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 March-April 2014 | |
Friends of Karura Forest Newsletter
Community Forest Association
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62%
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The proportion of Karura's visitors
who are Kenyan citizens.
Numbers of Monthly Karura Visitors
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| Where else in Nairobi... |
... can parents and their kids feel
safe on Sunday walks? |
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Colobus Coming Soon!
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Colobus monkeys are to be re-introduced to Karura. Working with the Institute of Primate Research, the Kenya Wildlife Service and KFS, and with more generous support from the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW), FKF is spearheading the re-introduction of Colobus to Karura! Remnant, endangered populations on the fringes of the Aberdares have been identified. Target groups are being gently encouraged to seek food in humane trap cages, and the holding-acclimatisation cage in a hidden location in the heart of Karura is ready to receive them. Watch this space!.
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Colobus holding cage ready and waiting
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Donors' Corner
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Jose Saldanha
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 | | Karura Bird Sheet |
There has been a new print run of Amedeo Buonajuti's popular bird identification sheet, thanks to generous donations of cash and pro-bono services from
Jose Saldanhadirector of Kenya PostTel Directories Ltd. and Kul Bhakoo, director of Kul Graphics Ltd.
The sheets are available free-of-charge at the main forest gates and at the KFEET Centre.
Thank you, gentlemen!
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Works Corner
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The volunteers who make up the Friends of Karura and their team of Scouts, Tree-Minders and Fundis are at work in the forest each and every day...
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Heavy March rains bogged down KFS machinery helping clear the forest improvement site along the Turaco Stream swamp near KFEET...
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...But when it dried a bit, work continued removing huge Eucalyptus stumps from the re-planting area. FKF provided the fuel and driver overtime payment to use the shiny new KFS backhoe to do the heavy work...
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...with the finishing touches being done by hand: local women's group hard at work.
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Eucalyptus poles stripped and stockpiled for future infrastructure works.
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New Limuru Road Gatehouse under construction.
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Clearing & burning Mauritius Thorn invasive
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 Levelling a parking site at gate E, the Limuru Road entrance into the Sigiria salient. ...and so on...
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New Bridges Completed
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FKF has used your gate fees and donor money to construct two new bridges for better access to the forest.
The one above, over the Karura River in the main forest between Junctions 12a and 33, opens a new access path to the northern part of the forest. Now bikers starting at KFEET can join up with the 12 km circuit that begins at Sharks Gate (Gate C). Dog walkers note that the north is currently a dogs-off-leash area. This new wooden bridge, built with timber milled from the Eucalyptus clearing near KFEET Centre, was designed and executed by talented FKF fundi, Simon Munga.  And this one, over the Gitathuru River off Limuru Road required major works involving six large culverts and serious cement and stone works to withstand rainy season floods. Now visitors, after paying the entry fee at the main gate, can enter the forest through Gate E at Junction 54. There is limited parking space available inside the gate.
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Another History Mystery
| Who was this? 
A headstone was among the rubbish unearthed during the clean-up around the newly opened Sharks Gate (Gate C on the map). Who was 27-year-old Mr or Ms Zuza who died on 18 July 1989? And how did his or her grave marker come to be in the forest?
Any ideas? |
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Events, Events, Events...
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Karura hosts numerous environmental, social and educational events. A sample...
TREE-PLANTING
In late March, the Oshwal Education & Relief Board sponsored Oshwall Academy students planting 2,000 trees around the Westgate Memorial as part of its Mega Tree Planting Initiative.
In April, I& M Bank staff returned to their 25 ac plot near Junction 30 to clear more Lantana and plant 3000 more trees.
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In mid-April, the staff of Kenya Tourism Board partnered with Friends of Karura Forest in rehabilitation of the forest by planting 250
seedlings. The event was presided over by FKF Chairman Prof. Karanja Njoroge
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EARTH RUN
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Earth Race start.
Photo: Kimotho Jackson
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100 souls gathered at the KFEET centre to take part in an exciting bicycle race. They ranged from cyclist professionals to families and kids. 24 km of the 65 km pro portion of the race were in Karura: the rest went as far afield as Kiambu. Presiding were Green Africa Foundation Chairman, Isaac Kalua, Kiambu County Minister of Sports, Machel Waikenda, UN Habitat's Green Mobility representative, Hilary Murphy, Professional cyclist, David Kinja. The aim was to create awareness on use of non-motorised transport towards low carbon emissions and sustainable futures for Green Cities.
