The Milgis Trust

Category: Conservation Awareness, Forest Fires, Grevy's Zebra, Lions, Livestock, Mt Nyiru, Overgrazing, Samburu, elephants | Date: Dec 21 2008 | By: milgistrust

Before I start!… News on the cheetah cub is good, getting better… very playful…no more fits!!

This is written by the manager of the Milgis Trust… I like his traditional way of thinking… it may be quite long… but its interesting!!

Lately there has been a real increase in elephant’s movement to the north. For the first time in almost 30 years elephants visited Mpatpat area in the northern side of the Ndoto mountains, also keleswa to the west of the ndotos and are now permanently in Seren, Kasipo and Ura areas of the ndotos. A single elephant track was seen in the aparen area in the desert. He, the elders in the area said followed an old elephant route. This elephant could be a surveyor and could soon be leading others to this area. The north is now a strategically important region for the elephants as with the human population pressure and many fences being erected throughout Laikipia, the Elephants are beginning to feel safe in the north and are starting to “spread their wings”

It is because of this situation that our focus is on the north and a team of 9 scouts and the manager went for a 5 days awareness creation in the Ldonyo Mara area. The awareness involved community meetings, video shows and slides shows. The team conducted awareness in Tunguu, Arge, Kurungu, and Gorle and many informal stop overs in Keleswa, South Horr, Ngilai and Barsaloi.

All meetings started with a short traditional blessing, recited by one of the elders. The manager then introduced the Milgis team and the purpose of the meetings and started by telling the communities about the work Milgis Trust does, explaining why the conservation work is so important, and the communities that are trying will benefit from education, medical and water projects… The manager stressed that all these benefits are coming to the community because of wild animals. He then invited each of the scouts to talk about the animal he is named after. The approach is to talk about the animal, what it is like, and its importance in the Samburu community and its role in natural environment.

Elephants. Samburu.. Ltome . scouts name…Lentukunye.

He mentioned that elephants are the biggest land mammal. They can be friendly and will co-exist with human beings if not disturbed. He said they used to be almost everywhere within Samburu but were killed for ivory by the shiftas and the Lkishili generation of the Samburu, elders concurred on this and even pointed at places where some elephants were killed just near some of the meeting venues. He pointed out how important it is now to “welcome” them back in these areas.. They are under pressure in the south and they are starting to look for places where they can be safe, probing old routes and our predictions are that very soon they will be here in ldonyo mara, and Mt Nyiru.. We are here to announce their return so that you are prepared for them. He cautioned them that when the elephants return, please do not shout or shoot at them this makes them wild.. We have had reports from Ura that elephants are destroying trees. Of course they are a big animal and need food so they will break trees… thats their food…, but if they are not scared they do less damage…

Importance to the community; the manger asked the community what they know as the importance of elephants to their culture and the following were mentioned.

• When a Samburu marries the first fire is lite using elephant dung.
• Some families can not conduct circumcision ceremonies without a piece of ivory
• Elephants are useful in opening up routes in bushy areas
• Creation of water pans
• Seeds dispersal….

Lion, Lng’atuny—-Lolokuria

The lion is the king!! Please respect him!!…. Although we know the lion kills our livestock we need to take care of them, we must conserve wild animals so that the lion can find food in the bush. If you take your livestock into the bush, and you see predator tracks, or the birds warn you, then you are the one that needs to take precaution.. We need to avoid giving our livestock to very young children to look after, and at night we need to make proper fences around our homes to prevent them from getting in.

There used to be many lions in the old days but now there is serious reduction due to introduction of poisons, said an elder; though we use to kill lions with spears the impact was not as serious as the use of poison. We should stop using poison and report any person who uses it.

Importance to the community; one elder said though the lion is a killer to our livestock it is very important in our culture as follows

• No ritual can be conducted without a lion’s skin, be it marriage, or circumcision.
• If lions were not there wild animals would be too many and we would not get enough grass for our livestock.

Wild pig ,Lguiya…..Letura

The wild pig is similar to the warthog but according to the Samburu it is blessed, because of its colouring. This animal did not exist in many places but has been on the increase in the recent years and is now found in many places. There is no serious threat to him as the Samburu do not eat its meat. However destroying its habitat is a problem for any wild animal..

Importance to the community;

• The wild pig skin is used to make colours for cow’s bells.
• Its teeth are used as totems for certain families.

Grevys Zebra…Loibor kurum..Lenegwesi

This is one of the most endangered animals. Though the Samburu do not eat it’s meat loss or competition for essential resource is causing the deaths. This wild ass is endemic to the northern part of the country and the Samburu should be happy and feel lucky to have them within their area. The elders pointed out that they still have a lot of the grevys in the desert but they said the problem is water shortage.

Importance to the community;

• Early warning system. When the nomads do not see grevys where they are usually found they know something is not normal, either enemies or predators are there.
• Zebra hide is used as medicine for a certain cow disease caused by rats.

