The Milgis Trust

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..

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Category: Conservation Awareness, Education | Date: Nov 27 2008 | By: milgistrust

We were in Latakwen centre two days ago and the water project is going very well… Its a wonderful atmosphere, every one and his wife, from the old Granny’s and grampas, down to the sweet little children are helping to dig the trenches for the pipes, and to cover them.. Its alot of fun…Even the new headmaster of the primary school, in his suit, digging away!… After he had done his bit, he sidled up to me and said… ” Thank you Helen for what you are doing here in Latakwen, building a nursery school, and bringing drinking water to the town… We thought the Milgis Trust was just for conservation!!”… This was like a red rag to a bull!!!.Never say something like that to me!!…..” WHAT and you are the headmaster of the Latakwen school, and our neighbour “… I’m afraid this comes to me as a bit of a shock. And how many times do I have to say it!!..You and I are going to have a long discussion!!! The Milgis Trusts aim is to look after the forests in the mountains, the water that flows out of them, the wildlife, and the nomadic peoples way of life!! Where is every one going to live if nobody takes care of their environment…??? Unfortunately he had to leave, but we will prepare a big MILGIS TRUST programme for the Latakwen primary school!!

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Category: Matthews range | Date: Nov 25 2008 | By: milgistrust

If you haven’t read my last blog you won’t know why the title is what it is!… But this morning I woke up hoping ‘the star’ was going to be in the sky… But there was abit of cloud and also the Matthews range is quite high so maybe its up but not showing to us a Elkanto yet!…Anyway it is raining again in the mountains!!.. Unbelievable.. If it was for me to give you a weather report two days ago I would have definitely said no more rain…It was hazy, quite cool for here, and not a cloud in the sky..Any way we welcome the rain back.. The more the merrier around here…

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Category: Samburu | Date: Nov 24 2008 | By: milgistrust

An extraordinary sound to wake up to yesterday morning towards the east… A rumbling in the distance.. I asked a Samburu what it could possibly be? He Said .. yes he heard it and confirmed that it was the Vultures on Moile Rock “shaking their wings”.. Moile rock is probably about 100kms away towards the Kaisut Desert!!.. “Its probably going to rain again”…He said… We climbed up to the new radio hill, from which you can see for miles…there wasn’t a cloud in the sky yesterday! And its funny I heard another Samburu guy tell a man who was not from this area… ” don’t take the tarpaulin off the car, as the rains will be back”… the reply..” Ah the rains are finished”, and the Samburu guy said…” No ‘the star’ has not come up in the sky yet… So keep the tarpaulin on”!..I presume that star must be Mars…..or maybe mercury?? Lets see what happens… By the way there are lots of clouds to day!!

Talking of stars.. don’t forget to keep an eye on Jupiter and Venus in the evening sky… They are again getting very close to each other… Just a wonderful sight!!

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Category: Conservation Awareness, Eco-tourism, Education, Health, Lions, Livestock, Mt Kulal, Mt Nyiru, elephants | Date: Nov 19 2008 | By: milgistrust

As I’ve said before… Nomadic communities, to put up with living with wildlife has it trials and tribulations… There are numerous reports from the scouts of predators of all kinds killing the peoples goats, cows, and camels… Elephants break their wells, that have taken them hours to dig, they tear down trees, when we are telling every one not to cut them!!…etc… All those ” bad ” things that wild animals do!!!… So people need to see benefits, or they will not see the point in looking after them… We do camel safaris through out this area, and we pay camping and conservation fees to the communities, and lots of people get employment, but we are not big enough for every one to benefit…Other wise there is very little tourism in the area… Its maybe too remote…[suits me!] Anyway the Milgis Trust has many other projects… Schools, employing teachers, water development, we help with many health problems… It all seems to be happening at the moment…

