GVI's Marine and Wildlife Research and Community Development Expedition in Kenya

Mike likes the flowers, he likes the daffodils. As do Matunda Bora choir!

2012-01-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

Each week it is the pleasure of the community volunteers tolead the choir at Matunda Bora Academy. It is extremely gratifying as the kidsare enthusiastic and excitable. When it’s time the students rush from theirclassrooms and gather in the shade of a tree at the back of the school, wherethe eager community volunteers and anyone else who would like to come arewaiting. This week in particular some of the diehard conservation volunteersstill managed to make their way to choir despite a five hour walk, a tripthrough a cave home to half a million bats and a bumpy bike ride back. I thinkthis in itself illustrates just how much fun choir actually is.

The kids gather around the blackboard perched in the tree. They are all moving and jostling to get to the front to see the words of thenew song. After we calm them down and arrange them so they can all see thesinging can begin.

They catch on fast and soon have learnt the song in itsentirety. After we have sung the song through a few times I feel the kids areready to split into to two groups and first take turns to accompany each otherthen eventually sing in canon. Lead by the volunteers we have had a varyingdegrees of success but it is early days yet and I’m positive everyone enjoyedthemselves. Also I’m sure the words “I like the flowers, I like the daffodils” willremain seared into minds of all the volunteers.

Mike Hilton

Community Volunteer

Jo shares her reasons for coming back to the teaching project for a second time

2012-01-27T17:29:00.000-08:00

Exactly one year ago, I arrived in Shimonito begin a ten week placement as a community volunteer on GVI’s Kenya Teachingprogram. Words alone cannot convey this incredible experience; Rewarding,challenging, enlightening and memorable immediately come to mind, but yousimply have to be here to understand their meaning.

I flew home in April 2011, promising myselfthat I would return for a longer period of time, having given up my job. I havenow been in Shimoni for two wonderful weeks, and I’ve lost count of the numberof times my fellow volunteers have asked me why I came back. Why is thisprogram so special?

Jo demonstrates how to be a teapot

The initial language barrier andcontrasting cultures that intimidate many prospective volunteers quickly fadeinto insignificance and the village feels like home within days. Lessonplanning while baboons eat in the nearby compost heap and walking to schoolwith sykes monkeys play in the trees overhead are novelties that never cease tocapture your attention. The communities here exude an energy and passion forlife that is both contagious and instantly welcoming: The children call out your name as you strollthrough the village, and students invite you to play an impromptu game of dodgeball during break time. The teachers approach their jobs with relentlessenthusiasm and commitment, and treat volunteers as valued members of theirteam.

Jo reads to children in Shimoni village

Teaching has highlighted personal qualitiesthat I never knew I had, and the sense of achievement that I felt on completingmy first lesson will stay with me forever. Most importantly, I always feel thatmy efforts are valued and that my potential here is unlimited, regardless ofhow much time I can spend here. I understand that, in six months, I cannotpossibly create a legacy that will endure after my departure. However, theinstant reward that comes from teaching, seeing the expression on the face of astudent who finally understands, is enough for me. Witnessing that gradual progression, day byday, is what drew me back here.

Jo Knapman

Community Volunteer

Our two weeks in the forest...

2012-01-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

We got here as Volunteers on the conservation project called “Volunteer with Colobus monkeys”. Our expectations were to see a lot of animals, the forest and to get a bit of the African culture. Our expectations have truly been fulfilled. Those 2 weeks have been amazing. We have done surveys on monkeys, birds and butterflies; been investigated the human impact on the forest and been teaching children about the different monkeys that exist here in Shimoni. We have also done some nightwalks in the forest and saw the Bushbabies, a type of monkey that is active during the night. In the nightwalk we also saw bats coming out of the Slave Caves here in Shimoni.

Us and Liz, lowering a butterfly trap

In the afternoons there has been time to relax, take a swim in the ocean and get involved in different projects such as teaching about the environment or having computer lesson with the people in the village. The Community project has a choir in one of the schools that we went to. It was so much fun singing and interacting with the children. One day we did go to another village to see a soccer tournament arranged by Safe Shimoni. We have also been exploring the Shimoni village, which is nice. The people here in Shimoni are very friendly and you will always hear a “Jambo” (Hello) from them when walking through the village. The first day we had a Swahili lesson and we have tried to use it in the village, which was fun.

Another thing that we did was to see the Fikirini Caves, Africa’s second largest cave system. There were thousands of bats, it was a great experience to see and hear them all together.

During these 2 weeks we have learned a lot about animals, forest and about Kenya. We totally recommend this program to other people because we had a great time here.

Rickard and Emma from Uppsala, Sweden.

A newborn Humpback joins the family

2012-01-26T00:54:00.000-08:00

On Friday the GVI Kenya Marine team were lucky enough to spot humpback dolphins, one of the rarer species of cetacean found on the Kenyan coast. We were travelling slowly through the busy channel at 7am when Sophie spotted the first dolphin of the new year! This was exciting enough, but as we watched it surface again we saw it was in fact 2 adult and one newborn humpback dolphin.

The newborn humpback dolphin was an amazing surprise for our first sighting

This is the first newborn humpback that has been seen by GVI in at least 3 years; they usually are spotted as calves meaning a few weeks older. We named the little one Mtoto; meaning baby or child in Kiswahili!

Folds on its body indicate that it was only born very recently

The newborn 'Mtoto', swims close to it's mother for protection

They showed no signs of evasion and we were able to follow them long enough to get good shots of both the adults and newborn. We recognised the mother as dolphin 009, Munch, and her companion as 019, Elvis. We will keep track of this young addition to our dolphin family and keep you posted!

Marine research and conservation volunteer fieldwork with GVI Kenya

2012-01-23T03:47:00.000-08:00

Marine research and conservation, volunteer fieldwork with GVI Kenya from GVI Kenya.

Lauren de Remer brought out her camera and made this amazing impression of her fieldwork during her time with us. Thank you Lauren!

Enjoying the small things

2012-01-22T08:00:00.000-08:00

Our base is located just 4 degrees off the equator. We have not had proper rain for about a month now. The grass and all the leaf-litter has turned a shade of yellowish brown. Perfect for spotting small stuff, crawling on the forest floor!

A phasmid mimicing what could only be halfdry grass?

A white headed dwarf day gecko searching for ants, probably.

Charaxes sp.

We're still trying to get an ID for this one; suggestions welcome...

Brendan tackles the challenges of being a community volunteer in Shimoni

2012-01-21T21:32:00.000-08:00

I don’t think there is any one wordthat can sufficiently sum up one’s first teaching experience in Shimoni,Kenya. If you’re someone who enjoys achallenge and looks for ways to push yourself, a GVI community project isdefinitely something to consider.

Brendan practices is chalkboard skills writing up lyrics for Choir

I had no idea what to expect fromShimoni when I arrived. I was pleasantlysurprised to see the excited looks on children’s faces, the friendly greetingfrom local shop owners and the all-too-familiar ‘Jambo’ (which means hello inSwahili) from just about everyone!

The first class I taught was a grade5 English class of 50 students. I wasslightly intimidated by the number of students in one classroom, however, theenthusiasm and respect from students quickly dissolved the fearfulchallenge. I was amazed at the warm greetingI received from students and surprised with the overall command of the Englishlanguage. The bustling schoolyard wasfilled with students playing games, climbing trees, dancing and singing. Needless to say, it’s very easy to feed offthe energy level of the students and the vibrant dynamic of the schools.

Choir: 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'

Whether you’re interested in helpingwith after-school football, choir, wildlife club or a relaxing walk home besidethe Indian Ocean, Shimoni offers an unforgettable teaching experience.

BrendanSimeson

A day in the life of a community volunteer

2012-01-20T20:38:00.000-08:00

I had avery relaxed morning today, waking up early and taking my time with breakfastand starting the day. The house was mostly empty after the conservationvolunteers left for the forest and other community volunteers went to teach, sothings were peaceful and quiet. Another volunteer and I sat outside to plan alesson about Social Values for a Standard 8 class at Shimoni Primary. We came up with good ideas for the lesson andI felt confident with the material. Thiswas good, since it would be my first time lead teaching a class!

I was onlunch duty for community today. I got an early start on it since I had classand then we would be eating lunch. I really wanted to go swimming, since I havebeen in Shimoni 5 days and hadn’t yet been in the water. High tide, which isthe best time to go, was at 2pm so I wanted to get lunch out of the way andhave time to swim during the break. Icooked an eggplant and sweet potato curry. I love cooking, and it’s a funchallenge to work with limited ingredients and kitchen gadgets. After cooking, I headed to Shimoni Primarywith 3 other volunteers for my class. Two of us were leading the same class,which was split into two parts, and the other two were assisting. I wasconfident and excited to finally be in charge, and the class went really well!The kids were very well behaved and really engaged in the lesson. There were about 40 students in the class. Ididn’t have quite as much material in my lesson plan as I should have. It wasonly a 35 minute class, but since the students grasped the material welleverything went fairly quickly. The assistant helped me to improvise a little,so everything was fine. They had towrite sentences using the new words, which included “respect”, “obedience” and“politeness”. I was really surprisedwhen some of the students wrote sentences about me, “Madam Dana”!

Afterclass, the students were all walking home, so the other volunteers and I weresurrounded in a sea of orange and blue uniforms. Somehow I ended up walkingamidst a group of girls, and talking to them in English and Swahili. It hasbeen great to practice my Swahili, which is a little rusty but coming back veryquickly since I learned it 4 ½ years ago. The girls were fun to walk with and one even offered to carry my waterbottle. Like everyone else in the village, they are incredibly welcoming andmake me feel right at home.

Afterenjoying the curry I had made for lunch back at the volunteer house, a fewother volunteers and I headed down to go swimming. The beach at Reef Hotel wasbeautiful, and the water was really high and great for swimming. It was so niceto finally get in the ocean! The water was a perfect temperature and veryrefreshing. What a great way to spend mybreak!!