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YOUNG BIRD-WATCHERS FIELD TEST BOOK
The International School of Kenya donated 30 copies of Being A Bird to the KFEET Centre in April through the ISK Parents Teachers Organization.
The book focuses on bird behaviour, ecology and conservation for young readers and is published by Nature Kenya - the East Africa Natural History Society
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FOREST
The Nairobi County held the International Day of Forests celebration at KFEET in late March. The event was presided over by Mr. John Gakuo (Nairobi County Executive Secretary in charge of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, centre photo). In attendance was Kenya Forest Service senior staff members led by Head of Conservancy Charity Munyasaya. School kids from Cheleta and Karura Forest Primary School helped senior KFS staff plant 100 ceremonial trees.
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New Bench at Lily Lake
(what's left of it)
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New Woodcharm bench at Lily Lake thanks to a donation from Markus Haefliger. Sit quietly and watch the Jacanas walking over the invasive weed Salvinia that's choking the lake. We must do something about the weed if we are to ever see open water. The only solution seems to be physical removal of the offending plant. Volunteers?
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| Dogs, owners, head north! | 
The opening of Sharks Gate and the new bridge over the Karura River between Junctions 12a and 33, have given easier access to dogs and their owners to the northern part of the forest, which is currently an off-leash areas A new map can be seen online here. Please Read Dog Guidelines |
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Bikes for Hire
| Trail bikes may be rented at the KFEET Centre. 
A bike specialist mechanic is on duty to make certain our bikes-for-hire are in top shape and clean of Karura mud for the next rider. Only 500/= for 2 hours Bike helmets are mandatory. Please stay on the designated bike trails: a dedicated 12 km bike circuit now open in the north. |
| PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP & RESIDENCY REQUIRED | |
POLITE NOTICE
Documentary proof of Kenya Citizenship or Residency will be required to be shown at the gate in order to qualify for Citizen or Resident entry fees.
'RESIDENTS' are defined as non-citizen persons living in Kenya. Non-citizen persons living in other East African Community countries (Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda & Burundi) are considered to be NON-RESIDENTS for the purpose of the Karura Forest entry fee schedule.
Thanks for your cooperation!
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| Get a Receipt! | |
Please make sure you sign-in at the gates and get a receipt for entry fees and maps.
Security and maintenance in the forest depends on revenue from events and gate-takings.
Your gate fees help maintain the security fence and pay the Karura Scouts.
Please retain and be prepared to show your receipts to FKF Scouts on patrol.
Many thanks!
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| Newsletter Archive | |
Missing an issue?
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Security is today's preoccupation. Everyone, even if they haven't been personally caught up, knows someone who has been robbed or worse. These are indeed troubled times, in Kenya and the rest of the world.
Security in Karura is also much talked about. Over the past months there have been break-ins on domestic premises bordering the forest.
Some neighbours have been quick to point to insecurity in the forest. But the fact of the matter is that despite Scouts and Rangers combing the forest around possible points of incursion, there has been no evidence found suggesting the thieves originated in the forest. But they may have made use of cover at weak points on the forest edge to hide up after the event, and then slip away - back to outside the forest boundary - when the dust settled.
How could the bad guys have access to the forest? Mainly, it appears, because some plot owners or their immediate neighbours have been cavalier about their own security.
Let's be quite clear. It is not the job of the forest custodians to protect neighbouring plot owners: it's up to the owners to secure their own perimeters. The job of FKF and KFS is to make sure the forest is safe and secure, both for the visitors using it during the day as well as for the ecological integrity of the forest itself.
FKF has leveraged donor funds to construct over 10 km of sophisticated electric security fencing. That's just under half of the total forest perimeter. The rest is assumed to be protected both inwards and outwards by the domestic security measures of individual plot owners bordering the forest. If the plot owner chooses to have sub-standard security infrastructure, one can hardly blame the forest!
But FKF recognises that not all plot owners will rise to the occasion to make their and (by proximity) their neighbours' plots secure. So, as you will see in the lead article, we are working with neighbours to shore up the few 'soft spots' that remain in a few quarters.
And, to date, through the work of FKF together with KFS and
you, our stake-holder supporters and corporate donors, Karura has become one of the safest places to be in the greater Nairobi area. Let's work together to keep it, and ourselves, safe and sound.
The Board
Friends of Karura Forest
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Perimeter Security Enhancements
Recent Events Spark Tightening of Potential Weak Spots
FKF and forest neighbours are responding pro-actively to recent security threats. 99% of the forest perimeter is secured either by FKF electric fencing or by conscientious plot owners who have invested in their own sound fencing.