The SOLAR PANELS ARE IN FINALLY!!…Justus O, Karen B, Nora L, Robert S, and Charlotte B…Thank you all of you from all the Elders, Women and Milgis Pre-School Students from Ilgwe Eldome for giving them water again… Nobody in this wild area ever in their wildest dreams thought that somebody could cut the frame and get away with 4 big solar panels… Although there was somebody looking after them he wasn’t too serious, they had no idea they were so valuable… To them they look like a piece of magic glass, that takes water out of a well and pumps it 4 kms up a hill… !! We are sure it must have been some visiting tradesmen who took them…This issue became a huge problem in the community… When Diane Terry from Private Journeys, came on safari in July they could not stand it either and pledged the money!! Thanks so much…But what a palaver getting them up there in their metal cast so that nobody can steal them again….. So we do apologise that it has taken so long…. The elders waited all day, while they were being installed so that they could put a spell on the panels, in there own way…We now have two serious watchmen!!…

The elders came to say a special prayer to stop the solar panels from ever being stolen again…

We are building TWO new class rooms, one in Latakwen, and one at the Milgis School… Plus a store for the MS and we have fenced the school, with live comifera trees…65 Women did it in one day… All thanks to TOTO TRUST UK….

This week the water will be in Latakwen…Thanks to the VOSS foundation… The community are digging the one and a half km trench from the well to the town, schools and dispensary… All residents of the area have been given there quota of digging… great team spirit… I don’t dare try to put more photos on this page…

Three children were picked up by aircraft yesterday!!… thanks to East African Air Charters, and MEAK [ Medical and Educational Aid] and taken to Nairobi… Two with heart problems, and the other was the girl who was shot through her mouth… Dee Belliere of MEAK has decided that she needed further care and took her to the amazing Bethany children’s hospital in Kijabe for further treatment… Today she is undergoing a big operation.. Thanks to all…

Lastly… But very important for Milgis every day operations..VHF BASE RADIO moves to a higher hill for better communications…We are moving the radio room to a hill that is almost 1000 feet higher than Elkanto, just across the Parsaloi Lugga…. We need better communications to our VHF Radios to the North, and the radio will be on all day and all night…All the materials are being carried up with manpower!, or camels if they can, fit them on… Water and food will be delivered once a week by camel… Thank you Shikar Safari Club Foundation..for helping.. especially in our endeavour to see the Elephants safely home to the Northern mountains…

Tyeing the makuti [ palm thatch] on the New radio house on Orok Onyuki hill…The North end of the Ndoto mountains in the distance…The view from this hill is fabulous… I want to be the radio operator!!….

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Category: Conservation Awareness, Errosion, Forest Fires, Grevy's Zebra, Mt Nyiru, Northern Frontier District, Overgrazing, elephants | Date: Nov 18 2008 | By: milgistrust

Every things happening up in the Milgis this month!! Usually a quiet sort of place…except when the wind blows!…

2 weeks ago, ‘The Landrover’ left for the Milgis Lugga, from our workshops at Naro Moru… We were very kindly given this series 2 landrover by Marika Beckman, who came on a camel safari in March..She decided this was the place for this beautiful old car to spend her last days… We picked her up in April, she was a wreck as she had done many Rhino Charges with Donna Hurt!!.. But after a thorough going over, in the workshop, and a paint job, shes out in the bush again… What a lovely vehicle, just so quiet compared to these modern cars and yet so much power.. She cruises up Elkanto hill in second gear!!..

We want to find out more of the probably 40 year history of this car, I’m sure its interesting!..But what we know is its already done alot for CONSERVATION!!… Immediately the land rover got to the Milgis, we organised an awareness campaign up in the north…Ten scouts went ahead by foot to gather every one for meetings, all round Mt Nyiru, and Ol Donyo Mara.. The manager and some of our “clever talking” scouts from the Matthews area, have gone to meet up them, so as to inform the communities about the inevitable return of the Elephants, what its like to live with them, and please to welcome them home… They also have lots more to tell the communities…. water for the wildlife, erosion issues, the result of too much stock, tree cutting, the value of wildlife, especially the Grevy zebra and how rare they are, ideas of how to protect there bomas [ thorn enclosure] against predators, killing the predator is not the answer!! Of course one one of the major topics is the burning of the forests…He has a small inverter, which will work off the Land rover battery and he has many pictures on his computer to show them …and a small film on how to live with predators..