Dana Bustamante,

Community Project Volunteer

Kate Barry's First Impressions of Life in Mkwiro

2012-01-20T17:00:00.000-08:00

The first week on the island has beenextremely rewarding and exciting. At first, the very basic living conditionswere a little unsettling, but even after just a few days the group has embracedtrue island living. We wake up early to swim in the sea, a mere 30 feet fromour own base camp. At night we lay on the cliff ledges and star gaze, the MilkyWay spread above us, more vast and beautiful than most of us have even seen. Weshare chores of carrying water, cooking meals and cleaning the camp. Workingtogether as a unit has brought us all closer, and most of us feel we havebecome our own community.

Mkwiro village is literally right next tocamp, and the people have embraced us. We go over to teach English, playfootball with the children, or just grab some chai and chapatti from the smallcafé. We live without the comforts or luxuries of our western homes, and wefeel more connected to the village because of it. I already feel a change in myperspective and attitude, I feel good and whole and present. I have the supportof two communities on a remote island of which I am a part, and I couldn’t behappier.

Kate Barry

Community Intern

Welcome back to Marine!

2012-01-19T22:08:00.000-08:00

In preparation for the arrival ofvolunteers the staff have been developing programs and setting goals for the firstquarter of 2012. Learning everythingnecessary to run a project smoothly has been fun! We are also happy to bereunited with our island home.

Reunited with our island home

On Saturday the first wave of volunteers arrivedin Shimoni where they were welcomed and introduced to our team of staff members.Shortly after they arrived we began crossing over groups to Mkwiro. Althoughthe waves were rough during the afternoon, everyone made it safely to theisland where orientation and training began.

I am looking forward to trainingthe new marine volunteers’ tomorrow morning so we can get back out on the waterwhere the dolphins and sea turtles are waiting. I’m also looking forward tocontributing to the research achievements of the dedicated group here inMkwiro.

Christina embraces island life

2012-01-19T21:07:00.000-08:00

Upon arrival inKenya I was quite impressed with the hustle and bustle of Mombasa. However,base camp in Mkwiro has a completely different feel. The sound of the waves,amazing views and cool breeze are all an instant reminder that you are now onisland time.

Christina teaching verbs to Standard 5

After settling in and some training, we finally got a tour of the village outside our gate. Mkwiro is a small maze of huts and passageways. Children everywhere came to greet us with a smile, eagerly repeating “Jambo!” Many villagers have set up small businesses outside their homes to profit from the growing tourism in the area. Ladies sell chapattis and chai, while some of the men sell hand crafted jewellery. Even the young boys at the orphanage have taught themselves how to make bracelets to sell. All of their profits go into a community jar, which is spent on fish needed for making dinner. One thing they are certainly not lacking in Mkwiro is creativity.

Students identify the verb

Surprisingly, after only one week in Mkwiro I feel completely at home. This small remote island off the coast is truly paradise.

Christina Kennedy

Community Intern

Striped Kingfisher, and that makes seven.

2012-01-16T02:37:00.000-08:00

Brown hooded, Grey headed, Pygmee, Malachite, Dwarf, Mangrove, Pied and now... the Striped kingfisher!!

Striped kingfisher (Halcyon chelicuti)

Early afternoon, walking on the west side of the forest we spotted the very first Striped kingfisher for the area. To be fair, Klara reported to have spotted what she thought could be a striped kingfisher about a month ago but she wasn't completely confident about the ID. This time we were... look for the little stripes on it's belly and the Zorro-like eye-mask.

Pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis)

Bottlenose feeding habits!

2012-01-09T21:39:00.000-08:00

An adult dolphin leaps out the water with an unlucky squid

Over the past few weeks during our sightings, our bottlenose dolphins have demonstrated some of their stranger feeding habits! We have been fortunate to have perfect weather conditions for following the dolphins in their daily routine and completing comprehensive behaviour surveys – and this has allowed us to observe an adult leaping clear of the water to slap it's prey of a large squid on the surface.

This electric blue striped fish is expertly caught in the mouth of the bottlenose

Other encounters have included stunning a electric blue striped fish on the surface, but not eating it and a chase of over 500m after a determined flying fish. The fish won this time round and out-swam the dolphin!

We will keep you updated of any other new discoveries!

New Year visit to Funzi Island

2012-01-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

Today, myself and our newest KESCOM intern Ben, were lucky enough to be invited onto Funzi Island to meet with the Funzi Turtle Club, and some old friends, a Swedish couple who had been working with us in 2009 on this project!

The new information centre overlooks the beautiful beach

Funzi is an idyllic mangrove island on the south coast of Kenya, with incredibly sandy beaches and friendly people. GVI has been supporting the turtle club since 2009 with their various conservation activities and giving training. The club has recently had a new education and resource centre built through KESCOM, sponsored by Seacology, and this has sparked a wave of action amongst the group members for progressing the conservation and alternative likelihood efforts on Funzi.

The club members put forward their hopes for the future

We met with the members of the group and discussed their hopes for future action, their current training needs and ideas for bringing in a small income to the members of the group. For example overnight camping nearby the nesting beaches, boat trips and island tours, traditional Swahili lunches and community football matches are all attractions tourists could be getting involved in on Funzi in a completely authentic experience. The information centre also needs furnishing and some information panels and displays about the group. It was clear that GVI could play a significant role in helping them achieve their aims and we hope Ben will be living on the island for the next couple of months to do just this. Watch this space for updates!

We can recognise our Turtles!

2012-01-06T01:47:00.000-08:00

Over the past 2 months, the marine staff here in Kenya, particularly Katie, have been working through underwater photos of sea turtles to identify differences in individual turtles so they can be recognised. Photo identification of sea turtles is possible using distinguishing features on their shells. A more robust method uses facial scute patterns, but initially we have started to identify key individuals through markings on the back of their shell.

A regularly seen turtle - Squirt has 3 distinctive white spots on his shell

We have identified and named 11 different turtles; 5 Green and 6 Hawksbill. Now, we will focus on photographing any turtles we spot while snorkelling, to either add them to our catalogue or find out where our known turtles are moving. This will be hugely valuable in working out the size of each turtles' habitat, including whether they live mainly within the marine national park or venture into unprotected waters. We will also be able to identify key areas where fishing and turtle distribution overlap.

Excitingly for our arriving marine volunteers, if you spot a new turtle, you get to name it!

Splodge is new to our catalogue!

A bit more on white tip reef sharks

2012-01-04T03:22:00.000-08:00

One of the more exciting fish to snorkel with are sharks! During a recent snorkel on the southern side of Kisite Island we were lucky enough to swim with a white tip reef shark. White tip reef sharks can reach lengths of 2.1 metres, although adults rarely reach over 1.6 metres. This particular individual was about 1.5 metres. White tips are slender bodied sharks with a short blunt snout and, as their name suggests, brilliant white tips on both their dorsal and tail fin. During the day they can be found resting on the bottom of reefs. Unlike most sharks which have to swim continuously in order for water to pass over their gills, white tips open and close their mouths while resting. This causes water to pass over their gills allowing them to breathe without moving.

In the Cocos, it was found that during the day white tips are generally relaxed while at night they congregate in large numbers to feed, flushing out prey from the reef. Their main feeding choices are fish, octopus, lobsters and crabs. Despite the fearsome reputation of sharks, the shark we snorkeled with was very calm allowing us a fantastic viewing experience. In fact it is reported that white tip sharks are very curious and often approach divers, rarely attacking humans; although they can become dangerous especially when fish have been speared. Currently the white tip reef shark is not considered as endangered. However its limited habitat and depth range (shallow coral reefs), late maturity (they reach sexual maturity at around 8 years/ 1 meter in length), and increased fishing pressures mean that it may not be long until this shark is a threatened species.

There is no research being done at this time on reef sharks in Kenya, therefore all information is collected from other areas such as Australia and Costa Rica. In the last few weeks we have seen an apparent increase in the number of sharks seen near Kisite marine park, including species such as Tiger sharks, that were spotted feeding on a whale carcass just of the Upper Mpunguti island. Whether this increase in numbers is due to environmental, human induced causes or we were just lucky enough to have spotted more sharks is still to be determined.

Marine looking forward to 2012

2012-01-04T01:38:00.000-08:00

The last months of 2011 for GVI's Marine project in Kenya was incredible! We had some of the best snorkels and dolphin sightings of the year; including a particularly memorable swim with a beautiful hawksbill turtle and sighting of a newborn bottlenose dolphin.

Now as we look forward to 2012, setting our future goals including the development of the Marine Mammal Network, recognition of individual turtles and pushing forward the environmental education of women; I want to say a huge thank you to everybody involved and supporting GVI over the past year! We achieved everything we were hoping to and more!

The team on Kisite Island

Kenya Marine Mammal Network

2011-12-15T23:56:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have ever seen dolphins in Kenya - this will come as an exciting development!

In partnership with Watamu Marine Association (WMA) and the Kenya Association of Sea Anglers (KASA); we have been able to establish a national network for reporting of all dolphin and whale sightings. This will involve sports fishing boats, dive companies, private boat owners and tourist dolphin watching trips to try and get as much information as possible about the cetaceans on the Kenyan coast.

The promotional poster is being distributed over the Kenyan coast

We hope to get some new and exciting sightings, and as the reports start to come in, we are all hopeful for 2012 as a pivotal year for marine mammal conservation in Kenya.

Look up WMA on facebook for more details, photographs and blogs: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Watamu-Marine-Association/275519980370.

Summer Camp Sports Day

2011-12-14T01:31:00.000-08:00

This afternoon was the second afternoon of the summer camp activities in Shimoni Primary, led by all the GVI Community Interns. Today, we decided to bring with us a couple of soccer balls, rugby footballs, frisbees, and the like. It was Sports Day.