Four potential perimeter 'soft spots' have been identified and secured in the areas of Wispers, Karura Avenue, the Sigiria corner near Thigiri Rise and Sergoit Lane.
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FKF electric fencing (yellow)
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A spate of break-ins and armed household robberies in forest-edge residential plots pointed to the forest being used either as an escape route or place to hide until the heat was off. Although there is no evidence to suggest that the perpetrators originated in the forest, particularly given the level of daily usage these days (see numbers in the sidebar), FKF has invested in additional measures.
In the case of Wispers, there is an abandoned anonymously-owned plot right in the corner between the last house in the neighbourhood and the Karura River opposite the UN compound. During the clearing for the new footbridge across the river, a couple of weak spots were discovered in an old chain link fence between the plot and the forest.
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Thanks to a generous and expeditious donation from UNON, the United Nations Office in Nairobi, FKF was able to mobilise contractors
quickly for additional clearing and the erection of 210m of electric fencing within a fortnight. The last neighbour in Wispers Avenue has kindly provided electricity for the fence.
Then, north of Karura Avenue, bordering the Gitathuru River near the Belgian Embassy property, there is another undeveloped plot that is suspect in having played a role in several robberies in the area adjacent to the eastern portions of the Sigiria Salient. It appears that the perps had made use of the plot's access lane during their incursions. The residential properties surrounding the plot are well secured, so it is just a matter of contracting a small stretch of electric fencing to close off the access to the plot from Karura Avenue. FKF is attempting to mobilise the Karura Avenue neighbours.
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Assessing soft corners
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Over in the far northwest corner of Sigiria, yet another vacant plot has provided cover for robbers. With the cooperation of one of the neighbours who re-enforced his perimeter fencing, the Karura electric fence has been re-aligned to exclude access to the empty plot.
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Pipe crossing closed
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Finally, at the bottom of Sergoit Lane, a good neighbour has at his own expense completely blocked the large water pipeline crossing the Gitathuru with rolls of razor wire. The Sykes monkeys will have to find another route across the river to visit their Muthaiga neighbours.
The common denominators of the weak spots and the attendant security incidents have been vacant plots and poor residential security fencing. Surely this must be a problem for the residents and their associations to tackle.
In addition, as a result of several emergency meetings between FKF and KFS, given the prevailing security situation in the country, KFS Rangers and FKF Scouts are checking vehicles that enter the forest at the main Limuru Road gate. Please cooperate there, and, if you are one of the residents bordering the forest, at home.
That's where security begins.
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Land-Grabbing: Caveat Emptor
A Vestige of the Bad Old Days is Still Eyeing Prime Plots
The bizarre case of 4.5 ha of Karura Forest land being claimed by a company registered in the British Virgin Islands has not gone away. York Holdings Ltd. through one of its directors, Bernard Haissly, a lawyer based in Geneva, filed a petition in December last year in the Kenyan High Court seeking to have the fence - presumably the one between UNEP and the forest - removed, claiming it infringed on the company's right of access. The petition, filed against KFS and the Attorney General, still sub judice.
FKF has obtained two maps that show clearly the plots in question. The red plot delineations on the left are extracted from a map created in a 2010 joint exercise between University of Nairobi, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and Columbia University's Centre for Sustainable Urban Development (see CSUD). It's a worrisome document that shows over the whole forest the status of plot allocations - a total of 215 ha, 20% of the forest (to have a look at our FaceBook page for what that looks like click here).  | |
Disputed plots (yellow dotted lines show matching plot corners for clarity)
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The right-hand map is a portion of a 2013 map prepared by the KFS Survey and Mapping Department, showing locations of forest types as well as some remaining anomalous delineations, including the plots in question (yellow) that were sold to the British Virgin Island company on the eve of the passing of the Moi regime, 30 December 2002. Records show that the plots (presumably Land Register numbers 20850-52) were allocated to Maasai Villas Limited (0.6 hectares), Sian Enterprises (0.8 hectares), and Star Prime Properties Limited (3.1 hectares). These Kenyan-registered entities allegedly have links to KANU officials; the plots were subsequently sold to York Holdings.
