The NatureXenja Newsletter www.naturekenya.org /ii ranee liorn* * RESORTS W y / Serena Hotels &VAU LanOE*. HuTtait- IllcHU V Bird! world bird festival World Bird Festival November ‘06 Kenya’s birds and birding at the Sarit Centre Getaway Exhibition Tri/3 - Suwv 5 Nov’ ‘06 rd Friday 3 November ‘06 12:30 PM Treasure Trove of Biodiversity 11 minutes Visit Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Francis Kagema 1:30 PM Flying for Gold ■ Feathered Athletes 29 minutes 2:30 PM Birds where you live and work Fleur Ng'weno 4:00 PM Birding Hot-spots Chege Kariuki 5:30 PM Eagle Odyssey 50 minutes Eagle Odyssey was winner of Best Script at Wildscreen 2004, Grand Prix Best 1 and most popular film and Best Story awards at the Valvert European Wildlife Saturday 4 th November ‘06 11:30 AM Saving birds and bird sites Jacob Machekele 1:00 PM Flying for Gold ■ Feathered Athletes 29 minutes 2:00 PM Bird Photography Paul Benson 3:30 PM Avian Flu Dr. Muchai Muchane 5:00 PM Winged Migration 1 hour 26 minutes Winged Migration won the 2002 Best Editing, Cesar Awards & OSCAR-Best documentary feature; 2003 Best Cinematography, Boston Society of Film Critics Awards; 2003 Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing in a Foreign Feature Sunday 5 11:00 AM 12:30PM 2:00 PM th November ‘06 Together for birds and people Changes affecting Lesser Flamingo Bird-watching at Tana River California Condor Birds of Prey 30 minutes Paul Ndang’ang’a Tomaso Clima 15 minutes Dr. Munir Virani Caiifornia Condor won an Emmy Award in 2006: it is kindly provided by the Peregrine Fund 1 St prize - two nights for the team at one of the luxury Serena Lodges, in the low- season months of April, May or November. Kindly provided by Serena Hotels. 2nd prize - kindly provided by Alliance Hotels. The winning team will see the highest proportion of bird species known from an Atlas Square. The 2nd prize will go to the best report back of the team event with photos . Happy bird-watching! Your records are needed! Call/email to participate NOV. AT A GLIMPSE Fri 3 - Sun 5 S arit Getaway Exhibition 5 Q -(- ii Tree Walk __ S un 19_ Sunday Birdwalk _ Mon 27 Tree Walk ___ Birdwaiks every Wednesday Morning Editorial Team TA'&or Catherine Ngarachu EVe-niSfcie*; Fleur Ng’weno Natvraikr? Corner Dino Martins Aohot i Serah Munguti Ccuyt le forest Lodges Sat 9 - Morv2 2^ Veeewnber ‘ 06 The Lodge is two and a half hours drive from Nairobi on the southern foot of Mount Kenya at 2081 metres. 9100/- p.p. sharing full board + guided walks. (Single supplement 11490/-) A child below 3 years half price. Book with Nature Kenya as soon as possible or by 24 November 2006 Kim Howell’s talk and book signing Ec-ologTcat effect^' of cv hydropower dcwrv£r the/ Kdxarad Spray Toad/ Talk by Dr. Kim M Howell Tuesday 19 December Kim will give an illustrated talk on the discovery of a critically endangered toad at Kihansi, Tanzania and what happened to it after a hydropower scheme was implemented (several species of plants were also affected). Kim has co-authored a number of field guides on reptile and amphibians and these will be on sale if you wish to purchase a copy: • A Field Guide to the Reptiles of East Africa © 3600/- • Pocket Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of East Africa © 1980/- You can also bring a book you have already bought for Kim to sign after the talk. Museum main gate closed/ Use another new entrance about 50 metres along the fence Society offices at the Museum You will find Nature Kenya offices at the Ford Hall and at a prefabricated building. The prefab building is located enroute to the Snake Park and is the office for the Nature Kenya membership shop and subscription desk. Direct Debit/ Pay subscriptions this way Request an authorizing form from Nature Kenya Plan to register a friend or relative as a member! NATURE KENYA, P. 0, Box 44486, 00100 GPO Nairobi Tel: 3749957 / 3746090 Fax: 3741049 E-mail: office@naturekenya.org Special Benefits for Society of Conservation Biology members in Developing Countries SCB now offers free online access to SCB members in developing countries for the publications: Conservation Biology, Conservation in Practice and Biological Conservation. This is made possible by their partners ■ Elsevier Publishing, Blackwell Publishing and The Nature Conservancy. Anyone working in the field of conservation, or in a related field, is qualified to be an SCB member. For more information check the SCB website: http://conbio.org. or contact Dr. Alan Thornhill, Society for Conservation Biology at athornhill@conbio.org Discussion Forum make your opinion known at www. naturekenya. org/forum newsletter by email? It would be a PDF of below 1 MB, Please confirm this preference by sending a note and your current email to office@naturekenya.org Due to spam filters yahoo, hotmail and other such address will not