We knew it would be a tough day, as earlier in the afternoon Eric had left his thermometer outside in the sun. About 30 minutes later, he shouted in disbelief to the entire Shimoni house that it was 115 degrees Fahrenheit. We all groaned and hoped that perhaps his thermometer was broken.

We pressed on, though: we arrived to the empty school and spent about 10 minutes playing in and around the school grounds. The sun was beating down on us, but we were determined to get some kids into the game. We hoped the children that passed by us in the street would notice and join in. And guess what? They did.

Several boys between the ages of about 8 and 14 sauntered into the school after having caught sight of us, scoping out our equipment and, probably, our athletic prowess as we played around together with the equipment. We stopped playing and came over to greet them, then beckoned them out onto the field to play. They jumped up with enthusiasm and ran on out to the sun, ready and waiting for a good game.

After playing with the rugby ball for awhile, we switched over to football (or soccer for those of us from the states) and split into teams. The boys were absolutely amazing players and we all had a fantastic time.

As the afternoon wound down, everyone was exhausted and relaxed in the shade, finishing off all our water bottles and still wanting more. We said goodbye to the boys and headed back to the house. Upon entering we all arranged ourselves in front of the oscillating fans in silent satisfaction & happiness as the fan took turns blowing wind in each person's direction.

Text: Linnea Lundberg

World AIDS Day 2011

2011-12-13T01:17:00.000-08:00

After waking up early on a Thursday morning a couple of weeks ago and putting the finishing touches on my AIDS rap, the community group headed over to Shimoni Primary School for the World AIDS Day celebration. As we walked towards the school, the town bustled with people from all around the area, who were flocking to raise awareness for this disease. We moved desks around and prepared for the event, and still more busses and matatus pulled up, pouring hundreds of people into the sandy courtyard.

Spending time in preparations.

Starting only a few hours late (Kenyan Time, Kenn punctuality), the festivities began with swahili poems, melodic songs, and musical performances all about AIDS awareness and prevention. One women’s group came up in front of the crowd and performed a simple chanting dance, and within little time, many had jumped out of their seat and joined in this simple line dance. Not to be out done, a couple of us Mzungu’s also joined in the spirit of the fun. At least for me, the word ‘attempted’ best describes my efforts to copy their simple dance. Following this captivating performance, our AIDS rap had a tough act to follow. To provide a little back story, about a week ago Gill (a marine staff member) and I volunteered to put on a brief rap at this world AIDS day gathering. During a short spurt of motivation, I wrote about 26 lines of poetry talking about prevention and fighting the spread of AIDS. With a little practice and the last minute formation of a beat, we were begrudging ready to go up on stage and disgrace ourselves. That wasn’t exactly how the rap went down, and the crowd received the musical attempt with thunderous applause. Well, maybe not thunderous, but we got our fair share of fistbumps and thumbs-ups from the spectating Kenyans.

Setting the goal for the year at zero new infections, the AIDS day proved to be a huge success and it most definitely spread knowledge and concern for Aids. After this long day in the sun, we treated ourselves to a nice lunch at Smugglers.

Text: an anonymous rapper

Out of Tsavo

2011-12-12T06:32:00.000-08:00

Being a community development intern, I was recently lucky enough to spend two weeks on Satellite Camp in Tsavo West, working with the Kidong and Kasaani communities. Out trip began with a brief visit to Mombasa, where we spent the night with the GVI project based up there before the early start for Taveta the next day.

The bus journey down to Taveta took us quickly out of the more urban areas surrounding Mombasa, and we soon found ourselves looking out upon huge rolling skies and an expansive landscape (with elephants visible in the distance), quite a contrast to the denser forest surroundings of the south coast. Upon arrival in Taveta, we had a quick lunch at the Challa Hotel, before being picked up in a matatu and taken to Kidong, where we were to spend our first week. We stayed at Kidong’s ‘Eco-Tourism Centre’, a site that is still in development, but ready to begin receiving visitors. The location of the Centre is truly spectacular, placed on a slight slope looking out across Tsavo West national park, with Mt. Kilimanjaro visible only a few minutes walk away. On the Sunday night of our arrival, we spent much of the evening sat on the ground watching panoramic lightning storms on the horizon, with thunder existing only a subdued and faint sound echoing from the distance. That evening in particular remains one of my most memorable since arriving in Kenya over two months ago, an event that must really be experienced in order to be fully appreciated.

Over the course of the week, we worked with the Kidong community, assisting them with their long-term plans for developing their Curio shop, as well as further additions to the Centre itself in preparation for increased visitor numbers. We also held sessions in which we informed the community members about the Moringa tree, a plant increasingly found in East Africa and renowned for its health and agricultural benefits. The group also gave us a taster day for their proposed attraction: a walk around the surrounding area and a talk from the ‘Wazee’ (meaning ‘old men’) about the community’s poaching history and life out in the bush.

The week was concluded with a feedback session given by myself and the other volunteers. Our advice seemed truly valued by the community members, who appeared genuinely grateful for the time we had spent working with them. We were all sad and slightly emotional to be leaving, yet our departure took place with everyone in good spirits after a fantastic week.

Text: Luke Guiness

Green Turtle Stranding

2011-12-10T23:52:00.000-08:00

This is a photograph taken last week on the marine project... a perfectly preserved and beautiful stranded green turtle. We couldn't determine the cause of death as it appeared intact with no injury visible. One of the major problems with sea turtles is injestion of plastics discarded into the ocean; so this could have been the case here. One of the main things GVI is trying to promote in Kenya is a respect and appreciation for the marine environment; to reduce littering and unsustainable resource use. Lets hope we do not see any more turtles like this.

Recently stranded green turtle

End of Expo 114

2011-12-09T06:35:00.000-08:00

This blog entry is not only to announce another succesful Expedition that is coming to an end. And yes, we can assure that "Expo" 114 has been a success: 5 motivated conservation interns, 7 community development interns, a rescued baby monkey, the WIOMSA simposium, a marine research workshop, a workshop about sustainable tourism with the local tour operators, the global AIDS day... and the list goes on.

So, to all of you who made it possible: THANK YOU!

But this entry is also a little of a tribute. Why? Because next year we are going to abandon our familiar schedule based in 10-week expeditions, swifting to a system in based in trimesters, with a continuous arrival of volunteers. That´s why words as "Expo", "Expedition", "Expedition volunteers" or "Five-weekers" are going to disappear from our lexycal resources. But don´t worry, there will still be volunteers, and interns, and all of our programs in conservation and community development will still be running.

Happy Expo 114 Ending! We are going to celebrate it tonight... wish you were here.

Newborn Bottlenose dolphin

2011-12-08T00:08:00.000-08:00

Being a part of GVI’s marine research has been an amazing experience. Every morning we head out on the research dhow in search of dolphins and other mega fauna that inhabit the area of Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Protected Area. Most days we are able to track and follow the Indo-pacific Bottlenose dolphins, studying their behavior, reaction to the tourist dhow, population dynamics, and their travel patterns. On this day in particular as were on our way to the KMMPA we caught sight of a pod of about 20 bottlenose dolphins. This pod was composed of mostly adults with a few juveniles swimming and playing amongst them. Then we caught sight of a newborn.

The newborn Bottlenose dolphin spotted this week

Seeing a newborn bottlenose dolphin for the first time was a spectacular sight as the gestation period for a mother is around 12 months and this newborn couldn’t have been much more than a few days old. It was only around a meter in length. It was also very well protected by both the mother and the rest of the pod; staying on the opposite side of the mother from the boat and in the middle of the pod. The newborn stayed very close to the mother swimming in the mothers ‘slip stream’ which is the wake that develops as the mother swims. This allows the newborn to swim and keep up with the group.

It will be great to find out if this pod of dolphins sticks around in the KMMPA or if they were just travelling through the area on their way elsewhere. Only time will tell.

The story of Pemba (no, not Pemba Island)

2011-12-07T06:31:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of expedition 114 a newborn male baby Sykes monkey was found by GVI volunteers on the floor of the Shimoni Forest. The monkey was believed to have fallen from a tree due to bad weather experienced the night before. The monkey was taken back to the GVI house and the Colobus Trust in Diani was contacted to collect the monkey. While waiting for the Colobus Trust to arrive the volunteers eagerly looked after this little monkey feeding him bananas and baby food which he ate eagerly and eventually fell asleep with a banana all over his little face. He was collected later that day by the Colobus Trust to be raised and rehabilitated.

Introducing Pemba

It had been 6 weeks since this little monkey had been found and the volunteers were impatient to know if he was still alive and well. On a weekend trip to Diani 4 volunteers including myself went to the Colobus Trust to see the little guy and to our surprise were greeted by a volunteer at the Trust who had him in a sling. They had named him Pemba, after Pemba Island in Tanzania. He was still so little but healthy and happy and doing very well. He was very inquisitive and jumping around wanting to know what was happening and who we were. The volunteer who looks after him 24/7 took us outside to an enclosure with two 6 month old Vervet monkeys who were his play mates; we were also told his best friend is a baby Bush Baby. It was his second day in the enclosure and he was still struggling to climb and jump on the small branches but was trying so hard to do so. He was also jumping on the backs of his Vervet friends and having a great play date with them.

Who are all these persons that are looking at me?

After seeing Pemba we had a look around the Colobus Trust and saw all the great work that they were doing with Colobus, Sykes and Vervet monkeys. It was a wonderful experience and great to see that the little Sykes monkey from the Shimoni Forest saved by GVI volunteers was doing so well.

Text and pictures: Maria Swenson

Flying jewels from Shimoni forest

2011-12-06T06:26:00.000-08:00

This week we have enjoyed of some nice sightings of the rare Fischer's Turaco (Tauraco fischeri). This colourful bird is difficult to spot because of his scarcity and habits: it inhabits the tree tops, prefering to jump or walk from branch to branch than flying. Its mainly green coloration helps him to mimetize among the vegetation, making it a difficult sighting. However, when it flies, it shows its beautiful red and blue wings.