Gerenuk, Riko …..Lemagas

This is also a rare species. He asked how many people have never seen a gerenuk, the response was that all have seen but immediately said nowadays not so often. They said after the recruitment of a scout in the area there has been an increase and two months ago they came to feed on acacia pods near the villages. He said when he was young the elders use to say a prayer to NGAI that the herders, and travellers would stumble over an animal that has been killed by a predators. He says these days this is rare, and we must reverse this… He told them that should the gerenuk be extinct predators will be coming after the livestock.

• It is believed that if you keep a gerenuk with your goats you will become very wealthy.

The manager talked on general conservation in the area and asked the community to be serious on conservation as they are very lucky, they still have what the rest of the world does not have. They need to take conservation very seriously because the human population is increasing and very soon there will be no enough space to keep livestock in large numbers. He asked them to revert to their culture which was very rich in conservation education. Traditionally the Samburu have systems that ensure ecosystem balance. The Samburu have put in place taboos that prohibit the killing or eating of meat from certain wild animals and even cutting of certain trees. The elders in the meeting gave the following feed back on these taboos

Traditional conservation mechanisms of the Samburu

The Samburu community prohibits the killing and eating of meat from the following animals;

• All grey looking animals, donkeys, lesser kudu, wild pigs, elephants, rhinos, dikdik, hare, klipspringer, female ostrich
• All black animals and birds, male ostrich, wild dogs, crows,
• All gazelles with black patches on the sides, Thomson gazelles,
• It is a taboo for grown ups to kill a young animal that is still dependant on the parents or to kill a lactating animal. Usually young boys are allowed to kill them because it is known that they rarely succeed.

The manager cautioned that this culture is slowly eroding and is part of the cause for the disappearance of wild animals in the area.

He then browsed through the following areas which he said will be part of the video and slides shows.

Erosion…… Pastoralists are entirely dependant on the environment for survival. The livestock that they depend on for food entirely depend on the environment. Conserving the environment for the pastoralists is conserving their life. Destroying the vegetation is the major cause of soil erosion. Vegetation is destroyed in the following ways

• Over grazing…keeping too many livestock
• Careless cutting of trees— for fencing, for fodder
• Forest fires
• Human settlement-clearing land for farming.

Traditionally it is a taboo to completely cut or fell a tree, “in the old days if by mistake one cuts all branches of a tree a goat is slaughtered and fat is poured round that tree trunk”, said an elder. This culture is disappearing as sights of huge trees cut down are all over. It is important that we encourage these positive cultural practises. The main reason given for the destruction of the environment is livestock survival, the manager urged the community to start thinking of keep fewer livestock that have better value in terms of milk production and meat so that they can fetch better returns. He showed the community clips showing the effects of soil erosion in many parts of the district and warned that if they don’t take care their area will soon be affected too.

Fires…. The manager also talked about forest burning and the dangers that it causes to human survival. He gave examples of many places that used to have flowing rivers and now among the driest areas in the district. The elders gave further places and one elder of the Nkimaniki age group said when they were youths, about 1950s there was plenty of water everywhere unlike this days. The manager stressed that the main cause of water shortage is destruction of the catchments areas in the mountains especially by fires. He showed clips of fires destruction in the milgis lugga.

Human wildlife conflict……. In many incidents conflicts with predators is caused by human negligence or carelessness. Some of the circumstances that can lead to conflict are as follows;

• Poor/improper fencing
• Not taking precautions with livestock in dangerous places
• Using young children to look after livestock
• Leaving livestock to stray.

We desire to see a community that grazes their livestock with the wildlife together. In this way the community will start to benefit from both the livestock and the wildlife. The moment we start benefiting from wildlife then we will start to love them.

Conclusion…. The general feeling of the community was very positive and awareness on conservation is low but with very high expectations on immediate benefits of conservation. The leaders in the area were positive and already involved in the conservation effort through Lonjorin conservation group, which is in the early stages of forming a conservancy.

Our patrol trip to the sitan area of the desert was very good and there were many tracks of gazelles and grevy zebra in the lower muran area. This area needs another trip in the future especially Lonjorin area.

3 responses so far

Category: Cheetahs | Date: Dec 16 2008 | By: milgistrust

Oh but its already been through a lot, poor little thing… There was 5 cubs and this one couldn’t keep up with the family, and was found by some children, as I said before things are looking up!!… In the past they would have killed it, but attitudes are changing, and they picked it up and took it to there father, who killed a goat to feed it!!…. Incredible.. Then sent a runner to tell us to pick it up… The Manager went with a young lad on the motor bike, with a box, but the poor little cheetah, it must be about a month old, if it didn’t have the black tear lines, you would say its a honey badger…Which is a ferocious beast! Very clever trick of nature…She could not handle the box, so eventually they chucked the box and held the cheetah in their arms…Would have been a good picture! Then the next problem arrives… a puncture, not so far away from our new radio hill, which I have climbed up earlier in the day, I kept on asking myself, who’s idea was this!! it is 1600 feet above the Parsaloi Lugga… Anyway they decided they needed to get this little cheetah to me as soon as possible.. We had slaughtered a goat, to open the hill, and to have fresh meat for our new guest!… They left the bike, and started climbing the hill… It became impossible, it was too hot… It arrived a little desperate, and over heated… We settled it down, it was crying for its mother all the time, an incredibly loud squeak, … then it started getting fits, and falling to the ground, on its side.. too sad, and it wouldn’t eat at all… But this morning it is fine, and hungry.. In the after noon I walked back down back to Elkanto, with it in my arms, and kept it out of the sun, and kept it cool… Shes eaten well today… and we ALL want it to live… Shes soooo beautiful.. I am off on safari tomorrow, it breaks my heart to leave her, but I will leave her in good hands…