Curiously, the plot that houses ICRAF (International Centre for Research in Agro-forestry) is shown as two plots on the right map. The pink portion, 2.18 ha, is that which had been originally excised in 1994 [chk]. The other half, ca. 3.1 ha, is clearly today an integral part of ICRAF given its existing buildings, as you can see in the satellite image portion of the left map. However, it is coloured yellow on the right, which the legend tells us is a 'Portion in Question.' It seems that ICRAF's second excision was never properly recorded in the Kenya Gazette and was therefore never legally excised and allocated.
York Holdings has pounced on this 'ICRAF anomaly' arguing it is unconstitutional and discriminatory to deny York access to the 'rightfully owned' land, whilst allowing another beneficiary, namely ICRAF, access to its additional, ungazetted 3.1 ha. This argument is what the lawyers might call mischievous. ICRAF, with its mandate to conduct research on forest ecology and conservation, is clearly a valid candidate for special use as envisaged in the Forests Act 2005.
FKF, under the terms of the joint management agreement to protect and conserve the forest, is standing shoulder to shoulder with KFS in the case and will do everything within its limited resources to repel these repugnant claims on Karura's integrity.
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Karura Hydrology
Karura Provides a Living Laboratory for Students
Groups of students of all ages are frequently seen in Karura Forest, enjoying nature and learning about forest ecology. A group of Braeburn High School geology students were spotted gathering data along the Gitathuru River.
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Braeburn Geologists
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Here's what their teacher, Maddy Bowley had to say:
"The overall aim is to study how rivers change downstream from source to mouth. Each group looked at two sites on each of the rivers that run through the forest. The students collected data on width, depth, wetted perimeter, velocity, bedload size and shape as well as environmental indicators such as pH and water temperature.
"The purpose is to ensure they can describe and evaluate the different methods of data collection, manipulate the data, draw cross-sections and make conclusions based on evidence collected in preparation for an IGCSE exam that is based on fieldwork. [The fieldwork also] gives first-hand experience of how things in real life relate to the textbook theory; just because I teach it in class doesn't mean it is always true.
"The students gained a lot from the experience and enjoyed the opportunity to learn outside the classroom and understand how geography can be applied in the real world. All the [FKF] staff were exceptionally helpful and made my job as a teacher really easy. The forest is great for many educational purposes and we look forward to coming back again next year."
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Will it Rain?
March Good; April Bad
Despite the better-than-average rains in March -- some 50mm greater than the 70-year average for the month -- April was a disappointment: 120mm lower than average.
What's important for plant growth -- and survival of newly-planted treelings -- is the accumulated amount of rain during the year.
By the end of April, if the year had been going as normal, Karura should have accumulated some 390mm of rainfall. But we only had just over 300mm (see chart).
 | | 2014 rains less than long-term average |
So, unless we get unusual rains in May-June, it's going to be a bad year for plants, animals, and food production. Certainly, major tree planting exercises in Karura may have to be postponed until the short rains in November.
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Flowers on Display
Karura Beauties for Looking, Not Picking
Two of Karura's most beautiful flowers could be found after the good rains in March. But be aware: they are for looking, not touching. Both are highly toxic.
 Scadoxus multiflorus is an amaranth, a wide-spread tropical family with many nutritional values. However, Scadoxusis also known as Blood Flower and Poison Root. A equatorial African genus, its extracts are used as arrow poison, fish poison, and by the very brave (or foolish) as a cure for various ailments. It has been known to kill livestock.
Gloriosa superba can be found scrambling through the Karura undergrowth. It's called the Flame Lily, but it's only closely related to the lily family. Chemical research has shown that all parts - both above and below ground - are extremely poisonous. Ingestion, should you want to garnish your salad, could be fatal.
Look, don't touch!
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Karura Carbon Study
University Study of Vegetation & Climate Change
 A tree canopy research and teaching exercise in Karura is being undertaken by a learned collaboration of acronyms: KITE (YorK Institute for Tropical Ecosystems), ICIPE (International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology), CHIESA (Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystem Services and Food Security in Eastern Africa), and KFS (Kenya Forest Service). The activities are funded by the Government of Finland, and this year involved students from seven countries across eastern Africa
While in Karura last year and this, the students learned how to establish vegetation plots and transects, and how to measure tree dimensions and canopy structure to derive estimates of biomass and carbon, leaf area index (LAI), fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation and canopy gap fraction.
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Using a fish-eye lens to...
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...measure Leaf Area Index
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What, you may wonder, are all those arcane parameters for? They are key data to determine the health of the forest, its productivity and its ability to sequester atmospheric carbon.