This is one of the characteristic species of the African Eastern and Coastal Forest ecoregion, appearing only in the coastal forests of Kenya, Tanzania and Somalia, from sea level and up to 1500 meters in the Usambara mountains in Tanzania. This forests are very degradated and endangered (one of the reasons why GVI works here), and hence, the habitat of this weird and beautiful bird, which depends on dense and healthy forests for its survival.

Distribution of Fischer's Turaco.

Another example of underwater behavior of bottlenose dolphins

2011-12-05T00:20:00.000-08:00

Bottlenose dolphin video

2011-12-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

So many blog entries about our bottlenose dolphins, and we have still not arrived at accurately describing how these animals behave, or what is like to see them underwater. So, as a picture is worth more than a thousand words, you can see this video shows far better than I could explain, the underwater behaviour of this fascinating creatures! We were able to film the dolphins as they came close alongside the boat, and Andrew dunked his underwater camera in, pressed record and hoped for some footage. Look forward to another video on Monday!

Forest kayas

2011-11-30T23:16:00.000-08:00

Who is concerned about the conservation of the small but valuable coastal forests around Shimoni? Well, not a lot of people besides GVI and Friends of Shimoni Forest... but some of them do. For instance, the elders from the village. The ones that still go to the remote sanctuaries in the forest, known as "kayas" to pray and practice their traditional beliefs. Some of them, over a hundred years old, have been adventuring into the depths of the forest for decades to arrive to this sacred places, even in times - not so long ago - when you could encounter dangerous animals such as elephants and hyenas in between the trees.

So what are exactly this places? They are particular spots in the forest, generally a clearing or a cave, in which a spirit lives (or is supposed to live). People go to these places to pray, ask for things or thank a spirit for their actions. They are not particularly striking or distinct from the surrounding woods, but they have been chosen by the spirits to live in.
The person that approaches the Kaya, generally an old man, goes there at night, often naked. He stops in the "door" of the Kaya, to ask for permission to enter to the main place. The permission is granted in exchange for a small sacrifice, which is most of the time a bottle of rosewater (that's why there are a lot of glass bottles in these particular spots) but the offer, in earlier times, could be even a human sacrifice. Obviously, this is not practiced any longer. I hope.

Then, the person can access the Kaya itself. There it is, the place for praying, asking for help or expressing gratitude. The believer carries a colored bracelet according to the purpose of its visit: black, red or white, depending whether he asks for the help in the resolution of a conflict, ask for goods or expresses gratitude.
In some cases, the spirit may even decide to show himself to the believer, in different shapes. It may be even the shape of a male lion, approaching the old man whilst praying naked in the night darkness of the deep forest... but we all know that there are no lions in the Shimoni forest.

Hassan, the forest guide, leading the way to the Kayas.

Leopard Tortoise seen in Mkwiro mangrove

2011-11-29T02:26:00.000-08:00

While on the journey back from a mangrove walk last week we spotted something rare and unusual – a giant leopard tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis)! Leopard tortoises are historically absent from the coast and this species on Wasini island is most probably introduced at some point. We had once before seen a small leopard tortoise on the island of Wasini – but it had been killed and brought to base so we never imagined one would survive to grow so large!

The tortoise's straight carapace length (SCL) was about 30cm, and straight carpace width (SCW) was around 20, hiding under prickley undergrowth near to the main path from Wasini to Mkwiro. We quietly took a photograph for later identification and left it where it was.

Leopard tortoise

Tourist Dhow Operator training workshop

2011-11-28T00:17:00.000-08:00

This last weekend KWS organised a refresher training for the guides and captains who operate the dolphin watching tours out of Mkwiro. We often work quite closely with these individuals, accompanying their tours at least once a week and living in the same village as most of them.

The training ran for two afternoons and explained the Code of Conduct for dolphin watching and hopefully provided the guides with an understanding as to the purpose and importance of the guidelines. We also gave presentations on the main dolphin, turtle and reef fish species seen, as well as key behaviors and traits, so they can pass this interesting information onto their guests.

Hamisi trains the boat captains and tour guides on local dolphin species

Each guide or captain who attended received a badge stating they have received this training and recognition of their commitment to sustainable and educational tourism.

Lost shorebirds

2011-11-25T05:10:00.000-08:00

Foraging shorebirds at low-tide

Shorebirds get plenty attention. In the UK for instance over one million pounds are spent annually on their conservation. Worldwide about 120 species are protected and the budget for that might well be over 30 million US dollars.

Looking for nests on a island

In Kenya, I estimate the current shorebirdbudget to be somewhere between 25 and 150 US dollars, about the price one Kenyan shorebirdenthusiast has to pay for a decent pair of secondhand binoculars.

Martin Mwale, a Kenyan shorebirdenthusiast has a pair of secondhand binoculars. Martin came by our office to collect information for his thesis study on shorebirds and in particular the role of protected areas in shorebirdconservation. His thesis will probably be the first overview of shorebirds for the Kenyan coast in a long time, an extremely valuable document. Martin also needs a new pair of binoculars since the second-hand pair he bought on E-bay is so whacky that you can’t help but feeling drunk when looking trough them.

African paradise flycatcher territorial dispute

2011-11-25T00:04:00.000-08:00

Living in Mkwiro village, one is constantly surrounded by animals. Interactions are more commonly limited to obnoxious goats and scruffy cats, but every once in a while you have a truly exciting wildlife encounter. Last week while doing dolphin photo ID, marine officer Kirsty and myself were privy to loud and boisterous display from two male African Paradise Flycatchers settling a territorial dispute just outside the office window. The rustling of tree branches and harsh, noisy reproach of one bird to another initially drew our attention, but it was the incredible plumage of the African Paradise Flycatchers that kept me watching.

The long tail streamers of the African Paradise Flycatcher

Males have grey underparts, chestnut-hued backs, and blackish blue heads with bright blue bills and eye-rings; although the white phase male is not uncommon in East Africa. The most stunning physical characteristic, however, is the long tail with streamers. Typically chestnut colored like the back and growing up to 18 cm in length, the streamers essentially double the body length of breeding males. Paradise Flycatchers are widespread throughout the African continent, ranging from Sudan in the north to the Cape in the south. Woodland, bush, forest, and gardens provide ideal habitats for these birds as they prefer to build nests out of moss, tiny twigs, bark, fibres, rootlets of grass, hair, and lichens in the forks of bushes and trees.Insects caught on the wing comprise the bulk of the flycatcher’s diet which may occasionally be supplemented with spiders and berries.

African Paradise Flycatchers are monogamous for the duration of a single breeding season. Males are highly territorial, competing for the highest quality resources and engaging in gaudy aerial displays to attract females by showing off their long tail feathers. The conflict witnessed by Kirsty and I was likely a dispute over a prized nesting ground, with one male attempting to encroach on anothers' established territory. Hopefully with the ample supply of natural resources on Mkwiro Island there will be many more African Paradise Flycatcher battles in store for future GVI participants to enjoy.

Travelling with monkeys

2011-11-23T02:17:00.000-08:00

Today we took part in a travel pattern survey which involves following a habituated group of Angola Black- and-white Colobus. The survey data will give us an indication on home-range and habitat use. One of the initial goals is to identify and characterize movement of the tight-knit Colobus groups trough the forest patches. We are attempting to identify primary feeding, resting and sleeping trees or areas, by calculating percentages of time spent on that activity per location. After identifying those primary activity sites, we can hopefully gain some insight in the movement to and from these locations, and the relation of factors like habitat quality, food availability and seasonality to these patterns.

For the survey we observed the habituated group during their feeding period for two hours. An observer picked a focal individual and recorded that specific individuals behavior as a scan sample every two minutes. In addition, another observer tracks the movement of the focal individual, maps and tags the trees for later reference and identification.

Female Colobus with her young.

Obviously most of this survey requires quite some patience, recording very common activities such as sleeping, resting, foraging or feeding continuously. Today however, the group decided to put on a bit of a show. After two hours we suddenly witnessed some typical primate arousal followed by two instances of actual mating, something that is not very frequently seen in Colobus. Shortly afterward, while sitting directly above us, four of the Colobus decided to urinate at the same time so there was a bit of a shower!

Text: Lucy Stone-Donaldson (Forest programme staff)

Local culture: the legend of Mwauzi Tumbe

2011-11-21T23:12:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, five centuries ago, the Shirazi people sailed across the Red Sea in seven boats lead by Sir Hasssan bin Ali, coming from the old kingdom of Persia. Some sailed to Lamu, others to Zanzibar and some to Zanzibar, and one to Mombasa. On the boat that landed in Mombasa there was a King’s daughter that settled in Msambweni, a little further up the coast from Shimoni., and a village was named Vumbe in her honor. Later, the Shirazi moved along the cross and settled down in Wasini Island, in Mkwiro village.

The people from Mkwiro were famous for being master drum makers and known to possess magical drum beats. The Vumbe were jealous of the skills of their new neighbors, and decided to attack them to steal their drums. For that, they decided the best strategy was to marry a girl from the Shirazi village and use her to “cry wolf”. The girl, called Mwauzi Tumbe, loved her husband so much that she agreed to participate in the plan. She went to her village and yell “war, war!”, and the Shirazi ran out to protect their village, only to discover that there was nobody out there. Some days passed and once again the girl called for war again. The people from Mkwiro went rapidly to defend their possessions once more, and once more they found out that nobody was attacking them. A few days later, she cried out again but, this time, nobody believed her. And it was this time when the people from Vumbe attacked Mkwiro, ransacked it and stole the drums.

Mwauzi Tumbe came back to her husband after betraying her people, but the Vumbe were not too impressed with her neither: if she could betray to her own people, why wouldn’t she do that to them? So they took her to the tiny island of Kisite and let her there to die.

But the gods were not happy with this, and famine felt over both villages: no rain and no fish in the sea. The Vumbe and the Shirazi went to visit the shaman, who told them the gods were unhappy with their behavior and the way Mwauzi Tumbe had been treated: they should amend the damage done. The two tribes sailed to Kisite, brought back her body and buried it in the sacred forest Kaya Bogoa, close to Mkwiro.