The radio is up and working brilliantly, each scout is asking whats going on, I can hear you so well!! .. This is exactly what we need… Our scouts are scattered over a big distance , and reception, up to now has not been the best… Good job done… Worth the climb after all… Not to mention the view of all views from the top, I slept on a rock, with my little black dog by my side… In fact I didn’t sleep, it would have been a waste of a beautiful night… plus ‘Ndoto’ was worried about the leopard!!

3 responses so far

Category: Cheetahs, Forest, Matthews range | Date: Dec 14 2008 | By: milgistrust

I am back in the Milgis… and firstly would like to thank you all of you…Especially to Karen P, Laurens H, and Anna M… So much thanks for the donations…greatly appreciated… We appreciate every penny, and also every one that gives us encouragement in words is invaluable… …

In the mean time Moses Lesoloyia has travelled back up to the Ngeng valley to try and meet up with ‘the now famous Luca’!! as we have heard that he is in the country… Moses will give us a report on his trip, but what I gather in a short conversation, that Luca was extremely apologetic on many issues, was very pleased to see our contingency of scouts, and has assured us that no more trees will be cut down.. This was our stance from the beginning…as “What has been done can not be undone.”.. In our opinion now that the trees are down/dead,/gone he may as well get on with his research…And hopefully give something BIG back to this area??…We will also be following up on various things like the plastic streamers, tags, in the forest… whether the research money will go to saving the Matthews forest or will disappear into the system, and any other issues that have come up through this saga…

Other sweet news to the Milgis Trust is a young cheetah was found lost and hungry at Rairariti, and what would have happened before … it would have been killed , but not this time… the old man has killed one of his goats to feed it, and he has asked us to come and collect it… Moses Lesoloyia, will leave early tomorrow morning to collect it.. Tomorrow we are going to take the radio, up to the new hill, and will slaughter a goat up there as there has been such politics about our radio moving there… Only because the new councillor thought there was big money for his pockets!! All is sorted out now, and our new found friend, the baby cheetah will start his new life on the radio hill!… Then we will have to think how best we can bring it up, so as not to let it get used to eating goats!!

Also in an other area a baby gerenuk was found, and it is doing well with two goat foster mothers… We are keeping a close eye on it but hopefully it can go back to his herd!, or it will think its a goat..

One response so far

Category: Forest, Forest Fires, Matthews range, Northern Frontier District | Date: Dec 07 2008 | By: milgistrust

Richard, Thank you for your support on this Matthews Saga… I am delighted that you have brought these valuable forests in Northern Kenya to the lime light… This whole thing with Luca managing to get a licence to cut a substantial count of fully grown indigenous trees for research, will funnily enough I hope, end up helping these forests, I’m not sure about the reason for cutting the trees for research??, BUT.. below is more from Luca to try and convince us…What is more exciting hopefully the Kenya forest service will show more interest in these forests… Instead of only taking money from them, IE this research permit, and camping fees up at Mt Nyiru, etc….Each time they come for fees, I ask what the forestry are doing about the forest fires, they can not answer… I even wrote to them to ask them, and have had no reply… A couple of comments from your blog, for the record… Re the size of the gaps made in the forest…either Samburu, do not know what a meter is, or Lucas meters are long…We will send somebody to check again!.. so the record is strait.. BUT to me this is not the issue… The issue is the fact in this day and age a researcher was able to get a licence to cut, live indigenous trees…After all that has been said and done in Kenya lately about cutting trees… I actually thought there was a total ban… The Matthews range is Samburu district!! And the amount he paid or promised to pay to the community about a month or so after they had evicted him, and after the forestry had suspended his research, because he had not agreed with the community, is in the region of 100000/- not 150000/-… Just for the record.. Any way your support on this issue is very very much appreciated, and Wildlife Direct is is an unbelievable help to conservation… Thank you for the idea and for setting it up.. .. salaams Helen..

Matthews peak, taken from the north…

Lucas Justifications….

