Mount Kenya Trust News Updates
MOUNTAIN DISPATCHES:
April to June 2019
COMMUNITY RANGERS

Our rangers were back fighting fires in April after another blaze, started in the Sirimon Area, spread rapidly. Coordination was set up at Nanyuki Civil Airstrip again, while the operations command centre was based further north at Sirimon.

The fires were fought by aircraft, the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Kenya Forest Service, and Mount Kenya Trust rangers, and the communities over the course of two weeks. It is rare for fires to continue to wreak havoc into the month of April but with late rains, the mountain was again at risk.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of the local, national and international community, we were able to continue supporting the air and ground crew.

We are delighted to announce that with additional funds raised earlier this year, and the former members of the Nairobi Sailing and Sub Aqua Club in particular, we are planning to train a 60 man strong elite fire fighting team to tackle future fires. We will keep you posted.

Our teams continue to patrol the areas around their bases and carry out mobile patrols in charcoal burning and bushmeat hotspots. Thanks to tip-offs from the local community, some homesteads are also checked for charcoal kilns. Forest kilns are much more likely to be found so charcoal traders continue to log in the forest, transport the hardwood and build the kilns to produce charcoal outside of the Reserve.
Top: The Imenti Patrol Team begins a fence line patrol along the edge of the Lower Imenti Forest Reserve. This section of the Reserve has been compromised by years of degradation. With the new Mount Kenya Fence in place, MKT and its partners are focusing on reducing human-elephant conflict and forest rehabilitation.

Middle left: Charcoal kilns made with hardwood logged in the forest are found around some homesteads.
Middle right: Brand new boots were distributed to all the MKT rangers thanks to supporting from the Minara Foundation.
Bottom left: Solatek donated lights and panels to our ranger teams
Bottom right: Team building at the Naro Moru River Lodge Challenge Course.
Rangers working in unison with the Tropic Air pilots to put out fires in April, we are sincerely grateful to everyone for contributing to the fire fighting efforts.
Film by Routes, Kenya
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On June 5th we marked World Environment Day with a tree planting exercise at Kangaita and litter collection in the Marania Forest area. We were joined by the KFS Forest managers from Ontulili and Marania Forest Stations, KWS rangers, KFS rangers and a team from Riding High from Marania Farm!
A film by Alice Nyakio Owen
A TRIBUTE TO MOUNT KENYA:
UK LAUNCH EVENT

To mark the first event for our registered Charity in the UK, our Trustees hosted an event for us in London on the 16th of May. Trustee Alice Nyakio Owen premiered her film at the event, and presentations were given by Trustee Hugh Sloane and three members of the Kenya Team: Executive Director Susie Weeks, our Community Health Care Programme Manager Delphin Mukira and our Senior Community Wildlife Officer Edwin Kinyanjui.

We were honoured to have Mike Rose from Fauna and Fauna International give a round-up of the importance of Mount Kenya for Kenya and Internationally as a World Heritage Site.
COMMUNITIES

The 10to4 appeal for a young schoolboy, Charles, who attends Naro Moru Primary School was launched earlier in the year. Charles wanted to enter the 10to4 and needed a bike and his camping fees. Supporters were so generous that we were able to let his brother enter and buy textbooks needed for their school. A huge boost for all the students!
HEALTHCARE AND OUR SCHOOL WOODLOT PROJECTS

Our Community Health Service Outreaches continue into Tharaka Nithi and Meru counties. See the map below. Moving from strength to strength, the project has been expanding into more counties and reaching more patients each quarter. The number of mobilisers has doubled and our coverage is slowly moving around the entire boundary of Mt Kenya.

Check ups on woodlots are showing great success with many schools now coppicing their seedlings and trees reaching above head height. These woodlots will be used for firewood and timber, generating income for the school and encouraging children to plant trees in their own family shambas.
Top: Community Health Service outreach locations between April and June.
Left: Registering a community member for health services in Tharaka Nithi
Right: The casurinawoodlot at Ngushishi Primary School.
THE MOUNT KENYA CORRIDOR

Two fence breaking elephants, known as Melo and Nausi are living on the edge. By regularly breaking out of the corridor, they risk being darted and moved, or worse. We’re reducing the risk they pose to themselves and people outside the corridor by beefing up the corridor fence with an inner fence with outriggers. Keep on the straight and narrow guys and we will all get on!

The funding for the inner fence at particular hotspots comes from our regular supporters the Elephant Cooperation. The construction of the new fence is now almost complete.
Top: Nayusi leaves the corridor after breaking the fence.
Right: A completed section of ‘short’ elephant fencing beside the main game fence.
Left: Our contractors are getting the job done swiftly.

We’ve launched our new website. Dive in and take a tour!
In Loving Memory of Peter Clayton

On the 5th of June, we planted a fig tree seeding in memory of our great friend of conservation Peter Clayton. Peter joined Born Free Foundation and Mount Kenya Trust many years ago on a joint de-snaring and education trip to Mount Kenya. He never forgot it and we all remained close friends. Tragically Peter passed away last year. We have planted the tree to remember him by. He was life long supporter of Born Free and a friend of the Trust. Soar with the angels Peter.
Top: Peter with the Born Free, Kenya Wildlife Service and Mount Kenya Crew in 2002.
Above Left: Planting the fig tree.
Above right: Humphrey, Edwin and close friend Winnie Kirru take a moment to remember our friend.
CORRECTION. In our June monthly report the caption for this picture read ‘The MKT fence Team’ below this photo. The photo is of participants from the Mount Kenya Comprehensive Fence Project Technical Committee from Rhino Ark, KFS, KFS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Batian Level Donors ($50,000+)
Minara Foundation, CHASE Africa, International Tree Foundation, The US Fish and Wildlife Service, Friends of the Nairobi Sailing and Sub Aqua Club, Friends of Environment Conservation Trust, African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Eden Wildlife Trust.

Nelion Level Donors ($25,000+)
Timaflor, Tropic Air, Tusk Trust via the Safaricom Marathon, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Hugh Sloane, Zurich Zoo, Disney: Reverse the Decline, World Conservation Society, Rapid Response Facility.

Lenana Level ($10,000+)
European Outdoor Conservation Association, Thin Green Line Foundation, Elephant Cooperation, BATUK, International Elephant Foundation, The Featherbys, Anonymous, Safarilink, Dormans, Tusk Trust.

Coryndon Level (<$10,000 & in kind)
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, The Rufford Foundation, Bunson Travel, Gill Tree, Nick Hornby, Humphrey Carey, The Grasshopper Club, Cookswell Jikos, Mountain Club of Kenya, Kisima Farm,
Marania Farm, Ol Donyo Farm, Steve Strong, Friends of Africa International

Thank you to everyone for visiting our tree nursery at Turaco Farm.

Our partners: We wouldn’t be able to keep up the good work without our most important supporting & operational partners. These include
The Kenya Wildlife Service, The Kenya Forest Service, Rhino Ark, Kisima Farm, Marania Farm, Tropic Air, The Woodcock Family, Greystones Development Company, Borana Conservancy, African Ascents and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

Special thanks to Anne Tissier for her time and support.
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ATCNews: 

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome is the founder and publisher of ATCNews, Eastern Africa’s leading aviation, tourism and conservation news blog of its kind. Wolfgang has over 48 years of experience in the tourism, aviation and conservation fields in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, covering all aspects of safari-, hotel- and air-operations. 

The Managing Editor of ATCNews is Mrs. Esther C. Goossens.

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