Category: Travel

From my class window..

Posted in Nairobi environs, Travel2 Comments

Everyday after work I have to debate whether to go to my evening classes or just go home. But then again I remember my awesome classmates and the assignments and tests that i have to submit or present..

But one of the main reasons I go to class is because of these beautiful views from my class window. I get to watch birds flying by to their roosting sites, see the City, streets and best of all the sunset.

Here are some images of Nairobi at night…from my class window!

Well, I guess am going to class again tonight 😉

Birding at Ahero Rice Scheme, Kisumu

Posted in Biodiversity, Conservation, Environment, Travel4 Comments

In January I joined Lake Victoria Sunset Birders for their waterfowl census in Kisumu. Due to limited funds, we only visited one site-the Ahero Rice Scheme, which was just as great. The Rice Scheme is managed by the National Irrigation Board and has provided Kisumu residents with employment, income and food security.

The Rice scheme, which is normally filled with water, was dry but it had variety of interesting waterfowl…and non-waterfowl…and non-avifauna!! We recorded Sandpipers, Storks, Ibises, Ducks, Herons, Egrets, Geese, and Hamerkops… and as usual, I managed to get some few photos that am proud of 😉

The Ahero Rice Scheme fields

My group members scanning the fields

Sacred Ibis feeding on rice in the fields

The Open Billed Storks were special for me

When in doubt, a field guide book is always handy for consultation

A Great Egret looking for worms in the soggy fields

African Spoonbills

The Southern Red Bishops were stunning in their breeding plumages

The Jackson’s Forest Lizard spotted during a detour away from the fields

My awesome and fun birding buddies, The Lake Victoria Sunset Birders 🙂

Beauty of Mt. Kenya National Park

Posted in Biodiversity, Travel2 Comments

The Mount Kenya National Park boasts of diverse flora, fauna and breath-taking scenery. A recent mountaineering expedition to Mt. Kenya revealed some of its well-hidden and best-kept secrets.

Mt Kenya, which is one of the attraction in the park, is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second highest in Africa, after Mt Kilimanjaro and is located in central Kenya. It lies just south of the equator. The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian (5,199 metres (17,057 ft)), Nelion (5,188 metres (17,021 ft)) and Point Lenana (4,985 metres (16,355 ft)).

The flora and fauna in the park is like no other in the country. During our 5 day expedition we encountered insects like beetles, ladybugs, flies and the fierce safari ants decorated the paths; colourful birds catching insects and sipping nectar from flowers; and mammals like the striped mice, Rock Hyrax, which were larger than the rock hyraxes am used to and the mischievous Syke’s monkeys which played on the bamboo forests. We also came across tracks and signs that other wildlife left behind as they roamed the park. These included Elephant and buffalo dung. The landscapes were breath taking; the rivers, whose water remained ice-cold, flowed gracefully.

Below is a slideshow of some of the biodiversity and landscapes of the park.

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CWY-KENVO alumni reunion…

Posted in Community service, Travel, Youth activities and programsTagged , , , , 10 Comments

January and February 2011

Canada World Youth (CWY) is a national non-governmental organization that designs and delivers international educational programs for young adults. It was founded in 1971 by the late Senator Jacques Hébert (1923-2007), who was profoundly dedicated to youth and to greater intercultural understanding.

Kijabe Environment Volunteers (KENVO) is a non-profit making community-based organization formed by members from the local community living adjacent to the globally important Kikuyu Escarpment forests in Central Province, Kenya.

Recently, both current and past participants of the CWY-KENVO exchange program in Kenya have been actively involved in general activities that have been organized by the various organizations. The world is truly a small place. We have all come from afar, both geographically and culturally but through CWY we are all connected by a unique web of networks in various fields.

I recently participated in the African waterfowl census that was organized by the National Museums of Kenya. The waterfowl census is a bi-annual waterbirds and wetlands monitoring project in Kenya that has been taking place for the last ten years. It’s a collaboration project between the National Museums of Kenya, Kenya Wildlife Service and Nature Kenya and is coordinated worldwide by the Wetlands International. The National coordinator for Kenya is the Ornithology Section of the National Museums of Kenya and t covers major lakes and other wetlands in Kenya. I got to interact with both past and current CWY participants from two different groups (CWY Ottawa-Kimende and CWY Winnipeg-Kagwe).

CWY-KENVO alumni at waterfowl census in Lake Naivasha, Kenya-Steve Kamau (2006-2007), Douglas Price (2010-2011), Martha Nzisa (2008-2009), Laban Kamande (2010-2011), Jack Kiiru (2010-2011) and Shane Bureau (2010-2011)

On 29th January,  the CWY-Kimende group joined us for an environmental cleanup at the Nairobi Arboretum. The activity was organized by the Friends of Nairobi Arboretum and the Rotaract Club of Nairobi Central. Other youth groups from universities and other conservation organizations around Nairobi also participated. The CWY participants’ presence made a lot of impact in the activity, and they got to interact with other young people from Nairobi.

Douglas (CWY-Kimende 2010-2011) distributing garbage bags to other cleanup participants

CWY-Kimende 2010-2011 participants after Nairobi Arboretum environmental cleanup in January 2011

On 5th of February 2011, we had a similar activity, an environmental cleanup at the Nairobi City Park, which was organized by the Friends of Nairobi City Park. This time we hosted the CWY-Kagwe group and their enthusiasm and sense of volunteerism had a huge impact in the activity.

CWY-Kagwe 2010-2011 participants ready for Nairobi City Park cleanup in February 2011

A group photo of CWY-Kagwe 2010-2011 participants and other youth groups from around Nairobi-February 2011

The CWY exchange programs has made it possible for young people from all around the world to live and work in different communities in an active way, learning more about community, culture, conservation, wildlife and international development and gaining important professional skills for the future. I would like to thank the CWY-KENVO group coordinators and project supervisors for letting the groups take part and contribute in various activities in and away from their host communities.