Implicit in much conservation thinking is the idea that the activities of local human peoples are damaging to the environment. The direct consequence of this is that local people are often excluded from protected areas, sometimes with little regard for their rights, but also with little appreciation that - as any other species - humans might have a role in the balance of natural ecosystems. Let me clarify with an example: we all agree that lions have a key role in controlling herbivore populations in African savannas. When lions disappear, chances are that the entire ecosystem will suffer. Now, my question is: given that humans have lived in Africa for longer than anywhere else, why can’t we hypothesize that local peoples might have a key role in the preservation of African ecosystems - including forests? Are we sure that a forest without human impacts is by default better that a forest whose structure is partly affected by the activities of local peoples living in that area? I guess that we are not at all sure. Research is badly needed on this subject.

I studied local nomadic peoples and their effects on Afromontane forests for some years. Let me summarize a few key facts. First, forest area in the Mathews range is 26,300 ha. Assuming 1% yearly growth, this means that approximately 36,000 cubic meters of wood are produced each year in the forest.

My estimates suggest that about 10,000-20,000 trees are *dropped by local people in the Mathews range during drought years. In normal years it is less than half, about 3,000-6,000 trees.

On average, a tree in the Mathews range forest has a diameter of 9.8 cm and a height of 8.3m. These data are from 800 trees that I measured in the forest in 2006-2007. With these measurements, we can calculate that an average tree has a volume of 0.25 cubic meters, which means that even in drought years, local people drop less than 5,000 cubic meters of trees in the forest. This is much less that the average yearly natural growth. Of course, I have not considered forest fires (which, however, are much less frequent now than a few years ago), and my estimates are very rough, but a case can be made that after all, human use of forest resources in the Mathews range might still be within sustainability levels.

Ecological knowledge tells us that Afromontane forest canopies have a discontinuous, “gappy” structure. This is not the Amazon: trees here are comparatively small. In Afromontane forests, 10-30% of the area is actually made up by gaps in the canopy, whose diameter is on average 29 meters (n = 232 measures). More than 50% of these gaps show signs of human activities, therefore I hypothesize that humans have an important role in the creation of canopy gaps in Afromontane forests.

Forest gaps are also important for wildlife. Herbivores preferentially graze in the gaps. Endemic chameleon species might be gap-specialists, and bird diversity in a gap is approximately twice as much than in “undisturbed” forest.

Now, I am not jumping to the conclusion that we should conserve the Afromontane forest by dropping trees. Much more humbly, I am asking whether the activities of local human peoples might be important in the maintenance of forest species diversity. If that was true, then by managing these activities in the proper way, we will achieve a win-win outcome, in which local people could maintain their lifestyles and at the same time contribute to the conservation of species diversity. Wouldn’t this scenario be enticing?

This is the theoretical justification of my research; now let me describe the experimental settings. In my experiment, I selected 20 small plots within an “undisturbed” tract of the forest. For two years I studied ecosystems processes and structure before the creation of a gap. Then, last August, I (with the help of two friends) created gaps in ten of the survey plots. The remaining ten plots will be left undisturbed to provide experimental control. The ten artificial gaps are 24m diameter (i.e. 12m radius), that is, approximately similar to the “average” forest gap in an Afromontane forest.

Concerns were raised over the ecological impact of my “destruction”. Please consider that the total area of my artificial gaps is tiny - 0.45 ha in all in a forest that is 60,000 times larger. Also consider that gaps are natural components in this ecosystem, nothing alien is being introduced here.

If you are thinking that this could have been done in “natural” gaps without the need of dropping any trees, you are wrong. There is too much variation in size, shape and age within natural gaps. By using an experimental approach I have zeroed many sources of variation: all my gaps were created at the same time, they have the same size and shape. This will allow to record changes in ecosystem processes with a detail that has probably never been achieved before in tropical forest research.

Now let me conclude. Readers of this blog called me “idiotic” “inconsiderate”, and used words as “catastrophe”, “madness”, “destruction” etc. Some snubbed at the “findings” of my “research”. Those people might want to reconsider their judgment. I am a serious naturalist, I spent years working in this region and I think I am in my rights when I ask to be judged on the basis of truth and not rhetoric. Nothing in my research is a secret. Those who wish to come and see are welcome at any time.

With my best regards, Luca

Helens comments on your justifications… *The trees that the Samburu people cut down for there cows are usually pretty small.. Or they prune big ones… We are working hard on teaching them how to prune, so that next year, that same tree can help them…Don’t get me wrong, we don’t support any one cutting trees, but I do understand that people will tend to ‘destroy’ if there livelihood is on its last legs…

2 responses so far

Category: Forest, Livestock, Matthews range, Samburu | Date: Dec 05 2008 | By: milgistrust

The amount of time I’ve spent on my computer, due to this forest destruction in the beautiful Matthews forest, is ridiculous and sometimes one thinks… Its just a drop in the ocean, compared to some of the things that are happening.. But then I don’t sleep, thinking about it.. WHAT FOR?? WHY CUT THESE TREES?..Then who is this person who cut the trees, the university advisers, the person who gave out the permits, probably people who’ve never been to the northern mountains..which incredibly have managed to keep out of the charcoal problems, and logging..The main damage to these forests is fires, of which we’ve battled with, as you know, with very little support..Also when it is very dry, and there is trouble in the west with the Turkana, the nomads tend go up into the forests, and unfortunately, if there is no grass, tend to cut trees down to save there cows from starvation… But they do not win quite often, and when the rains come its quite often a disaster for the cow population… I know that Kenya has recently had a change in the forestry department, and we all hope its a good thing, but this permit being issued has really shocked us.. Any way… see below the MT manager, says he’s not going to be maligned.. He saw for himself and he did-not like what he saw…

Response from the Milgis Trust Manager…to comments made by Luca about his report!!