Nowadays, this is still a cult place, signaled clearly and treated with respect, and the story of Mwauzi Tumbe and the drums from Mkwiro is still known in the island.

If you are planning to be a volunteer with us, this is for you!

2011-11-18T01:09:00.000-08:00

I remember before I left trying so hard to make the contents of my bag smaller and lighter and just finding it impossible. I could get a bigger bag but then as a 5ft 8stone girl, there would be no way I could carry it. I trawled the GVI blogs searching for tips and hints on how to prepare but found nothing. Therefore for my first blog here are my tips on getting prepared.

1/ Get a good backpack. If you are doing the same trip as me, the conservation internship, you will be traveling between 3 different bases so a good comfortable backpack is essential. Make sure to try it on before you buy as you can get different back lengths. Also make sure you can carry it. A friend of mine gave me his Osprey 60liter one, which he traveled around the world in (with adjustable straps’ to fit) and it is just amazing. I recommend googling ‘ best back packs’ for a list of the best brands.

2/ Make sure you check the airline weight restrictions. I traveled with Ethiopian airlines and they allow two bags under 23kg. However even if you just have one bag at 25kg you will have to pay for 2kg unless you can make the bag into two and therefore the two will be under 23kg. They are strict on this so be aware.

3/ Lock every single zip on you luggage and bring all valuables in your hand luggage.

4/ Be prepared to have your luggage lost for a day or two so bring whatever you may need e.g. clean pair of underwear in your hand luggage.

5/ Don’t worry about the cost of calls. You can buy a cheap phone here very easily and phone credit. I can guarantee you, it will be much cheaper than using your home phone.

6/ I don’t have one friend who didn’t ask about whether I would have toilet roll. Yes you will have toilet roll.

7/Do not bring expensive flip-flops, they will get destroyed and new ones will be available for about £2 at most market stalls.

8/ Test out the size of you mosquito net before you come. A lot of people found that their single size nets were too small.

9/ Do not do what I did and weighed down my bag with a years supply of sun cream, moisturizers and insect repellent. Bring what you need for a couple of weeks and you will have the opportunity to buy more when you go into town.

10/ Do not worry about bringing lots of clothes. Stick to the GVI equipment list and you will be fine.

11/ You will want a camera to make a record of this adventure. There are so many amazing photo opportunities here you will want to savor them.

12/Enjoy. It truly is a wonderful experience.

Text: Colette Moore (Conservation Intern)

Eaten by Geckos

2011-11-17T21:10:00.000-08:00

Our previous trapping set-up included a 160 Watt, High UV-light emitting ML-lamp and a white trappingsheet all precariously placed in the right angles to make the light visible over large distances. More recently we discovered that painting the outside wall white, and leaving the porch light on is just as, if not more, effective. We were catching at least three new species a night at one point.

Now however, Geckos have crashed our species discovery curve. They are getting fatter with the day and all we are left with is having to sweep up half eaten, apparently untasty, moth wings.

Here is an impression of our work BEFORE the geckos took over.

Bunaea alcinoe

Cleora spp.

Dissoprumna erycinaria

Epilacydes scita

Euchloron megaera

Gonimbrasia zambesina

Poliana wintengsi

Our species discovery curve before geckos made it crash (x-axis represents the day the species was first caught).

Zamarada lima

Matunda Bora Shimoni

2011-11-16T05:05:00.000-08:00

The school started in the year 2000. We began in a small way, having kindergarten one (1). The class had two pupils and 1 teacher.

We stayed with 2 pupils for 3 years. In the year 2004 the school had a roll of 5 pupils. The situation looked as if it wouldn’t increase in number but due to the hard working of our teacher the school got fame in the community. The 5 pupils we had were taught well, how to write, read and speak in English. With that fact we got the access to the local people around us.

Now the teaching staff are 11 and two subordinate (non teaching) staff to give a total of 13.

The year 2009 we started boarding to accommodate the children know to have come from a far distance. Picture The total number of boarders is 20 pupils, these are boys and girls of which 3 come from our neighbouring country Tanzania.

The school has struggled (saving) money for a long time until late the year 2008 whereby we purchase 5 ha of land with Shimoni, that’s Anziwa no contraction on it.

This year 2011 is the first year we are sitting for K.C.P.E. exam.

Get to know our result after the exams. See you after the exams. See you as you read from me very soon.

Mr Opiyo

Headmaster Matunda Bora

The first GVI Kenya recorded tiger shark

2011-11-16T03:25:00.000-08:00

We had a very exciting sighting a couple of weeks ago on marine – as you may have read – our sighting of a tiger shark, and in remarkable circumstances. This was the first GVI recorded tiger shark in our south coast study area and caused quite a stir amongst the team!

There are around 50 species of shark in the western Indian Ocean region from 13 different families – one of those families is named the ‘true shark’ or Carcharinidae family containing 20 species of powerful predatory shark. The tiger shark or Galeocerdo cuvier falls into this family and is distinguished by its pattern of darker spots and stripes on its grey dorsal surface; it has a large blunt head and mouth and a long slender tail with a pointed tip. The most unique feature of the tiger shark is its teeth (!) which are serrated. They reach up to 5.5m (18ft) and are quite robust, heavily built specimens.

The two individuals we spotted exhibited the distinctive patterning and were around 4m in length; they also had with them a young individual. Sharks are normally solitary, and tiger sharks feed on turtles seabirds and other more opportunistic items, but may have gathered here at the opportunity of this food source (see previous blog on the stranded humpback whale body).

Tiger sharks are listed as the most dangerous to humans seen in this area; but I for one hope we see them again.

Reflections after 3 weeks in the Expedition

2011-11-15T02:11:00.000-08:00

I am beginning the third week of my combination expedition on the south coast of Kenya. So far it has been an experience beyond words. I began my expo with 2 weeks in the forest around Shimoni. Every day was something new from Paradise Fly Catchers to Zanj Elephant Shrews: you never know what is around the corner. The biodiversity in the forest is amazing hopefully the rate of deforestation will go down to help preserve the precious natural ecosystems that exist here.

O' Akela!!!!!

This week I began working around the community in Shimoni. After a quick introduction to set me on my way I was in the classroom observing other GVI teachers. The students are willing to learn and eagerly accept help from us. My first class was at Shimoni Primary where I observed an English lesson on active and passive voice. The lesson was 35 minutes long but it seemed like it was over before we got there. Yesterday afternoon we went to Matunda Bora school where we got the students together for a choir session. The students enjoyed singing hits like “Buffalo Soldier” and “Wonder Wall.” We are slowly trying to teach them “We are the World.” Progress on the new songs takes a great deal of effort but it was all good fun helping with the process. Below is a photo I took of Connor leading the choir through “O’Akela”. Later today we are going to lead a wildlife club about natural disasters. It is always nice to provide the students with something that is not part of their regular curriculum.

I am excited to continue on in the community this week and then get ready to check out satellite camp next week. Sat. camp has been something I have been looking forward to since I decided to partake in the expedition!

Text: Benjamin Cudmore

Karibu!!!

2011-11-14T01:04:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Shimoni one week ago today and it already feels like home. I came here to partake in the Kenya Community Development Internship, and in the short space of seven days the meaning of the word community, for me, has expanded and evolved in this wonderful village. The welcome I have received here has surpassed any other, and us Irish are known for our ‘Cead Mile Failte’ (A Million Welcomes).

As an intern, there is a lot to digest in the first few days, but the GVI staff are great in addressing concerns and questions, regardless of how simple or mundane they may seem. Our training will be extensive and covers many aspects, from marine conservation to a BETC Leadership Qualification. We will spend this weekend on our EFR (Emergency First Responder) training, and, for some of us, the weekend will also involve a move to the Island of Wasini, where we will take up residence close to the village of Mkwiro to continue our training in community development.

Community int...what?

Today was a special one for me. I taught my first class. I was teaching English to a group of very responsive and friendly kids, and it was a fantastic experience. Their willingness and excitement to learn was encouraging as a first time teacher. Tomorrow we will spend the morning with the Kindergarten class, and I cannot wait!! I hope to keep you posted over the next six months as I believe everyone should have an opportunity to know and learn about this wonderful project and the community it is empowering.
Text: Caroline Reld

What's the deal with the WIOMSA symposium?

2011-11-13T02:08:00.000-08:00

Last week, as you may have read, GVI Kenya attended the 7th Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) scientific symposium in Mombasa. It brought together a diverse array of organisations, fields and nations to discuss current and future issues facing the conservation of our marine resources and species, focused on the Western Indian Ocean.

GVI presented 6 posters at the WIOMSA conference detailing the research programme's results

GVI presented 5 posters detailing the research and community development initiatives going on with our different programmes - see previous blogs for full details. We were also able to attend a series of talks and presentations on other research projects both in Kenya and the surrounding countries, discuss potential collaborations and partnerships and take part in 3 workshops developing conservation of sea birds, sea turtles and the incorporation of health and education in local communities.

It was overall a huge success, with a better appreciation of the need for good scientific and integrated research within this region, to promote conservation and resilience of our marine resources.

'Escort' Humpback Whales

2011-11-11T01:37:00.000-08:00

One of the most amazing creatures we see in Kenya is the migrating humpback whale. The humpback whale migrates along the Kenyan coast from late June through to December. In the past three months we have had 6 sightings of humpback whales with an average group size of 2.16, ranging from 1 to 4.

A humpback whale 'escorts' a mother and calf

Some of these groups have been mothers and calves plus another adult whale. It is reported that "escort males" can accompany mothers and calves during their migration. It is thought that the male travels with the mother and calf with the intention of mating if the mother comes into post partrum oestrus. Occasionally another male humpback whale will join the group (becoming a secondary escort), challenging the principle escort for access to the female mother (termed the nuclear animal). The escort will defend the nuclear animal from other intruding males with behaviours including shoving, breaching and blowing bubble screens. This also acts as protection for the humpback whale calf.

