ISSN 2073-5111 (Print) naturekenya.org* September‘11 The Extraordinary Collapse of Jatropha as a Global Biofuel by Dr Promode Kant, Director, Institute of Green Economy, New Delhi and Dr Wu Shuirong, Associate Professor, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing Ar\ ambitious biofuel program initiated in 2003 by the Planning Commission of India, envisaging 30% mandatory blending of diesel by 2020, involved raising Jatropha curcas on wastelands across India. In mobilizing millions of lowest income farmers and landless poor with the promise of high returns, the Commission may have relied too heavily on the opinion of one of its top functionaries, who expected an internal rate of return ranging from 19 to 28% even though past experiences firmly indicated otherwise. The extremely high profile of the program attracted worldwide attention, and it was quickly adopted by China and a large number of Asian and African countries. By 2008, Jatropha had already been planted on over 900,000 hectares globally and is expected to be planted on over 12.8 million ha by 2015. Oil Seed Company Pulls of the Tana Delta But it has failed to deliver almost everywhere, causing distress to millions of small farmers worldwide. It appears to be an extreme case of a well-intentioned, top-down climate mitigation approach undertaken without adequate research, and adopted in good faith by other countries, gone completely awry. The biodiversity rich eco system of the Tarn Delta: Nature Kenya’s advocacy efforts have finally paid off with the withdrawal of a commercial developer. Photo: J. Retief The UK based GA Industries, a company awarded a licence to cultivate oil and seed crops, has pulled out of the Tana River Delta, citing technical issues with the soil type, long term climate change effects and mismanagement of the Delta's resources. As climate mitigation and adaptation activities intensify, attracting large investments, there is danger of such lapses becoming more frequent unless "due diligence” is institutionalized and appropriate protocols developed to avoid conflict of interest of research organizations. As an immediate step, an international body like the FAO may have to intervene to stop further extension of Jatropha in new areas without adequate research inputs. GA Industries noted that where they had expected to find rich alluvial soil, there was mostly sandy or clay soils. In particular, the soils were poor in the area where the company had been able to build a dam to store rain water for irrigation. &A Industries also cited climate change predictions that the climate in the Delta would become hotter and drier. ACS Journal of Environmental Science & Technology. The article can be accessed from the journal website http://pubs. acs.org/journal/esthag Sent by Institute of Green Economy (IGREC) The controversial Jatropha curcas: The much hyped miracle plant has failed globally as an alternative to fossil fuel Photo: F. Kagema Nature Kenya had long cited scientific evidence that commercial plantations were unlikely to thrive in the Delta's climatic conditions. An initial economic study shows that a master plan integrating sustainable management of existing agriculture, ranching and fishing with a conservation-focused future development, could generate more income and better livelihoods than commercial plantations. "Conservation success is hard to come by. Now one of the companies, GA Industries, has confirmed pulling out. This is just but a small step in ensuring that biodiversity in this country is safeguarded and local communities aren't taken advantage of by developers with false promises of economic prosperity,” said Paul Matiku, Executive Director of Nature Kenya. Local communities from the Tana Delta currently have a case at the High Court, requesting that all development projects be stopped until a Development and Conservation Master Plan is agreed and their land rights are taken into consideration. Important Bird Area Programme • Basic monitoring at 61 IBAs; detailed monitoring at 11 IBAs • 2009 IBA Status and Trends report published • Ten Management Plans developed for IBAs • Environmental education at 10 sites Mammal Committee • Initial stages of developing a 'Mammal Atlas of ° Spatial data ° Collection records ° Pictorial records Committees (special interest working groups) Insect Committee • Working on dragonfly, butterfly and bee book • On-going identification of insects • Nairobi Nat’l Park