Luca…It is clear that you have done some damage to the forest, and you are now trying to reduce the magnitude of this destruction…

1. Plots size. I am certainly not the only one that came up with 50/60 meters diameter…To the best of my knowledge… Even the MP counted 50 steps to measure the size of the plots that were cut, and others that came in from Wamba.. I counted 56 long steps in one cut plot and 60 in one not cut but marked with tapes.But because of the damage to the trees around the plots, I felt that 60 is fair to say… Leadekei from KWS also visited the area and could also be asked to give his measurement. I think the photos show even that the areas are bigger that 24 m. diameter… Is this really the issue??.. What ever the size its not ‘on’, in this day and age….

2. Over 80% of the kitich forest is Lmargueet and destroying it alone is no excuse. Cutting indigenous forest is damage no matter what tree it is. .Every tree that was growing in those plots, was cut down, what ever kind of tree.. Luca should realise that all the cut trees are lying dead in the forest and should evidence be needed it is all there. Everybody who went there knows this.

3. In my opinion what luca says is his purpose of research does not match the activities of his research?. What does nomads way of life have to do with felling trees with power saws?. How does pollination or seeds dispersal relate to clearing of gaps in the forest?. Where will the birds he mentions in his notes live, if the trees are cut down…

4. To who did luca pay the research fees to and for what purpose and why after the community had chased him away?…. Luca you should be honest. You only came to the open and to get papers signed by the community after you were chased away, why didn’t you speak to the community before you started cutting trees down..

My comment today is… Luca you have replied to Anna, and told her that ‘remember people living in Northern Kenya are very poor’…Sorry but certainly the people living around the Matthews are not poor, compared to many many other areas in Africa, but they will be poor if their water flow, from the Matthews stops due to forest destruction..Also there are very few people living in these mountains permanently, so who are you going to evict… Yes the population increase in the world generally, is posing a threat to all mountains, and this is a very serious worry..

One more thing…If you have nothing to hide… Many people have asked me this same thing…Who were the other people involved, helping you cut the trees, and the way all the trunks have been cut into neat sized logs, and numbered.. What were you going to do with them… Finally please explain.. TO US ALL… IN AS SHORT AS YOU LIKE… WHY YOU CUT THESE GAPS IN THE FOREST… WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NEXT, IN THESE GAPS…BECAUSE SO FAR WE DON’T UNDERSTAND…

5 responses so far

Category: Forest, Forest Fires, Matthews range, Northern Frontier District | Date: Dec 04 2008 | By: milgistrust

Ok every one… Here’s more of an explanation?… and a contact… The University as you saw from the first two blogs, don’t seem to beable to give us any info, as per my emails to the Head of Dept., Mr Kay, and to his Thesis adviser…Henry Howe… Lucas contacts below…

From: “Luca Borghesio” <borghesio@gmail.com>
To: “Helen” <helendd@uuplus.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 10:31 AM
Subject: Re: Research in Kitich forest

> Dear Helen
> thanks to you too. So please let’s decide when we can meet so that we can
> talk. Of course I propose that talk means discussing, so I hope that in
> our meeting you will at least give me a chance to convince you.
> You said you have waited almost three months and tried a few channels to
> contact me. This is good because this inconveniences would have been
> avoided had we talked form the beginning. However, you could have found me
> very easily, by just typing “Luca Borghesio” on google - in this way you
> can get more information on me, my full contact details as well as
> descriptions of some of the other projects on which I am working in
> Africa.
> You and I are working on the same things, simply we have two different
> approaches to conservation. You perhaps believe that conservation means to
> remove human impacts from natural ecosystems. My point is instead that
> there is no such thing as a “natural ecosystem” as all ecosystems
> (especially in Africa have been modified and reshaped by humans for
> thousands of years). In my opinion, conservation means management of
> natural resources, including sustainable use, which is an essential point
> in a country like Kenya where 80% of energy resources are provided by
> fuelwood.
> Finally, I would ask you why not rewriting a bit you postings on Wildlife
> Direct. I wrote you and I repeat that much of what you wrote is plainly
> wrong. My plots are 12m radius, not 30m , I have no problem with maths.
> And “money talks” is simply an insinuation that is not appropriate to
> describe a honest person, as I am. I have proofs for what I am saying and
> you are welcome to visit my study area at any time to learn more about my
> research.

Readers… please take note of the above..