It has also been known for escorts to be female, the reason for a female escort is currently unknown, though the escort may be related to the mother. This links to the sightings we have been having and might explain why a group of 3 adults and one calf have passed through the south of Kenya.

“All of life is a foreign country” (Jack Kerouac)

2011-11-09T00:49:00.000-08:00

I am a community development Intern with GVI on the south coast of Kenya. I have never had any experience teaching but this week after a day of training, entered the classroom. Classes differ than those back at home in their style, but being a kid is universal. We work with three different schools, two private schools Matunda Bora and Base Academy with smaller classes of groups 4-8. The other school we work with Shimoni Public Primary has larger classes that range from 20-50 children. The first thing you notice when entering the classroom is how difficult the setting to teach and learn is. The noise of kids permeates throughout the school while they sit in classrooms with no teacher for a period, because they are understaffed. The weather is hot, the materials are lacking, and home situations are not always ideal for promotion of learning.

This is where GVI makes a difference. While when you teach you may not be able to get across to every child, when you have one in the classroom have that moment of connection with the material the rewards are immense. If we were not there to help supplement their teaching the kids would just be sitting in class not doing anything except playing with their friends.

Knowing that my presence makes a difference helps me get over my insecurities standing in front of a classroom of many children who have never seen me before, but making the small impact is all I can do. Today I will be lead teaching my first class with Filip at Shimoni primary going over phrasal verbs. Have no mistakes. I was not an English major or expert at grammar, but the materials here give you the resources to make a lesson plan, and the fact that English is your first language makes the difference.

What are we going to read under the tree today?

My favorite moment so far here in Shimoni was yesterday during the activity “reading under the tree”. I took a couple picture books out and some bubbles found a tree by some kids and sat down. Immediately three little girls came over to me, the smallest going directly for my lap and waiting for me to show her the pictures and read to her, it was incredible. I spent some time going through the books with them, practicing counting numbers in English, and then took out the bubbles. Their smiles would make anyone’s day and put their life into perspective. It is truly the small things here in Shimoni, as well in life that makes all the difference.

Everyday we are learning something new about the world and ourselves by making a difference in the lives of those living here who desperately need the supplemental resources. My time here has been less than a week and look forward to the challenges ahead adjusting to my new life in Shimoni.
Text: Bejamin Hubbard

What arriving in Shimoni feels like

2011-11-08T00:34:00.000-08:00

Arrival in Shimoni is something special. Children run to the roadside waving frantically at the bus, with echoes of ‘jambo!’ following you along your way. GVI’s base is in the heart of the small town, with baboons and dense forest at the back door, and palm trees rising above the several huts visible from the front of the house. Shouts and laughter echo through the building, along with the sound of many goats and the mosque’s call to prayer. A short walk into the main street acquaints you with the inhabitants of Shimoni. Men and women wear broad smiles, greeting you and chuckling at amateurish attempts to converse in Swahili. With the barrier of the bus gone, the kids stride towards us confidently, the smaller ones content to hold a single finger and walk alongside you for a few steps, with elder children testing their English on you.

Welcoming kids from Shimoni.

After the initial weekend running through safety procedures and catching up on much needed sleep, training and teaching begins. The first class is in English at the local Shimoni Primary School. With Conor leading, we stand at the back of the room to observe and lend a helping hand with exercises and spelling. The pupils are well behaved (generally), and even the more reluctant soon decide to engage with the lesson. You feel welcome immediately, with students eagerly beckoning you to sit next to them, or to glance over and (hopefully) praise their work.

Choir practice!

With the afternoon comes choir practice at the local kindergarten. The children gather immediately, and wait patiently as we try to make the lyrics on the blackboard more legible. Enthusiasm is strong, and even after practice, the children remain to impress us with their near-perfect rendition of ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis. Wildlife club the next day is a similarly energetic affair, with our lesson on countries and continents resulting in a busy cluster of students at the front of the class, keen to demonstrate their knowledge of places and locations to us using our world map. This happens despite our repeated instructions to them to remain in their seats!

Text: Luke Guinness

The Kakamega Environmental Education Program is now online

2011-11-07T01:18:00.000-08:00

Our partner in Kakamega rainforest just launched their new website: http://www.keep-kakamega.or.ke/.

The homepage of the new KEEP website

Although the pages, for now, are rather empty, this website could become a great library of information for KEEP members, partner organizations but also researcher and tourists interested in the area and all the activities and groups supported by KEEP.

The community butterfly project is a integral part of the environmental education and conservation strategy.

KEEP has a long history of projects varying from the establishment of a butterfly farm and tree nurseries to assisting in biodiversity monitoring and primate research.

An infant Guereza Colobus asking for its mothers attention

The inspiration called Julie (a blog from Sat Camp)

2011-11-04T01:08:00.000-07:00

Julie is the project manager in Tsavo and is one tough cookie that does not take any shit, from locals or volunteers. Once she has had her morning coffee she’s off, making sure things are going smoothly with the hides and skins project which she helped set up and will hopefully help bring some well need employment and money to the local community, or meeting with the Massai ladies to talk about ideas and marking strategies on how to sell their beautiful jewellery. She even manages to get in a few bird surveys that then go to towards developing a species list which helps trains the tour guides at the Kidong Cultural Centre

Not only all that, but in the short week that I volunteered under Julie she also introduced the Morgina tree (an amazing plant from India which grows in hot climates, doesn’t need much water and can do wonderful things from give oil to provide essential victims and minerals) the community, gathered the seeds needed and helped them plant them.

She really is a great inspiration constantly on her feet and constantly thinking of new ways and projects to help. If I can give only just a small percentage of what she does whilst here in Kenya, I’d be very proud of myself indeed.

Sun, sea and communal bathing!

2011-11-03T00:20:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, me and my fellow volunteers joined island like in Mkwiro, for our first week of marine. It was a completely different experience to Shimoni, having the beach on our doorstep and communally bathing in the sea!

We began the week learning about dolphin identification and behavior so we could spot them from the boat. Tuesday we were unleashed onto the seas to put our knowledge into practice and were lucky enough to see dolphins within minutes! They were leaping from the water, and after a short mechanical problem, we were hot on their tails! It was fantastic to see them up so close to the boat. Later that day we snorkeled for the first time in the Indian Ocean, seeing some pretty amazing fish and corals.

A bottlenose dolphin, coming closer to salute to volunteers on board the Bardan.

Also that week we were lucky enough to have spotted tiger sharks, circling a humpback whale carcass – an amazing but terrifying experience! We also had an exceptionally hot day, with an exceptionally non-existent breeze, but even this was a great day when we followed one pod of dolphins for 2 hours and cooled down afterward with a snorkel.

We finished off the week with a day on base, and a fun Friday fry-up of hash browns and eggs. In the morning we did a land-based survey, worked on identifying the fins of individual dolphins and entering some of the research data. After our lunchtime swim, we went to the village for chai and a chapatti (tea and bread) – all in all a lovely day, and an incredible week!

If you want to know more about our scientific activities

2011-11-02T01:22:00.000-07:00

We can proudly announce the opening of our account on Scribd. This network allows its users to share documents with the broad audience. We are using it to upload and make visible the different documents we have produced in relation with our scientific activities and community conservation activities. The link is:

http://www.scribd.com/gvikenya

You can already find there some documents about the conservation state of Shimoni Forest and the sacred kayas (sanctuaries in the forest), among others. We will keep on updating our work there. In the meanwhile... enjoy of it!

My first experience with GVI, based in Mkwiro base

2011-11-01T03:12:00.000-07:00

Definitely not what I expected! Particularly, being Kenyan and participating in Expo 114 as part of the three National Scholarship Program members. But actually it’s been quite fun getting to know people from all over the continent and in addition living on an island brings a whole different twist to it.

Arriving to the Mkwiro base.

Everyone is so friendly it’s really amazing. Every day we go out on sea and do cetacean and mega fauna species identification and behaviour surveys are cool. The staff as well, assist in everything and are very knowledgeable so you get to know a lot of information I never knew before. Definitely a thumbs up! Looking forward to the next few weeks, and taking part in each of the different programmes.

Text: Linda Achieng

First Impressions and Advice from a Newcomer

2011-10-31T03:18:00.000-07:00

“I hope everyone has a sense of humor,” yelled Sergio, who was steering over the crash of the waves against our boat. By the time we arrived on Wasini Island, all five of us new volunteers/inters are soaked to the bone (along with all our belongings). We have just crossed the channel between Shimoni and Mkwiro in the midst of an apocalyptic down pour that staff members seem all too quick to reassure us is not normal. Our good timing continues. The tide is out so we have a small trek to base camp. Hoisting our monstrous backpacks onto our shoulders, our bedraggled group slowly trudges over to the formidable coral steps leading from the beach up to the place where shelter awaits us. Steps conquered, we are unanimously too tired to even take in our new surroundings and without hesitation, throw our bags onto the first available bunk bed. We then hastily hang our mosquito nets and silently pray for the call to dinner and bed. “Can I do this?” I wonder. “Can I do this for six months?”

At 6:00 AM I awake to the sound of shrieking rats. “I guess it’s time to get up.” Trying not to wake my sleeping bunk, I fumble around in my backpack for biodegradable shampoo and soap. Pausing to step over a sleepy millipede, I grab my towel and stumble out of the main house.

Don't you agree Mkwiro is a paradise?

Once out in the early morning light, I remember exactly why I went through all this to get here. Despite our muddy, sweaty, sea-soaked journey the previous afternoon, I feel clean juts stepping into the clear bright sunlight. I take a moment to absorb its warmth and breathe deeply as I feel the gentle ocean breeze blow across my skin. I make my way to the beach and the steps I equated to a trek up a Mayan temple yesterday have become an inviting descent into the cool crystal blue waters where we have the pleasure of bathing. All alone with only the sun and the sea, I strip to my bathing suit and dive in.

