern hemisphere. rt J NATURALIST’S CORNER A Nest in the North By Dino Martins Comments or inquiries email dinom@elci.org In the hooked tangle of a thick, thorny acacia, sits a tiny nest. Woven from silken spiderwebs, fluffy seeds and lichens, it is pear shaped, and hangs in an oval from the thorny twig. From the nest, through the criss¬ cross of thorn-studded branches, the.vast valley shimmers with heat. The haze fades to blue and purple in tire distance, where the rocks meet the sky. Flowering acacia trees, resplendent with ivory-tinted blossoms, dot the flat valley floor. A noisy twittering stirs the air. Flying rapidly through the tangle of thorns, a female sunbird swiftly sweeps down to the nest. She hovers outside for a second, then moves forward and wriggles in. Once safely bedded down and comfortable, having checked on the precious eggs within, she pokes her head out. Her throat is bright orange, not from the colour of her plumage, but of the pollen that has rubbed off on her chin. This is the pollen from numerous aloe flowers where she has been feeding. Bird Hotline 3749957 (August Sighting) Lemon Doves Nairobi Arboretum Wednesday Morning Birdwalk Buff-throated Apalis Eseki Forest Bernard Chege Aloes are pollinated by sunbirds, whose long, narrow beaks are adapted to reach for nectar in the tubular flowers. The sunbird watches the world from the vantage of her nest. This is a Shining Sunbird Nectarinia habessinica turkanae, described in Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania as 'An uncommon thorn-bush species'. It is a real treat to find the nest and watch the female feeding at aloes. The nest is located in a short thorn bush, an Acacia mellifera. This shrubby species is armed with wickedly sharp, recurved thorns. The nest is well-placed, located deep inside the bush, where predators cannot easily reach it. This nest was located in the Kerio Valley, in a flat area of thorny bush near the western wall of the valley, and observed on 22nd June 2004. Keep an eye out for sunbird nests wherever you go - they are often found in thick bushes, hedges and other similar vegetation. The sunbird nests are easily recognised by the shape (drooping and pear-like) and the mixture of lichens and cobwebs used as a building material. Please remember - if you do find a nest, of any bird, do fill out a Nest Record Card. These can be obtained from the Museum's Ornithology Department. regular activities BIRD RINGING Meet at the Museums' Nairobi Botanic Garden, at 7:00 a.m. every Thursday. TREE WALKS Guided tree walks in the Arboretum on the second Saturday and last Monday, i.e. 11 4 27 September 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. SUNDAY BIRDWATCH Members meet at the National Museum, Nairobi car park at 9:00 a.m. the third Sunday of every month, i.e. 19 September. The members decide where to go. Bring lunch Ngong Road Forest Walks (Nairobi) Organised by the Ngong Road Forest Sanctuary Trust, nature walks are held on the first and third Saturdays of the month i.e. 4 4 18 September, at 9:00 a.m. Meet at the stairs leading to the Restaurant at the Racecourse, Call Anthony Charo to confirm on 575207 or 0733 712406. 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 FFJ Bird Walk (Coast) Friends of Fort Jesus birdwalks are held the third Saturday of each month, i.e. 18 September Please call Marlene Reid on (041) 491 648 to confirm ARABUKO-SOKOKE(COAST) The Saturday birdwatch with the Arabuko Sokoke Forest Guides Association is on the first Saturday of each month i.e. 4 September, at 6:30 a.m. from the Visitor Centre, Gede. Cost 100/- per person. KWS fees now apply (100/- Citizens, 500/- Residents) P^UA^ATl OH 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. Plan your weekend of other break to stay at the Kinangop Guest House Perched on the Kinangop Plateau with incredible views across the Rift Valley, the farm combines tussock-grass pasture, indigenous forest, and attractive gardens. The guesthouse is comfortable and fully furnished. Visitors can enjoy hikes and walks on the farm or go further afield with local guides. For more information, brochure and non¬ member rates please contact Nature Kenya. Guest House rates: Day visit 350/- MEMBER nos Overnight Weekend 1 to 2 nights 4000/- 6500/- 3 4,900/- 7,400/- 4 5,800/- 8,300/- Nature Kenya Membership form Yes! j j Start | Renew my Nature Kenya membership MAILING ADDRESS (BLOCK LETTERS) Surname First Name Ms/Mr/Title Tel (H) (O) Mobile Email (OPTIONAL - but useful to us in planning) Occupation Age Bracket (tick) under 21( ) 21-35( ) 36-50( ) over 50( ) Country of Origin Would you like us to share your contacts Yes/ NO Ksh Per Year 800 Enter Amount MEMBERSHIP TYPE Full Sponsor 3000 Family 1000 Pensioners 300 Students (Full time & undergraduate) 300 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 For Official Use Only Sub No. Mode Due Date Recpt. No. Recpt Date Journal of E 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