Last but NOT least… Andrew thank you for your donation….Its greatly appreciated….Lots more news tomorrow

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Category: Milgis lugga | Date: Nov 17 2008 | By: milgistrust

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Category: Conservation Awareness, Education, Errosion, Grevy's Zebra, Livestock, Northern Frontier District, Overgrazing, Rendille, Samburu, Turkana, Water holes, elephants | Date: Nov 11 2008 | By: milgistrust

A REQUEST FOR

FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR A WILDLIFE WATER DEVELOPMENT PROJECT….

Project description

Following efforts from the scouts and the entire community within the Milgis ecosystem, we have observed a significant and rapid change in the behaviour and distribution of wildlife populations over the last few years. Overall, both wildlife and local communities appear to have become more relaxed and wildlife, especially elephants have been opening up old movement routes into the Matthews-Ndoto Ranges which they used historically. This has benefited local communities living near the mountains, providing them and their livestock access along these new elephant routes to areas in the mountains. Also the elephants are now feeling safe enough to probe the areas north of the Ndoto mountains, in the hope to go back to mounts Nyiru and Kulal.. where they were almost completely wiped out of during the tragic poaching of the 1970s and 80s..Those that were lucky enough to escape south, are the ones probing to go back… What they don’t know is that things have changed and human populations have increased dramatically, and the water sources are not where they were when they had to run for their lives…

As a result of the increasing presence and movement of wildlife under the protection of the community scouts within the area, the opportunity for conflict with people and livestock over water and pasture during the dry season presents itself. Conservation efforts now have to strike a critical balance: Wildlife and habitat conservation needs to be clearly understood, and the benefits need to be recognised.by the communities.. Our conservation efforts need now to be even more vigilant as a result of our success, which leads to an increase in demand for resources. One of the major sources of conflict in northern Kenya is over water, the resource is scarce in this region and the little that exists is needed by all.

In the northern frontier district, there are huge tracts of land that are unoccupied because of lack of water. Opening up such areas would ease the population in those currently occupied as the wildlife and even nomads would spread out and reduce the damage to the environment that is caused by over crowding. This will also ease over stretching of the available resources. Opportunities for accessing water to the communities living in the drier parts are enormous, there are numerous pans and dams that are no good, because of silting, while there are plenty of dry streams where flood waters during the rainy season can be harvested by developing new dams or Haffir tanks.

We are therefore requesting for support… A water project that will involve accessing water to communities and wildlife in northern Kenya… Some wildlife species like the Grevys’ zebra that are endemic to this region, are threatened by lack of water. The Trust will continue its security and monitoring operations which have been responsible for the encouraging change in the behaviour and distribution of wildlife in this region and in gradually building positive attitudes towards wildlife. This stability provides the platform from which the Trust can implement its other conservation activities which will ensure that for wildlife and natural resource protection to be sustainable there needs to be real development opportunities made available.This includes education, security, health care, livestock marketing and water development.

The specific objectives of this project are; De-silting pans and dams that are dry, and opening up new dams in arid areas. Creating water resource conservation, use and management awareness among the communities…

Benefits…

• Mitigating human wildlife conflict within the Milgis Trust area

  The Trust is dedicated to conserving the environment and wildlife in the long-term through the provision of real economic benefits to the communities…, To this end, the Trust is taking steps to make water accessible to the people to try and reduce situations that cause conflict with wildlife. By making water available to both the nomads and wildlife, opportunities for conflict will be reduced, and the communities will start to see wildlife as bringing benefits to them. This will strengthen our conservation efforts and the people will start to be more accommodating to the wildlife..