normally deliver emails sent in bulk, so please do not give email addresses with these extensions. Thank you. library re-opens located at the Natural Sciences Building, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi (next to the Langi Langi cafeteria) INTERNET AVAILABLE An area of City Park has been approved for development by the Nairobi City Council. Located in Parklands, Nairobi, City Park is a public utility, set aside by the government in 1932 as a public park. It consists of famous gardens and an area of indigenous forest. Some of the area has also been gazetted as a National Monument by the National Museums of Kenya. The Friends of City Park, a special project of Nature Kenya, is questioning this approval and will be requesting the relevant government departments to protect City Park for the people and visitors of Nairobi. action The Friends will also send out an email petition to Nature Kenya members and supporters, to protest the subdivision of City Park for any other use and to petition the government to protect this park for present and future generations. Please lend your support/ Petitions can also be signed at the Nature Kenya office City Park is again in danger from approved development Area behind and around the Goan/ 1st World War Cemetery cleared for development We still need help and your ideas on ... History of the Museum, a new Museum exhibit Do you have any pictures or information on the Museums of Kenya’s history? We would like to hear from you as soon as possible - please email or call 3746090. What about experience or skill in the preparation of a Museum exhibit? We need your help with this History exhibit! 1909 - 2009 centenary celebrations In 2009 Nature Kenya (the East Africa Natural History Society) celebrates 100 years of research, education and conservation Give us your suggestions as to how we can celebrate this achievement! One suggestion has been • a commemorative postage stamp - but what can you suggest one or more stamps might look like? ral >ry EVENING SKY CLASSIFIEDS Reach over 1000 members by advertising in Nature Net Rates for Classifieds: • Up to 25 words 250/- • Up to 50 words 500/- Ads • @ 1 750/- • with image +500/- f O 6o> 14494 NoiroCM. 00800 Kenya Tel: *254 20 3741482 Fax. *254 20 3742605 e-mail Reduces evaporation from the soil * Improves the physical properties of soils through aeration • Enhances plant growth through continuous availability of water and nutrient in the root zone for optimal absortion by plants • Limits losses of water and nutrient due to leaching Protects the environment against drought and groundwater pollution Irrigation frequency may be reduced by 50% Below Achernar, low on the southern horizon, are two pale areas like small, low clouds. These are the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds They are actually small galaxies, composed of millions of stars. They are the nearest galaxies to us, apart from our own Milky Way. High overhead, a little to the north, four stars form the corners of a large square shape. This constellation is the Great Square of Pegasus, the flying horse of ancient Greek legends. Between Pegasus and the "M" shape of the constellation Cassiopeia, look carefully for a blurred bright light. That bright, fuzzy spot is the great spiral nebula M 31, the Andromeda galaxy. It is larger than our Milky Way, but very far away. Your Only Companion to Travel, Entertainment and Restaurants “tBi^ i in F~i~t Africa THE CARD THAT TAKES YOU PLACES... Accepted at over 200 Establishments in East Africa. Discounts range from 10-30% For more information on how to get your copies and privilege card call: Tel: 020 3754748 • 3747258 • 3745726 Mobile. 0734 333269 • 0720 959749 E-mail: goplaces@swiftkenya.com Website: www.goplaceskenya.com Up & about P£CUR£AT\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. WEDNESDAY MORNING BIRDWALKS Bird watching walks at sites in and around Nairobi. Meet at the National Museum car park near Langi Langi cafe 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. TREE WALKS Guided tree walks in the Arboretum on the second Saturday and last Monday, i.e. 11 and 27 Nov. 06 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. 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 Nov. ‘06.The members decide where to go. Bring lunch SAMAKIDAYS Suided fish excursions on the first Thursday, i.e. 2 Nov. '06 from 9:00 a.m - 12:30 p.m. Meet at the Nairobi Museum car park. Pay Ksh 50/- per person on arrival 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 pax 4000/- 6500/- 3 pax 4,900/- 7,400/- 4 pax 5,800/- 8,300/- 20% OFF ACCOMMODATION AT THE DRIFTWOOD On presentation of your membership card, you can get this discount off accommodation (if paying by cash or cheque) at the Driftwood Beachclub. This is a charming beachfront property with great food and service. Contact-