The group has been investigating ecosystem dynamics across a gradient of natural and human-modified landscapes. It aims to deliver results that have practical conservation implications on the impacts of climate change and land use on vegetation, biodiversity and ecosystem services.
The results were compared with satellite-derived imagery (map below) for the same region to help provide a tool for expanding the findings to wider areas.
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Enhanced Vegetation index, a satellite-derived measure of vegetation "greenness", a composite property of leaf chlorophyll, leaf area, canopy cover, and canopy architecture
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One result of immediate relevance to Karura management suggests that tracks and trails, especially the large ones, have a measurable impact on canopy structure. The canopy within 5m of a path was two-thirds less dense than 50m into the woodland. You can see the impact on the vegetation index map, such as along the Family Trail in the south or the straight line of Wangari Maathai Track in the north.
It's a warning against creating too many access paths in the forest. It's also a case for intensifying the replacement of invasive Lantana with indigenous species: many of the low vegetation index areas appear to be those where Lantana has taken hold.
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Rare Bird Activity
Rains Encourage Bird Courtship & Nesting
Six Hartlaub's Turaco's were seen cavorting for a week in the trees along the Gitathuru River below the Family Trail. Vocalising, wing-flashing, chasing and billing. Territorial displaying? Courting? Whatever... it was (with a nod to James Lipton) a tumult of Turacos.
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Wing Flashes of Hartlaub's Turaco
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The top set of photos shows wing-flashing. Since more of turaco movement through the canopy comprises scuttling along branches or dropping with wings folded to lower branches, such flashes really do look like displays: to impress mates or repel territorial interlopers.
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Turacos courting
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The bottom photos show pairs of turacos billing and cooing. These rarely-seen intimacies have all the hallmarks of courting or mutual reassurance of bonds after driving out territorial invaders.
Competing for airtime in the Gitathuru canopy no fewer than nine Silvery-Cheeked Hornbills were recently seen. In the previous Newsletter, there was a photo of two hornbills courting. In the image below, you can count seven birds, the three in the middle appear to be juveniles: compare the size of their casques to the two adults, one sitting on the branch on the lower left and the other flying away to the lower right. The nine could comprise two pairs of adults and five chicks of the season, perhaps all interacting on a territorial boundary. It was very noisy: a harangue of hornbills!
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Hornbills socialising
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FKF Annual General Meeting
Members Endorse Progress, Projects
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Damar & Leah of the Village Market receive certificate
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The FKF Annual General Meeting was held on 21 March at the Muthaiga Country Club. In celebration of 5 years of successful operation and significant results, a number of donors present were given Certificates of Appreciation. Donors and partners present included representatives from Barclays Bank Ltd, East African Breweries, Pelican Signs, Postel Yellow Pages, the Oshwal Development Relief Board and the Village Market.
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Cristina Boelcke-Croze, Charity Munyasaya, Alice Macaire & Chantal Mariotte cut the 5-year birthday cake. Sharad Rao looks on.
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Part of the Karura Team: Esther Kagweyi, Camille Wakesa, Karanja Njoroge, Lucy Njoka, Peter Njui, Chantal Mariotte, Cristina Boelcke-Croze, Alice Macaire, Charity Munyasaya, John Chege. Kneeling: Martin Ngaruyai, Harvey Croze
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The forest is a flywheel, a place of dynamic stability in the mayhem that defines our daily lives. The plants and animals go about their quiet business of moving earth's elements through their tissues, driven by the energy of the sun, flowing with liquid water through veins, leaf stems and languid streams.
Everyone is welcome to come and walk in the dappled sunlight of Karura, listen to the rush of water and the rustle of leaves in the wind or the start of a bushbuck.
Through your visits and quiet use of the forest, you have helped us insulate Karura from the noisiness and hustle of life in the city and the neighbourhoods. This is a gift you have given yourselves. Cherish it, support it.
Sincerely,
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The KFEET Centre (left) hosts a wedding event (right)
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Join the Friends of Karura Forest
Membership is open to all persons, organisations and corporations who support the FKF mission to protect, manage and enhance the Karura Forest Reserve.
Members enjoy reduced Annual Pass fees: click here to s ee the types of membership and view rates.
You can sign up at the KFEET (Karura Forest Environment Education Trust) Centre (the former BP-Shell Sports Club in the main forest), or stop by the FKF secretariat office in Muthaiga (address below).
Newsletter photos © Harvey Croze unless otherwise attributed.
KARURA FOREST - SECURE, SAFE, SERENE
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