There really are no other words to describe Mkwiro other than a tropical paradise. The living conditions are quite basic but it only enhances (and preserves) the island’s natural beauty. Sharing daily shores creates an instant sense of community among the staff and volunteers/interns. Even as a newcomer from America, I never felt lonely or isolated. There is a sense of pride you gain early on while discovering how crucial the work of each individual is in order to maintain a clean, safe living environment. Getting your hands dirty is a must, and they will get dirty. They will probably stay dirty all day long with every other part of your body. Learn to love it; learn to cope with it, or this place is not for you. Having said all that, if you’re up for it, this is an opportunity not to be missed.

After only a few days on the island I have already learned the pleasures of waking up with the sun (even if only because attempting to sleep through twenty bleating goats and a rat fight is an exercise in futility); a far cry from my 12:00 pm stretch and yawn at home. I have also come to love the feeling of having earned my meals, either through work in the community, helping others at base camp, or working out in the field. Mkwiro is what you make of it. Leave your expectations behind and experience each moment in the present. Heed this advice and new friends are sure to follow; perhaps even more than you’ll know what to do with if you participate in reading under The Big Tree in Mkwiro village!

I’ll leave you with some parting words of local wisdom… pole pole (take it easy), and when all else fails… Hakuna Matata!

Text: Sarah Klien

And finally… presenting Mangrove Management at the WIOMSA symposium

2011-10-28T03:03:00.000-07:00

The final poster GVI Kenya has presented in Mombasa thisweek , at the WIOMSA scientific symposium is regarding the biodiversity and utilisation of mangrove resources on Wasini Island. Mangroves are forests tolerant to saline water, growing on tropical coastlines and providing essential resources for coastal communities; in addition they exhibit high biodiversity of flora and fauna species, and maintain the ecological integrity of other marine habitats.

Mangrove habitats exhibit high biodiversity.

Over the past 8 months, we have been surveying the tree species found in the mangrove habitats present on Wasini, as well as the canopy coverage, DBH of trees and canopy height. Results indicate the dominant tree species to be Rhizophora mucronata with a total of 8 mangrove species present. Canopy cover is relatively high at between 70-90% with mean canopy height at 4m.
Alongside this we will be presenting the data collected from a series of mangrove interviews within the local community – all 30 interviewees reported use of mangrove wood for construction, with 50% and 35% also using it for domestic fuel and fishing equipment. Ceriops tagal (Yellow Mangrove) was reported as the species most frequently harvested, but the least abundant in our tree species survey. 78% of those interviewed also commented that coverage has declined over the last 10 years. The mangroves present on Wasini Island represent both an environmentally and economically important habitat for the Mkwiro community, but more effective management might be needed to ensure it’s sustainability.

Presenting Humpback Dolphins at the WIOMSA symposium

2011-10-27T02:57:00.000-07:00

The third poster GVI Kenya is presenting at the WIOMSA scientific symposium focuses on the Humpback dolphin population present around the Shimoni area, using sightings data and photographs taken since 2006 to estimate population size, location and possible threat from anthropogenic activities.

Identification Number 016 – this dolphin has evidence of a fishing line injury

We have identified a population of 32 dolphins, who inhabit mainly shallow coastal areas between Sii Island and Funzi Bay, through the Wasini Channel. Four individuals have evidence of injuries from fishing equipment or boat interactions. In addition, the core range of their distribution does not fall within the boundaries of the KMMPA, meaning no restrictions on fishing levels and methods are in place.

Presenting Sea Turtles at the WIOMSA symposium

2011-10-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

The next item GVI Kenya is presenting at the WIOMSA scientific symposium in Mombasa this week is the seasonal occurance and distribution of sea turtle sightings in and around the Kisite Mpunguti Marine Protected Area (KMMPA). We most commonly see Green and Hawksbill turtles both from the vessel and in-water while snorkelling, during our research days; with 41% and 53% of sightings prospectively.

Sea turtles are often seen surfacing from our research boat.

Sea turtles were most commonly seen in two focal areas; the KMMPA and the Wasini Channel. We also conducted interviews with 75 fishermen whose responses corresponded with this, indicating that they encounter sea turtles most frequently (61%) in the Mpunguti Marine Reserve, and in the kaskazi season (January to March) with 29.5% of responses. We will be discussing the importance of the KMMPA and surrounding waters as critical habitats for Hawksbill and Green turtles, and how community education and awareness programmes will play an important role in conserving local populations.

Presenting Community Conservation at the WIOMSA symposium

2011-10-25T03:42:00.000-07:00

The first poster we are presenting is titled "The role of environmental education in community initiatives for biodiversity conservation". Even if it was decided to be presented lately, we feel proud of this last poster, in which we are going to present our activities and results on the Adult Environmental Classes and Wildlife Clubs of the schools. We would also like to profit of this occasion to present Friends of Shimoni Forest and Shimoni Environmental Association, and their hard work in this field. See you in the conference!

Learning about the environment.

Presenting at the WIOMSA symposium

2011-10-24T02:54:00.000-07:00

The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Assocation (WIOMSA), alongside the Kenyan Marine Fisheries Research Institute (KMFFRI) have organised a scientific symposium in Mombasa this week (from the Monday the 24th to the Thursday the 27th of October), focusing on the issues around Coping with Global Change.
In April, GVI Kenya’s marine team submitted abstracts on a series of topics and findings from our research programme on the south coast under themes of global change and the marine environment, biodiversity and ecological processes and over-exploitation of resources and. And we had three abstracts accepted for poster presentations at the symposium! The next four blogs will describe the focus of the presentations GVI will make and the significance of the data being collected. See you in Mombasa!

Amazing Tiger Sharks Spotted!

2011-10-22T05:13:00.000-07:00

Thursday started out as a slow day on the marine programme – after being on Bardan for hours without a sighting, the day was not looking as promising as the previous trips. We pulled up to a snorkel spot at Kisite and were half in the water, when we heard news of a dead whale spotted in the deeper waters. Faridi hurried us all back into the boat and we sped off to investigate!

We headed towards what looked like the white of breaking waves in the distance, about 2km away, but as we got closer it was clear it was the remains of an adult humpback whale, missing it’s head. We took some pictures and had a closer look at what might have caused its death, but there was no clear evidence.

Once we’d had enough of the awful smell, Faridi turned the boat back towards our snorkel destination, only to turn back around after deciding Kirsty should take a sample. As she reached out towards the whale, a KWS boat approached and warned us there were sharks lurking in the water. Within one minute the first enormous tiger shark was spotted; incredibly only a few seconds later another one appeared... with her baby. As we all rushed to look over the side of the boat there was a scare that it would tip over and we would all be swimming with the massive predators!

The bite marks clearly evident on the whale carcass

Their strength was incredible and the speed was hard to believe. They were approximately 3m in length and distinctively striped. We watched one bite into the flesh of the whale and tear a chunk off to devour, sending shivers down my spine. The two sharks were clearly visible near the carcass one second, and the next would disappear into the deep blue. To see something like that in the wild, was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

A sad day on the water

2011-10-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

Today’s marine survey was sadly interrupted with news of a dead humpback whale adrift just outside the marine park. We made a collective decision to leave our planned route to investigate the situation. As we headed in the direction of the reported sighting the body became visible in the distance. Faridi, our boat captain, had noticed something amiss earlier in that direction, once again demonstrating his knowledge and awareness of the waters surrounding Mkwiro and Shimoni.

The huge creature sadly found dead outside Kisite Marine Park

As we got closer to the site, the first thing that hit us was the enormity of the animal, it was humbling. The body was in advanced stages of decomposition, but still held its colour and was identifiable as a humpback whale by its rorqual pleats; there was a great sense of loss between everyone on the boat. It was quite possibly one of the individuals we had seen migrating last expedition. The Kenya Wildlife Service appeared on the scene promptly to investigate and take photographs, but decided against towing it to shore to investigate the cause of death and other critical information. In the distance again we spotted a similar sight, a large disturbance in the waves, and it was confirmed to be another dead humpback whale. We do not know what caused their mysterious deaths; it could have been the storm last week or some other disturbance.

It was, as I said, a humbling yet sad experience, to see such a majestic giant empty and lifeless.

Baboons and Oasis

2011-10-19T05:52:00.000-07:00

It was the first day of the first work week of my 6-month Kenya internship program. That morning's breakfast was eaten outside on the makeshift benches in the back of the house as we admired the huge baboons roaming around and playing - basically in our back yard. After breakfast, we could still hear them calling out to each other, but we made our way inside to focus on our assignments.

Connor is our teaching coordinator of considerable fame among the villagers of Shimoni. He is the man that taught the children a tune of gibberish that has now, over the course of 3 months, become a standard greeting to all of GVI as we pass through Shimoni - much to his chagrin (he claims the tune's popularity is dying down, but I'm skeptical).

Connor had planned our day's activities and several other volunteers and interns had left to either teach or scour the forest for indigenous African species. Luke, Sophie, and I were relaxing on base planning a lesson for the following day. Luke was leaning against the wall, thinking about strategy (I assume) and staring off to the back door while Sophie and I were sitting in the common room. All of a sudden, Luke backs up and says, "Whoa...," in a heavy undertone. Sophie and I looked up, alert, and moved over towards Luke and the front door. Luke had, in fact, just seen a baboon appear right at the threshold of our back door. It even stepped into the house for a couple of seconds, then backed out and left. By the time Sophie and I had moved around to see the back door, the baboon had left. With caution and slightly nervous laughter we all crept toward the back door in order to close it.

"I didn't know that could happen!"

"I heard from someone that the baboons sometimes want to come in; you have to keep the back door closed if they're being particularly active around us."

We are the world... We are the children...

