February 2^nd is World Wetlands Day. This year on the Kenyan Coast it was celebrated on February 24^th and the Colobus Trust was invited. I went to the event in Shimoni with another volunteer to take in the festivities. Registration and the opening speeches began a little late but after this minor hiccup the rest of the day was a blast.

The theme was “Fish for Tomorrow”, highlighting the importance of sustainable fish resource management in coastal and wetland regions. As could be expected, the majority of the speeches were in Kiswahili and I missed some meaning but the message was clear. This coastal community is dedicated to maintaining fish habitat and ecology for future generations. This was abundantly clear when local schools did a performance competition consisting of theatrical plays, singing, dancing and group poetry. The passion of the students embodied the entire day.

Participants also did a beach and road clean up. It was amazing to witness how much can be done when a large group of people gets together and works towards a common goal, even for a short time.

At the end of the ceremonies and activities, members of the local Kenyan Wildlife Service took my fellow volunteer and me out for dinner with several other guests from the ceremony. We had a great meal and discussed conservation, global and local ecology and got to know each other a little better.

Thanks to the organizers of World Wetlands Day, Shimoni for having us and arranging such a great celebration of these incredibly important ecosystems.

Eric Neilson - Colobiologist

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