Eco tourism

Marine conservation and research

Watamu Marine Park and the larger Marine Reserve combined is one of the oldest Marine Protected Areas in the world, They have successfully protected the amazing coral reefs and seagrass beds found on this coast ever since. However, the Kenya Wildlife Service has highlighted the need for research in order to manage this incredible wildlife sanctuary in a dynamic and changing world. For example in 1998 coral across the Indian Ocean suffered a mass bleaching event, where unusually hot water overheated the coral and caused it to die. It is increasingly believed that bleaching events are a result of climate change and create a difficult management task of how to help the coral persist and recolonize when these extreme events occur. We will be looking into some of these issues and other conservation threats concerning the marine protected areas and joining together with the international community of coral conservationists, trying to find the best solutions for maintaining healthy reefs.

Educational Research

There are three main areas in which we focus our research currently: Biodiversity, Climate Change, and Fisheries/Poverty Alleviation. These three themes will focus our work into the future.

We started mainly by trying to understand the system in which we are working. This led us to mostly focus on research. We have continually collated and published some of the information we have collected and conducted a gap analysis on areas which might be the focus of our work in the coming years. We will especially look at listed species to determine appropriate activities to focus on these species. We will also continue monitoring these species and their associated habitats for adaptive management action.

An additional outcome of this above future analysis will be examining and proposing a Marine Community Conservation Programme, based upon an assessment of historical and our own research, threats to the systems, and our understanding of other successful models.

Kipepeo Butterfly project that promote nature and livelihood of the community

Kipepeo (Swahili language for butterfly) is a community-based enterprise that supports the livelihoods of people living around Arabuko Sokoke forest in coastal Kenya, East Africa; This provides opportunities to interested volunteers to participate in the conservation of a forest with high biodiversity and endemism. Kipepeo seeks to demonstrate the tangible link between conservation and livelihood.

Fostering an increased awareness & better understanding of the natural environment is one of the primary course of Kipepeo project, to achieve this goal the project extension work closely with teachers/students through its multi-faceted environmental education program

Since African butterfly is unique and attracts many clients in other countries, the project currently markets butterfly and moth pupae and other live insects as well as honey and silk cloth produced by the community. The live insects hatched from our pupae are exported and displayed in insect parks globally. As the market place for nature-based products from the Arabuko Sokoke forest, Kipepeo coordinates production, sales and ensures through training and monitoring that the insects are bred and raised on-farm in a sustainable manner from the wild parent stock. The purchase of Kipepeo products contributes directly to the conservation of critical natural heritage for future generations

Since the Kipepeo Project started in 1993 farmers collect the butterfly from the forest and breed them to sell the pupae which are exported to markets in the United States of America the United Kingdom and other European countries.

Community wildlife sanctuary to assist human - wildlife conflict

The community wildlife sanctuary is private owned sanctuary in Kenya it is located in Mwatate division of Taita Taveta County of Coast province of Kenya. It covers an area of 125,000 acres. The community wildlife sanctuary is adjacent to Tsavo west national park and Taita Hills Wildlife sanctuary and serves as a wildlife corridor between Tsavo West and Tsavo East national park.

It Hosts cape buffalo, elephant, Maasai lion, leopard, Giraffe, zebra, Impala, waterbuck Thomsons gazelle, dik-dik, and other small animals including a great diversity of birds life.

Community wildlife sanctuary to assist human in eradicating poaching

Volunteer activities

De-snaring

De- snaring is removing wire or snares or traps that poachers set across animal trucks to capture and kill wildlife. The poachers set the wire strategically with the aim of trapping the animals by the neck so as to suffocate it. This is a very cruel method as it is slow and agonizing death for an animal. For this reason ,we search for snares at poachers’ hot sport and remove them.

Bush Patrols

Daily game drives to the park with the help of sanctuary ranges volunteers makes bush patrols to monitor animals for their safety from poachers.

This patrols helps to identify any injured animal or orphan which can easily die for lack of treatment and tender care. Volunteers take records of such incidence and report the case to the Kenya Wildlife Service is in charge of all wildlife in Kenya. Guiding and giving talks to tourists

In the sanctuaries, we have two hotels and camp lodge in which tourist spends their holiday while viewing wildlife. Volunteer help in guiding the tourist to where animals have been spotted for example the big cats and to make sure the animals are not crowded by the tourist thus interfering with their freedom in their habitat.

Volunteers are also involved in giving talks to tourist on animal behaviors in their habitats and importance of conservation.

They also develop presentations on animal interactions during evening times in the hotels.

Research on Human-wildlife conflict

The wildlife especially the elephant do cross over the neighboring community farm and the outcome is massive destructions thus creating hostilities towards wildlife. Volunteers will be involved in researching sustainable solutions on this conflict and developing an alternative source of income for the community.

Community Outreach and Education

Wildlife goes hand in hand with tree planting, for animals to depends on trees for survival. The sanctuary we have indigenous seedlings to plant and to give to the community and thus for this reasons volunteers have a special visits to the community to talk about conservation and to plant trees.