• Easing the elephants water problems, as the Umbrella species for all wildlife..

  ‘The Elephant’ is under pressure from fences and human populations to the south, so they are probing routes to go to places with less pressure.. The presence and movement of elephants within the area naturally increases the opportunity for conflict between people and livestock over water during the dry season..

• Especially easing the endangered Grevy Zebras plight of travelling huge distances to water …
• Accessing to water to communities, and solving overgrazing, and erosion …

  Through the Milgis Trust community scouts and the Manager, continued awareness creation on the importance of conserving the available water and other resources in sustaining human livelihoods is undertaken. Meetings are arranged… discussions take place on local conservation concerns with particular focus on water resource use issues especially during the dry season. The communities will be trained on catchments area protection, the relationship between the environmental destruction and water shortage among other conservation issues.

  Methods:

The Milgis Trust would do this by purchasing equipment to undertake this activity. Purchasing our own equipment will ensure sustainability of this project.

Project Impact:

As an established field presence, the Milgis Trust scouts have made a significant impact on improving security for wildlife and natural resources within the Milgis Ecosystem, in the three year time frame they have been operating… The role of the scouts has therefore been instrumental in maintaining the momentum of conservation and awareness activities across the region. Once this program is under way the following benefits are anticipated;

ü Reduced erosion due to congestion in areas where water is available, once water is made available to other areas the community will spread out.

ü Reduced human wildlife conflict over water resource use.

ü Improved human wildlife relationship and co-existence.

BELOW IS THE FINANCIAL NEEDS….

Tractor, ripper and Dam Scoop, and Back up pickup…

1 x SAME LASER TRACTOR 125 4wd ..

1 x 3.5 cubic meter Dam Scoop

1 x Ripper

offer 7 free services to our customers however depending on where this tractor will be located we will negotiate what we are willing to do for you as soon as we have further details.

Training: We offer full operator training for your operators and service maintenance training for your mechanics. The training is offered free of charge with only incidental costs of transport, food and accommodation etc being charged.

1 x 4wd pickup backup vehicle..

Extras… camping equipment…

Total costs to set up the Dam unit… …………………………………………….aprox Ksh 10,750,000/-

aprox….. US $ 150,000.

Operating costs per month… Fuel, maintenance, wages, and food… aprox Ksh 200,000/-

per year x 12 = Ksh 2,400000/= US $ 32000.

I am putting this on the Blog, because especially after this last drought, we have decided this is one way we can hopefully ease many of the problems… I am not expecting just any one to come up with this sort of cash!, but if anyone knows of any organisation that may beable to help…We really want to get this project going…As a independent mobile unit… Run By Pete Ilsley.. a Milgis Trust Trustee….

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Category: Milgis lugga, Northern Frontier District, Samburu | Date: Nov 08 2008 | By: milgistrust

When these big luggas come down in flood, the only way to describe it, is its like a Tsunami, ‘a wall of water’ but at least its got a river bed to follow… BUT it is very exciting to watch…In places these luggas are almost a kilometer wide, imagine the amount of water coming down… The roar is deafening, and quite frightening actually!! What does lugga mean…Its a seasonal river… Actually these big ones never dry up as there is always water flowing under the sand, all you need to do is dig a hole… sometimes quite deep, but then you have as much water as you like… which is why they are vital to the survival of this area… The SEIYA Lugga came down in full flood this morning… It was about 7 am, and I heard a sound like wind…, but the trees weren’t moving! I went out to inspect, and realised it was the lugga coming down… It was about 7 kms away!.. The Seiya is quite famous in Northern Kenya… Its described as the most dangerous lugga in Kenya… The Samburu say that its ‘ eaten ‘ many vehicles, people, livestock… elephants and lions… Vehicles.. because the drivers don’t realise how ‘mean’ it is, especially in the rainy season… they try and cross when the water is low, sink up to their axils in the soft sand, and the next flood takes them away… People… because the Samburu can’t swim, and they try and cross it when its too high! Animals have been known to be taken by surprise, or they too have sunk in the sand like the camel on the 29th oct., in the parsaloi lugga…Thats why I chose to live on a 600 feet hill, when I hear that roar, I’m ok now!!… But…many years ago we used to have our camp in the beautiful acacia tortilis, on the banks of the Seiya, at Sware… We asked the oldest man there if the lugga had ever been that high… not in his life time, he said!.. There was no driftwood signs, so it seemed correct… In 1997, during the el nino rains we joined the people who got ‘ eaten ‘ by that famous lugga…