4/12/08 14.30…Luca, Thanks for this and I will post it on wildlife direct, so that all
the other people that need convincing can read… Alot of people have been
in contact with me about this… It is not just Milgis Trust… Soo I hope
you can convince us all…
I have been walking in and around the Matthews for 23 years… And
before then we used to go to the area above Kittich often, after Mills
Burton died and when they started Kittich camp up again…
Up in the Milgis we have very limited satelite internet, and I did
actually write an email to you, Ian Craig gave me your address… he was
the first person I contacted when this all started…which you didn’t
answer, I also sent a letter to Ngelai, which was mean’t to be given to
you…And several messages, via radio… Maybe you could have contacted
us.??.. You know we exist.. Maybe because of your contact with Julio, you
shrug, us off, but actually we are very serious, in trying to stop any
destruction in these northern forests, and I am happy to say, the fires are
much less these days esp. in the Matthews……Actually it was the fire
problems in the Matthews that sparked the Milgis Trust off… Many years
ago, we did a walk across the mountains from the north, into the Ngeng
valley, and we walked though a big area that had just been destroyed by a
fire… I decided on this walk that, something had to be done to stop this,
we started the ball rolling, and the’ Milgis Trust’ was formed..
Any way… The fact is that tree cutting in the Matthews by a
responsible person like you has left alot of people shocked, and saddened,
because this place before Julio took over the camp, and stopped people
camping, was visited by many people, and it is fairly well known…I used to
start all my camel safaris in the area just above Kittich camp…In fact I
spent many weeks up there…
I understand that people think in different ways as far as conservation
is concerned, and I am not the person to stop your research, or argue with
you…I just don’t want to see any more trees being cut down, in the
Matthews forest.. And with what is already cut down, I feel that is quite
enough.. If money doesn’t talk then why have the community who stopped you
cutting trees, agreed to you cutting more down…I hope you can finish your
research, and give us some interesting facts!!.. What comes to my mind is
… There is not a fire wood problem up there in the north, except where
people are beginning to settle in one area, ie Ngelai, Wamba, I would hate
to think that they would resort to going into the forests to find fire
wood??..Julio would love that!! Or are you going to come up with a better
idea…
I am away for a few days and will be back at the Milgis from the 14th
December… Where are you based??.. salaams Helen

5 responses so far

Category: Forest | Date: Dec 03 2008 | By: milgistrust

Trying again…

No responses yet

Category: Forest, Matthews range | Date: Dec 03 2008 | By: milgistrust

Unbelievably the researcher managed to cut trees down in 9 different places before the community discovered what was going on and went in to the Ngeng valley and chased them out… They were extremely angry… But the researcher has been back and has paid/has promised to pay the community money so that he can continue… Quite honestly I am disappointed with the community after all the good they did to stop the tree felling… Does this look like 12 meters radius… I think we both have a problem with Maths!! or meters..

Thank you for your notes about Ls research in the Mathews
Range. As Ls doctoral adviser, Head of dept., has asked me to respond.

Please note the attached letter, which indicates the approval process that
Ls pursued in Kenya. US law prohibits discussing details of student
records or activities without explicit permission, so feel free to contact
him directly.. Thank you for your concern… I have already tried this as per below…and the approval process letter did not come through..

Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 3:57 PM

Dear L, Please could you get in touch with me or the manager of the Milgis Trust, re the forest destruction in the Ngeng valley above Kittich camp… We are VERY CONCERNED… yours Helen and Moses Lesoloyia milgistrust@uuplus.com

Dear Mr H, Thanks for getting back to me… We are extremely concerned
> about the damage that has been done in the Matthews forest, in the name of
> research… think of it this way… 60 meters x 60 meters x 9 = 32400 meters
> squared of valuable forest has been cut down and he wants to cut more…
> …yes we know that Luca has the permits from the government… We’ve been
> through all this… Lots of money has passed hands, yes we know… But tell
> me what research through your university could possibly sanction tree
> cutting of such hugeness, in a remote pristine forest forest like this… I
> just don’t understand what you are thinking…
> All you need to do is look at the news and see whats happening in
> Africa, these government officials are willing to let any thing be
> destroyed if money is being offered..If the government were serious about
> looking after the environment we would not need to set up the Milgis Trust!
> Please please can we ask you to look into the reasons that more forest
> has to be cut down, surely what he has done is enough… These mountains are
> very very important to the arid areas around, and tree cutting in the name
> of research is embarrassing… all the best Helen

What is the motive here?.. These trunks cut into these sizes…

It really would be wise to contact L. directly - I am not at liberty to discuss details of his
work, by law, but he can. Your estimates of what he is cutting and what he
intends to cut are not accurate.

Thank you for your concern.

