Colobus Trust

Category: Habitat Restoration/Conservation, deforestation, volunteer | Date: May 22 2009 | By: colobus

The sacred forests on the Kenyan coast, so called Kayas, are under a big pressure from development. A lot of them have vanished or been largely reduced – like the rest of the forests around here - but some of them are still full of life, an oasis not only for our beloved black and white Colobus, but also for species like the bush-pig and the elephant shrew.

Kayas are on the UNESCO World Heritage list, not to mention that they host sacred places for ancient traditions amongst the people living in the forest. The Kayas are still managed in the traditional way by small groups of wise elders, making all decisions about the forest and its inhabitants, both human and non-human, what to hunt, where to cut trees and so on.  

But times are changing. New threats of development, like poaching, deforestation and privatization are tiring the elders, who are getting very old. Some of the remaining Kayas are being sold out due to lack of funds, and people from outside are beginning to look at the forests like a lucrative snaring-zone. National Museums of Kenya and WWF are already taking action, and a couple of days ago, a Youth-scout group calling themselves Mwakamba approached the Colobus Trust. They knew about our de-snaring and tree-planting programs and asked for assistance with their forest, the Kaya Diani. We arranged a day in the Kaya together with them, in an unusual attempt to work all together for the forest.

After loading our truck with tree-seedlings, tools, staff and volunteers, we took off from the main road and on to a bumpy dusty road headed towards the small village neighboring Kaya Diani. About 20 people, both men and women, awaited us in an open, sunny field enclosed by lush forest. After our staff member Peter held a short introduction, everybody started digging, whether they had a tool or not. Seedling after seedling was planted into the earth of the field, until the whole area was covered and all plants watered. Faces turned towards Peter again, who then explained what snares look like and how to discover them. He then instructed us to spread out and walk in a line, as we bent down and took our first steps into the green (and thorny) mass of Kaya Diani.     

It was surprising and very encouraging to see the dedication of this youth scout group. The forest cannot depend on foreign volunteers to survive as the elders slowly but safely pass their heritage to the next generation. It needs to be managed by the local community, which makes initiatives like Mwakamba invaluable. But neither the elders nor the Mwakamba scouts have the experience or the knowledge on development threats, such as poaching or privatization, like the Colobus Trust, NMK or WWF does, which makes us all a piece of the Kaya-puzzle. A productive day for everyone and a beginning of a future for Kaya Diani.

Filip Celander, Colobologist

Tags: de-snaring, Kayas, local community, tree-planting

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