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All About Trees; A Day In The Life Of A Carbon Sampler
By Jane Okoth Do you know how the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project generates its carbon credits? Essential to the process is Wildlife Works’ Carbon Sampling Department, who play a vital role in calculating the amount of carbon stocks that are stored in the forest across the project area. This week, we are profiling Joshua Kitiro, the Head of the Carbon Sampling team, a department comprising of eight team members. “Carbon sampling is about measuring trees to calculate the amount of carbon stored in them. Different trees have different amount of carbon in them depending on their species, structure, and age,” he says. The team works with Jeremy Freund, the Vice…
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Kasaine Fences; A Solution to Human-Wildlife Conflict?
By Jane Okoth They may be the most fascinating and intelligent mammals, but in some areas of rural Kenya, elephants pose a major threat to farmers because of their crop-raiding behavior. Human-wildlife conflict occurs frequently in dryland areas with a large wildlife population and the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project in Kenya is no exception. Joseph Mutua, a small-scale farmer residing in Ngambenyi, which is part of the project area, has been a victim of seasonal crop-raiding for many years. Three days prior to our visit, an adult male elephant had visited his farm and ravaged his pawpaw trees. “It was around 1 am but lucky enough my dog raised an…
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Wildlife Works Personality Profile; Meet Paul Mwachari Kombo
By Jane Okoth The Wildlife Works’ organic greenhouse is one of our many sustainable projects at the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project in Kenya. On a typical day, the greenhouse team of 24 people are tending to indigenous seedlings, grafting fruit trees, and focusing on agricultural intensification. However, during the coronavirus pandemic, a scaled-down team from the greenhouse are on site, helping to nurture tree seedlings, plant organic vegetables and distribute seedlings to the community where possible. On an ordinary day, you will find Paul Mwachari Kombo with his team members, planting and grafting organic fruits and vegetables. The 29-year-old father of one is grateful to the Greenhouse Manager George Maina…
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Wildlife Works’ Personality Profile; Lazarus Ighacho
By Jane Okoth “Hard work, determination and discipline can change one’s life,” says Lazarus Vigodi Ighacho, Wildlife Works’ Assistant Workshop Administrator. His job involves anything automotive; purchasing spare parts, construction materials, welding and electrical appliances. Lazarus is also in charge of maintaining all fleet-related records and documents as well as scheduling repairs. “My tasks also include preparing regular reports on vehicle mileage, fuel consumption and maintenance as per the required standards,” he says. Currently, Lazarus is working with other staff to distribute buckets, soap, and facemasks donated by Wildlife Works to communities living in the Kasigau Corridor as a humanitarian response to COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. “I help to organize transport…
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Meet Jessica Njeri, Wildlife Works Female Ranger
By Jane Okoth Early mornings and evenings are usually the peak times for wildlife activity. Jessica Njeri, a Wildlife Works ranger, is ready to begin her daily patrols by 5 am. The nature of their patrols can be either by car or foot. After a day of different sightings, they will all return to report their wildlife sightings and other findings with their team leader in the late evening. Jessica is part of the 100+ ranger team who patrol the 500,000 acres of dryland forest in the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project area. Born in a family of 8 in a remote village called Kisimenyi, Jessica had a love for wildlife…
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Rising With Resilience, the Story of Charles Nzale
By Carol Chao It’s a warm afternoon at the Wildlife Works greenhouse and it’s always a busy day for Charles Mwavula Nzale. Whenever you visit the greenhouse, you will find the calm composed young man with a wide smile selling and marketing the greenhouse products (such as seedlings), taking stock, or maintaining the equipment among other duties. Charles, now 31, was born and raised in Marungu ward, which is part of the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project area. Charles lost his mother at a young age, so, together with his siblings, he had to go and live with his grandmother. Amidst the challenges in his life, which included a lack of…
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Searching for Signs
By: Jacqueline Jobin Wildlife Works Intern Jacqueline Jobin, is a student from the University of Minnesota in the United States. As part of her time interning with Wildlife Works, she has been observing and learning about each department within the project. Jacqueline spent a day out with the ranger department to get to know more about the project area and the animals within the conservancy. One of my first days interning with Wildlife Works, I had the opportunity to experience a day in the life of the rangers. At sunrise I jumped in the back of the land cruiser, surrounded by rangers in green uniforms, and watched as the sun…
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Meet Rebecca Mututa, Wildlife Works Assistant Community Relations Officer
By Jane Okoth The Tsavo region, very popular with wildlife, is home to the biggest national park in Kenya and one of the largest elephant populations in the world. As a young girl living close to Tsavo East, Rebecca Mututa would encounter wild animals from time to time. “This gave me the inspiration to learn more about animals by working in a conservation organization,” she says. Rebecca grew up in Voi, a small town 30km from Wildlife Works’ Head Office with a population of at least 50,000 people. “My passion for working hard was ignited by watching my mother struggle to put food on the table. I put a lot…
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Missing 6-year-old Boy Found Alive by Wildlife Works Rangers
By Jane Okoth When 6-year-old Harisson Olui was sent to collect firewood, he never imagined the unthinkable would happen. When we visited his home, the young boy was shaken. This is because he had been missing for four days, lost in Rukinga sanctuary, stuck without food or clean water and certainly scared for his life. His discovery was a conclusion of a thorough rescue operation comprising of Wildlife Works rangers, the aerial surveillance team and his community members. Harrison comes from a pastoralist community in Msharinyi location, part of Wildlife Works’ project area. According to his mother Upendo Natengene, eight children including Harrison had gone to collect firewood in a…
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Women Learn How to Make Sustainable Charcoal
By Jane Okoth The reliance of charcoal and firewood as a primary source of cooking for most households puts immense pressure on indigenous trees, which are destroyed to accommodate energy needs. The Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project area is no exception, as residents are dependent on trees for charcoal and firewood. UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 calls for access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Following this objective, Wildlife Works has developed sustainable charcoal using pruned branches from indigenous trees, which prevents the destruction of the trees and avoids traditional charcoal production methods. The project is based at Mackinnon, approximately 35km from our Head office in Maungu. Wildlife…