Funnily enough the meaning of Seiya is so gentle… Its a kind of papyrus, and is very important to the Samburu.. They take the bulbous roots, Seiyai, and make a nice necklace out of them, or include just one in their beads.. and its a permenant perfume… When it heats up it smells of an earthy eucalyptus… It is vitally important to their circumcision ceremonies, and when you are going on a journey you shave a little off your necklace and blow them into the air… Then your safari should go well!!

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Category: Livestock, Northern Frontier District, Samburu, Turkana | Date: Nov 06 2008 | By: milgistrust

Its a lovely thought, that here we are out here in the heart of Samburuland, the Americans have just voted in these historic elections, if you turn on the radio, its the topic to talk about…In fact I’m sure every ones talking about it… And yet these guys are quietly getting on with their lives, talking about the rains, and which Lugga is crossable at the moment, and when will the cows come back home!..The lovely thought also, is one things for sure is they will probably suffer least in the credit crunch!!

This is not a conservation story, but its a story that shows how amazingly positive, and proud these Samburu people are.. A couple of days ago a very nice man, called Lesarge, pitched up to the hill to see me, he had an envelope full of papers to show me… This was the man who’s manyatta had been attacked in April, by Turkana raiders….. He was in fine form telling me of how things were going in the area, that has now moved to… Don’t blame him, because then he went on to tell the story of the night of the attack… He had gone shopping at the little centre called Masiketa, that was about 5 kms away from his home… As he was heading home at about 8 pm, his bag of maize meal, sugar, tea leaves in hand, for his family he heard some shooting in the direction of his manyatta… He hurried along but nothing prepared his mind for what he was going to find…The raiders had aimed all their bullets into his house… The Samburu live in very low temporary houses made of thin sticks tied together with bark, and skins and woven mats that go on the roof… His whole family were inside…His wife with her little tiny baby, 12 year old daughter, and his 5 year old son.. plus 3 warriors… His son was dead, his daughter had had her lower jaw shot off, his wife had been shot through the knee, and 1 warrior had been shot through the calf … And all his camels had been taken… Unbelievable.. A night mare to beat all.. He was happy this day because finally he had managed to get his daughter out of the hospital, in Nairobi…So now all that was left is to pay the bill… He wanted to discuss how ‘ we ‘ could do it… What I can’t understand is why hes got a bill at all.??.. I asked him how the girl is…He said ‘ shes OK, and shes happy to be home.. she can talk, but shes still got many problems with her throat, and she can’t eat of course, the hospital really tried, but they could do no more to help her…They were very kind and caring to my daughter.. They even rallied together, with some Samburu people in Nairobi, to help me pay for the massive bill of Ksh 450,000/- , I only owe Ksh 131000/- now… ONLY!!.. and hes lost all his camels… I asked him if any one had followed up on the camels, and he mentioned that the government had taken alot of camels from other Turkanas, but he could not take them because they were not his, and they were taken off Innocent people… He told me he will build his herd up the Samburu way, he will ask his friends to give generously!!… His only worry is his bill… We decided that each of us would try which ever way we could.. He was going to ask his friends for goats… And I was going to ask my friends for ‘ Goats ‘!!!….

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