> Ok Sorry…if the area is 60 diameter its 2826 x 9 cleared so far its 25434
> square meters
> or lets give you the benefit of doubt.. [ a second report from another conservation group estimated each area was 50 meter Diameter]
> 50 diameter its 1963 x 9 cleared 17667
> square meters??
> I do apologise… Have I got it right now??
> let me put some pictures on wildlife direct blog for you to see thats
> its not just a maths problem I have!!
> I don’t think I have to say it again, as I’ve probably gone on but the
> damage in this beautiful pristine forest in the name of research is abit
> like the Japanese sending a ship off, with research written along the side,
> to kill whales for the Japanese people to eat!!…
> The only thing we want to know after all that I have mentioned in my
> emails before is … Is the University of Illinois at Chicago happy to know
> that indigenous trees in Kenya are being cut down… So many of us in Kenya
> are trying to stop the terrible destruction in all the forests….It is
> completely out of control throughout the country, and rivers are drying
> up… And you just seem so casual about it… Why doesn’t this guy stay in
> America, and cut trees down around the University or next to your home!!…
> Hes even got lots of money to give you….. Why does he need to do it here,
> is it cheaper??
> We are happy for you to send all this correspondence to L.. Thats
> fine by us..
> I was born and brought up in this country, and Kenyas biggest problem
> is trees being cut down at a uncountable rate, and L is adding to those
> numbers in the name of research… I can assure I’m not the only one that is
> unhappy.. H
>

FINALLY below is an email I received yesterday, from the researcher… I have sent it to the Manager for comment on the size, etc if this is correct I apologise, although I have seen two different reports saying larger…but this in my case is not the problem… it is the sheer fact that he was able to cut indigenous trees in the Matthews for research… I hope somebody can make out what the research is!!… I am confused…

Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2008 4:32 PM
Subject: Research in Kitich forest
Dear Mrs Dufresne
>
> I am L, the researcher who works in Kitich forest. I am
> writing to inform you about the purpose of my research.
>
> There was much confusion in the last weeks and lots of inaccurate things
> were said on my work Mathews range forest. I suggest that we should get in
> touch and exchange information between us to rectify those inaccuracies.
> Nothing in my activities is secret. As a researcher who specialises on
> conservation biology in tropical Africa - with more than 15 years of
> experience in the forests of Kenya - I would like the results of my work
> to find an application to conservation in practise, and it is saddening to
> see that the purpose of my research has so grossly been misunderstood.
>
> I am a forest ecologist, and I am aware of the conservation status of
> African forests - many of my past studies actually denounced the
> destruction of natural forests in Africa. However, in a country like
> Kenya, where 80% of the nation energy requirements are provided by wood,
> forest conservation must accommodate sustainable uses of natural resources
> by local peoples. My past research in northern Kenya suggests that nomadic
> people do not only have destructive impacts on forest biodiversity.
> Perhaps counterintuitively, I suspect that numerous species of animal and
> plants could actually benefit from the habitat diversity that is generated
> by activities of nomadic pastoralists in the forest. Of course, these
> activities should be properly managed and their effects carefully studied
> and understood.
>
> The primary purpose of my current research is to go a step beyond
> denouncing forest destruction. I am trying to find practical solutions,
> and I hypothesize that the traditional activities of local people can
> have a positive role in forest conservation. This same realization is
> beginning to materialize in many protected areas throughout Africa. For
> instance, Lewa recently started a community livestock grazing programme,
> acknowledging that carefully planned grazing can benefit both people and
> conservation (see: http://www.lewa.org/livestock-grazing.php). What I am
> trying to understand is whether something similar could be done even in
> forest habitats. My research is not wanton destruction but an attempt to
> understand if it possible to help local peoples to maintain their
> lifestyle and at the same time conserve biodiversity. In this purpose, I
> would like you and I to be partners, not enemies.
>
> I really look forward to hearing from you, and hopefully to meeting you
> soon. If we meet, I am sure you will quickly understand how I am in the
> reality.
>
> As a final note, I wish to rectify some of the inaccuracies found in Mr
> Lesoloya’s report.
>
> 1) the area affected by my research is tiny: I opened only 10 small forest
> gaps, each one of 12m radius (not 60m). The total area affected is
> therefore 4521 square meters - about an acre - in a forest of 300 sq km
> (the size of Mombasa town)
> 2) the selection of the site was done in order to minimize all types of
> impacts. There are no huge trees in my experimental gaps, no Piripirinti
> (Podocarpus falcatus), no Lporinga (Cordia africana). The largest trees in
> the site are Lmargueet (Croton africanus), most of which are already dying
> due to a fungal infection.
> 3) I live on a small university fellowship, and have no way whatsoever to
> produce large amounts of money. What I paid are simply the research fees
> that all researchers are required to pay when they work in Kenya or other
> African countries.
>
> With my best regards, L
>
>Dear L, Thanks for this email below, and the one this morning……Why
don’t you explain to the people reading the blog, what you are
doing…Actually I could put your letter on the blog… As you know I
have waited almost 3 months, since the community came into your camp to
evict you, before I decided the time was right, having tried a few channels
to contact you, find out from the forestry, UNEP, and through the University
to find out what is going on… You should know better if its true that you
have worked in the forests of Kenya for 15 years that cutting trees down in
an indigenous forest especially in the Matthews is not going to go down well
here.. As I have said to your head of dept, and your thesis adviser, there
are many people concerned about this tree cutting in the Matthews, not just
Milgis Trust…
I am happy to meet with you and to hear what you have to say, but on one
condition that no more trees are cut down in the Matthews… Unfortunately
the damage has been done… ‘what is done cannot be undone’ , but did you
the ‘forest lover’ not feel a ping of sadness, or have a conscious that
cutting these beautiful trees down is going to come back on you?? Quite
honestly I find it very difficult to believe that doing this damage to the
forest is going to help the communities live a better life, and isn’t it
just going to encourage them to cut trees, if you a foreigner can do it..,
maybe they will try!!?? yours Helen

2 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Dec 02 2008 | By: milgistrust

Money talks!!….