butterfly poster Nairobi Museum pollinator garden in place • Good progress with pollinator project (Questions about insects?: contact insects@naturekenya.org) \ • Honey bee busy feeding on pollen. The insect committee I has set up a t pollinator 1 garden on j the museum S grounds to help | in pollination I Image: NK I archive Herpetofauna Working Group Public Outreach to students and the local community in Sagalla, March 2011, about caecilians - amphibians that are worm-like, burrowing and highly secretive Fundamentals of Herpetology course each year Plant Committee Checklist of plants of City Park published; online publication ongoing • Interesting record at City Park of Parthenium hysterophorus - the highest ranking noxious weed in the country, rampant in black cotton soils and poisonous to human and animals Succulents East Africa • Weekend trip to Lake Bogoria • Camping weekend in the Malepo Hills south of Kajiado • Garden visit in Muthaiga • ASM in June 2010 - Sreen Park, Naivasha 3 Expert notes Developing a Fundraising proposal for the Atlas The Youth Committee planting tussocks at the recently purchased Leleshwa Nature Reserve. Photo: M.Nzisa A pair of Waterbucks: The Mammal Committee seeks to conserve Kenya’s mammals through information dissemination. Photo: NK Archive Youth Committee ■ Outings and camping trips for members Clean ups at the Nairobi Arboretum & City Park • Tree planting with Kenya Airways - April 2011 at the Ngong Hills • Planting tussock grass with Friends of Kinangop Plateau HARI Habitat Restoration Initiative Of Eastern Africa Editorial team Agatha Nt/tencp. rJeur -Vg toesto Sera/t Mandat! Norman Viboi Layout £rn°st McuonjNa Front banner/iVo/^ Sa/im A succulent plant in an arid area. Succulenta East Africa is devoted to growing and learning about such plants that store water in their tissues to survive periods of drought. Photo: NK Archive Natu reKenya The East Africa Natural History Society Approach in restoration of degraded habitats: • Reconnaissance survey in Kibauni hill, Mwala in June 2010 • Proposals to restore the hill developed; awaiting response Bird Committee ■ Checklist of the Birds of Sabaki Estuary published • Scopus Volume 30 published Activities include advocacy against the pesticide Furadan, upgrading Kenya Birdfinder, and entering Kenyabirdsnet records in the Kenya Birdfinder database • Celebrated Int'l Migratory Bird Day and Int'l Vulture Awareness Day _ Connertmq nature & prop/r Nor ContriAutionS, advertising and subscriptions - Contact us at P. O. Box 44486 GPO, Nairobi 51: 20 3749957 or 3746090 Fax: 20 3741049 office@naturekenya.org wwuaaturekenya.org Bird Life Printed with support from: I O N \ 1. Together for birds and people EGP THE MTHCKl CMOS & IUCN 9 WWF Th» Worte Conservation Ueton lrnir»ln«Kl> s *»tt Partner Tropical Biology Association Samaki Working Group Organised outings to study fish ELPWiG Environmental Legislation and Policy Working Group Provides advice to Nature Kenya on policy and legislation Editorial Committees: Journal Editorial Committee Publishes the Journal of East African Natural History, jointly with the National Museums of Kenya Upland Kenya Wild Flowers Publication Committee Formed in 2011 to publish the 3rd edition of Upland Kenya Wild Flowers by Andrew Agnew Projects Friends Of City Park Monthly nature walks ongoing Regular environmental clean ups • Monthly newsletter Environmental programmes to institutions and organisations Public awareness through celebration of events and environmental days The Nature Maze at City Park, Nairobi: The Friends of City Park is helping to conserve and improve a natural site in an urban setting. Photo: M. Nzisa Friends Of Nairobi Arboretum • Advancing public awareness and education on forests and environment through: ° Regular tree walks 0 Monthly lectures 0 Interpretation services for groups including schools and other visitors 0 Newsletter (Tree News) ° Compost and gardening course Supporting Kenya Forest Service to implement the Forest Act 2005 ° Development of Arboretum management plan ongoing ° Representation in the Forest Conservation Committee Nairobi Biodiversity Parks • Original site is lost. • Study in Nairobi National Park ongoing. A young bioloist in the field. TBA provides high standard of ecology and conservation training to biologists in Africa and Europe. Usually, it runs three or four course per year. Photo: TBA Working to build expertise in ecology A conservation ■ With Nature Kenya, launched an EU funded programme to build capacity of African Environmental Scientists 0 92 scientists trained during 5 workshops in 2010 • Ran 3 field courses in Africa, and 1 in Borneo, Malaysia 0 1321 biologists from 65 countries trained on 58 courses 0 172 received Nature Kenya & JEANH subscriptions Continued targeted follow up of African biologists ° Supported 33 Masters level scholarship ° Catalysed established of 13 Alumni groups across Africa Go out and Look! at the Evening Sky f’lectp //cj toe.no Choose an evening with no clouds or few clouds, and look up at the dark sky after sunset. Can you find the moon, stars and planets as mentioned below? Planets, Sept 2011 The brilliant planet Venus reappears in the sunset during September. Saturn, a steady golden light, is in the western sky at the start of the month. It moves towards the horizon during September, coming close to Venus at month's end. Look for the two planets and slender crescent moon on Sept 28 and 29. Saturn passes Venus and sinks into the sunset. Bright Jupiter rises in the east at about 10 pm in early September, and is in the west at dawn. The moon is near Jupiter on Sept 16. By month's end, Jupiter is visible most of the night. September Stars The constellation of the Scorpion (See August Nature Net) is still prominent in the southwest. Its bright reddish star Airfares is near the moon on Sept 4. In the south, left of the Scorpion, th«'> » : — of eight bright stars. Imagine a teapot shape, or a basket with a handle. To the ancient Greeks this was Sagittarius, the Archer. The bright Star Fomalhaut is still further left, in the southeast. High in the northeast, almost overhead, is the bright star Altair. It seems to be escorted by two fainter stars. Halfway between Altair and the northern horizon is the brilliant white star Vega. It’s in a tiny constellation called the Lyre. To the right (east) of Vega is another bright star, Deneb. Altair, Deneb and Vega form an enormous triangle in the northern sky. Moon, Sept 2011 4 Sept: first quarter - "half" moon overhead at sunset. 12 Sept: full moon, rises in the east at sunset. 20 Sept: last quarter - “half" moon overhead at sunrise. 27 Sept: new moon. tZST ch Morn elrdvv Ik Walk CQ/n air mik Public Leotu iKSfim Frida v, October Club Mating JAtmh o memfearsfoii c<«raefvs^feo" '*sc»Wf' >»i-l%y? ro Wowkl tfte study am ovmrvitUf*' & mftten #r e&xw. JfrxJst onr* to crfrtm t ntturr and peopk: 'iHtith wm£ri ff'Oirt Otr fr&rb&'s m (0^-Ad <* tu : SW4**?S$%r‘ j^ii38 9 - JW REmirffW t»g V NatureAfe/ivY/ Wednesday Morning Birdwalks meet EVERY WEEK at 8:45 am in the Museum staff car park. The entrance is on Kipande Road. Sunday Birdwatch (also called “Pot-luck Outings") meet the THIRD Sunday of each month at 9:00 am at the same location. Bring lunch. Mombasa Birdwalks Contact Taibali Hamzali through or call 0733980540 for more information. Contact the office for information on other birdwalks in Kakamega, Kisumu, and other sites Ngong Forest walks - 1st and 3rd Saturday at 9.00 a.m. Contact Simon 0729-840715 I I I I Do you love nature excursions? Join a day trip to Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park on 24th Sept 2011. Come enjoy birdwatching, montane landscape, hiking & visit an unusual burial Site, McMillan grave Meet at Nairobi National Museum opposite Botanical Garden offices on 24th Sept 2011 at 7:00am. Participants to provide their own transport, pay entry fees and contribute to the guide fee. Bring your picnic lunch, drinking water, binoculars, camera, hat & guidebooks. For more information and planning, contact: Norman Kiboi on 020-353756, 0739-200216 or email: office@naturekenya.org — — — — — — — — 1 Nature Kenya/ National Museums Library Update I The joint East Africa Natural History Society - National Museums of Kenya Library is one I if your membership benefits. It recently received new books, CDs and | DVDs. Visit the Library and be part of the Library of | the Year Award competition organized by the Soethe Institut, Jomo Kenyatta Foundation J and Kenya Library Association Yes! Start my Nature Kenya membership Surname -- - MEMBERSHIP TYPEs (Choose one) First Name - Ms/Mr/Title. Address Tel Mobile Ksh Per Year Full 2,000 Sponsor 6,000 Family 2,800 Student 1,200 Schools, Clubs 1,500 Corporate 10,000 Email Corporate Plus 30,000 Direct Debit SIGN UP NOW AND GET 3 MONTHS FREE! Inquire from of fi ce@ natureKenya.org Pay by MPesa Business number 100300