One response so far

Category: Conservation Awareness, De-brazza Monkeys, Forest, Matthews range | Date: Dec 02 2008 | By: milgistrust

Reminds me of the kind of research the Japanese are doing on the whales!! Unbelievable that this researcher managed to get permission from the forestry dept. in a time when it is almost impossible to get any kind of permit in Kenya to cut trees, let alone in a protected forest……Whats worse is a university in America is sanctioning this research which involves cutting indigenous trees down in the Matthews forest…This all seems to me very strange… We have been in touch, with people in U.N.E.P., Division of early warning and assessment,who in turn contacted the Kenya forest service, who temporarily stopped the research!!, well the trees have already been cut!,and also with the head of department and his thesis adviser from the University…Below is some of the correspondence…

To Department of Biological Sciences..University of Illinois at Chicago..

Dear Sirs,

We are writing to you to bring your attention to Research work, being done by a student of yours in the Matthews range, Northern Kenya, which entails cutting alot of indigenous trees.. We would like to know if the university knows about it and if you sanction this destructive exercise…

We are writing from the Milgis Trust… www.milgistrustkenya.com Below is our Managers report on the issue, after he visited the sites, he also met with the community and tried to gather what ever information he could……

DESTRUCTION REPORT 3/9/08

Overview

Plots cleared -9 and 11 more marked for clearing

Plots size approximate -60 m. diameter,

aprox no of trees cut down-234

Site visit

On visiting the site we saw the magnitude of the damage caused. Huge trees were felled and from the way the logs were cut it seemed there was some preparation for selling the logs. Majority were cut to similar sizes 2-3 feet long and arranged according to lengths. Some logs had numbers written on them.

Hundreds of plastic bands used for marking plots boundaries were all over the forest. This poses a danger to the wildlife in the area, who could feed on the bands.

Lots of painted pieces of wood used as pegs are also scattered all over the forest. This is a serious pollutant to the area and could cause contamination of the Ngeny river water once washed down stream when it rains. This also poses a danger to the users of the river water.

Our concern/worry

Matthews forest is one of the few remaining pristine forests in

, where human activities have not extended its destructive hand. This forest is the source of
the only permanent river in the area. Allowing such magnitude of destruction in the name of “research” poses a great danger to the survival of the communities that depend on it for water and to the wildlife that lives in the area, also rare species like the Debrazza monkeys. Also there are huge areas that have been burnt over the last few years, if he needs areas with out trees he could use these…

Moses Lesoloyia …Manager Milgis Trust

9/11/08 Thank you for your email. Over the next few days, I will talk to his thesis adviser, as well as other faculty on his thesis committee, about his research project and get back to you shortly. Head of dept..

To..Head of dept, I am a little disappointed that we haven’t heard a word from any one from the university, on what is going on with this research in the Matthews range… This is now becoming a huge issue in Kenya, it has been brought up in parliament, and we are wondering why so many trees have to be cut down for research…There are hundreds of Americans supporting the Milgis trust, and other conservation projects to save these mountains, and there is an American university seemingly quite happy to let this go on… We are incredibly disappointed…Please get back to me what is going on and what this research is all about…

Dear Ms. Helen Douglas-Dufresne,

Thanks for the email. Since your first email of November 8th, and my reply, I have met twice with the researchers thesis adviser and one member of his thesis committee. The researchers adviser is in the process of writing a letter and has promised he would reply to you shortly.

Sincerely yours,

Sent: Monday, November 24, 2008 10:12 AM

Subject: Re: Matthews research

Thank you again for your reassuring reply… We are sorry about this.. But we are genuinely concerned, about this situation… Nobody can understand why L. needs to cut some of them huge trees down, and clear big patches of forest, for research in this day and age where ALL forests in Africa are threatened…There has been massive fires in the Matthews mountains over the years if he needs places where there are no trees can’t he go and find these areas… What on earth is he studying??…Its actually an embarrassment … We are working really hard to save these forests, and this guy comes and does this…Hundreds of thousands of Nomadic people, and wildlife, rely on the water that flows out of these forests…the Nugent being one of the most important rivers flowing out of the Matthews…

There seems to have been large amounts of money available and or handed out to various people… Really and truly what is the motive.?.. yours Helen

To be continued tomorrow… with more correspondence from the thesis adviser..and more photos..

5 responses so far