Later that day, all the GVI teachers attended one of Shimoni's three primary schools, Matunda Bora, and led the choir. Eric, had managed to bring not only his backpack and gear from Chicago to Shimoni (a hefty job for all of us 6-month interns), but also his guitar. He played the tune to, "We Are The World," as the children sang the chorus. Eyes alight with enthusiasm and cheer, the boys' and girls' voices rang out over the entire school yard: We are the world. We are the children. We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start giving. It's a choice we're making. We're saving our own lives. It's true, we make a better day, just you and me.

After several rounds of this song and chorus, the novelty wore off. We switched gears and decided to see what other songs the children knew. Eric was talking to Luke and mentioned, "Wonderwall," by Oasis. Connor immediately walked over.

"They know Wonderwall. Play Wonderwall!" All the volunteers looked slightly surprised but Eric started playing. All of a sudden, the entire class of children started to sing Oasis', "Wonderwall," to near-perfection. All the volunteers were cracking up with laughter at the scene: apparently, GVI's volunteers in the past had taught these children a thing or two about Oasis.

Playing and singing Oasis.

In the midst of all this, I spent time with the children in the back of the choir by trying to speak and learn Swahili (while also making sure I wasn't distracting them from the Choir's activities). At first, the girls I started speaking to just laughed at the sight of a GVI volunteer speaking Swahili. At my insistence, finally a girl softly replied, "Nzuri," (fine) to me after I had asked, "Habari yako?" (How are you?) From there, the girls seemed fascinated by me and started throwing vocabulary and sentences my way, most of which I couldn't understand. I would respond, "Hapana, Sielewi!" (No, I don't understand!) They would immediately switch to English and translate what they had just said. It was with pleasure and goodwill that these girls started helping me with their language and it made me look forward to the next time I'd be able to sit down with them and the other children to practice my Swahili.

The following morning was my first time teaching an English class (the use of, "has," and, "have," and adverbs) and one of the girls I had been speaking to the day prior was present. During a short break in class while a student wrote on the board, I leaned back against a desk to watch. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around.

"Hujambo!?" (hello! in proper Kiswahili)

"Sijambo (hello to you!)... But this is English class. In here, I teach you. Out there," I gestured to the school yard, "-You teach me, okay?" The girl laughed and nodded.

"Okay!"

A week on board the Bardan

2011-10-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

Last week when we went on the marine boat, Bardan, we were lucky to see dolphins almost everyday. We did Dedicated Search on the dolphins behavior, taking note of the tourist dhows and other species and boats also. It is amazing to see these animals in their natural habitat! You can see them traveling in large groups, and sometimes spot the newborns with their mum. After doing Dedicated Search, we went over to one of the transects in the Marine Park to snorkel. Snorkeling was enjoyed by everyone, with colorful coral and odd looking fish.

Our boat, the Bardan

The Wonders of Bathing in the Indian Ocean!

2011-10-17T04:40:00.000-07:00

So, the time finally came for me to finally head down for a wash in the sea. All I can tell you is that I came back considering the bathing experience one of the wonders of life! First of all, who would have thought that you would one day be scrubbing yourself clean in the Indian Ocean? Such a thing is destined to become part of life here; however I don’t ever think that it will ever become in any way mediocre! Just on this one occasion I was sitting down in the shallows, washing off the sweat and grime unassumingly, when I heard a farr of “Jambo” coming from the direction of Mkwiro beach. I turned around to see a swarm of little children running excitedly towards me screaming “Jambo, jambo, jambo!” as they pranced over. “Jambo, jambo what is your name?” They all inquired in chorus. I told them my name and then asked each of them theirs, upon which they all broke into fits of laughter when I pronounced their names incorrectly. I could only laugh too! They then started to play around in the coral, picking up pieces of weed, coral and a variety of weird and wonderful little sea creatures – from crabs to three-legged ‘brittle-stars’ – well, apparently they have more legs but that was all I saw. the children would shout out the name of the little critter in Swahili. I would then repeat it and they would start giggling uncontrollably again!

Jambo! What is your name?

I then reached down and picked a small shell up to show them. When I straightened up again, they had all taken a few steps back, obviously cautions as to what I was doing. I held it out to them and said crab. They then all came back over and started repeating the English and looking curiously at the creature. After this intercultural lesson in marine animals, we walked back together talking an English-Swahili mish-mash until the steps where I bade them a big farewell. I walked back to the base with an enormous smile on my face after what I’m sure will remain one of the most unique bathing experiences of my life! Just one of the wonders of island life!

Adventures in the mangroves!

2011-10-14T05:26:00.000-07:00

Last Friday a group of us from the marine team adventured ourselves past the safety of the Mkwiro village and into the untamed wilderness that is the Wasini jungle. Smashed by the sun and chased by goats, we pressed on, leaving our fate in the hands of our trusty guide, Rashidi, who knows this island better than the back of his hand. Knee-deep in wet sand and mud, Mitch began the daunting chore of unraveling the tangled measuring tape.

Getting into the mangroves.

Thomas looked foolish through the backwards of the binoculars, while Linda and Irene identified the unknown tree species. Katie and Gill, our knowledgeable staff escort, meanwhile, filled us in on some critical mangrove information. The mangroves trap sediments that keep the waters around the coast clear but full of necessary nutrients, but unfortunately for us, they also trap a large amount of rubbish. After Mitch was done tree hugging with a tape measure, we where forced by the quickly rising tide to return to base and sit down to our delicious lunch of probably beans.

Measuring mangrove diameter.

Kate's first impression of Mkwiro

2011-10-13T04:32:00.000-07:00

I am just going to admit straight out that I absolutely love it here. I’ve only been here only three weeks as a community volunteer and I do not want to leave in ten days’ time when my program comes to an end. Having spent two weeks in Shimoni working at the schools there, I have now come to Mkwiro – a small, but incredibly vibrant village on Wasini Island that runs adjacent to Shimoni. Life here is very different to that back on the mainland – different in a good way! Life slows down even more. You really do feel removed from the world – internet access, electricity, running water no more! This is what I came for! Doing water runs, collecting the weekly food supplies from the boat and washing in the ocean all become a part of everyday island life (OK, nearly every day when it comes to washing yourself). Once you forget all the norms of living back in Shimoni, you become accustomed to it all surprisingly quickly. This has been the case for me. I have really just thrown myself into everything. I guess this is why I have come to love it so much!

Our kitchen banda in Mkwiro.

First snorkeling in the Wasini channel!

2011-10-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

This was supposed to be a warm-up before our first snorkeling survey in the Kisite-Mpunguti MPA, but hwo nice! We wandered out through a broad sand plain exposed by the low tide towards the channel. There, our sightings started with a majestic African Fish Eagle. Avoiding the sea urchins, we finally jumped in. The water was really warm and pleasant, with a nice visibility of about 10 meters.

We saw, among others: peppered moray, moorish idol, yellow belied sea snake, oriental sweetlips and a map puffer. This last one was so shy and looked at us accusingly when we took a photo. Such a pity that you cannont ask for permission to a fish to take a picture, I would gladly have done it!

The nature here really makes you humble. When we dived down, we could hear dolphins speaking in the distance. We hope to see them tomorrow during our boat based survey!
Text: Agnezka Luberek and Patrik Eklof

Kate's first week on the Community program

2011-10-11T04:14:00.000-07:00

What an incredible first week it has been! It has been so full-on that it’s only now that I have the time to sit down and put pen to paper about everything that we have been up to since the start of the community project last Monday (It’s now Monday a week later!). Time really does fly here, even if everything does happen in “Kenyan Time” (their definition of punctuality here is definitely not to be compared with ours in Europe!).

It’s simply different here – everything is different! Forget about what you’re used to back home! You’re just simply not going to find it here. OK, despite the running water, electricity and internet acess. To be honest, I really wasn’t expecting this at all, but at the end of the day, it does make life infinitely easier. Nevertheless, I am going to make the most of it while it lasts – next week I’m off to Mkwiro, an even more remote village on the small island adjacent to Shimoni. Being much less developed than Shimoni, there will be no electricity or running water.

But enough about all of this! I have to say that even after just one week, I can understand why so many people have decided to stay on here. You immediately feel welcome in Shimoni with almost all the locals who you awlk past on your walks between the GVI house and the village and schools greeting you with a friendly “Jambo” or “Karibu” (They only make you awnt to be more generous and hard-working while you are here). It seems that GVI has developed a really great relationship with the local community and you just feel lucky to be able to be a part of what they do here.

Welcoming kids from Shimoni.

I myself, among others (including our amazing GVI Community staff, Nikki) have been involved in the community side of the project, continuing on GVI’s work with the local schools – Shimoni Primary School, Matunda Bora Primary, and Base Academy Primary. I think it has been due to our close work with the local people that has really given us this sense of feeling a part of the community. Although I walked into Shimoni with just a short pre-expedition TEFL Assignment as my official English teaching training, I have just thrown myself into it and found teaching here to be an incredibly rewarding experience so far, more than I could have ever imagined! I confess, I already don’t want to leave in 3 weeks time.

Adapting to a new culture climate and way of living like early morning wake-up calss that sound from the nearby mosque calling people to morning prayer and teaching a class of so unruly pupils living here has certainly come with its challenges. However, it has all been really positive and above all interesting to see the workings of a community which has indeed started to develop but still lacks a lot of the necessary foundations that will ensure the sustainability of any future development. I guess that’s what we’re here to help them with, but with an emphasis on community initiative and ownership. We are just here to lend support when they need us!

A little token (Fran's farewell)

2011-10-10T03:38:00.000-07:00

When I was first asked to write about my time here by Sergio (our new Science and Training Officer)… I unknowingly obliged, thinking that this would be one of the easiest blogs I had written over of the past two years. Unfortunately it proves to be one of the most difficult but also, the most heartfelt.

I first started with GVI Kenya back in 2009 as an intern on their ‘Community Development Internship’ after working 6months, I was given the opportunity to step up to ‘Community Officer’. This position enabled me to oversee GVI’s community program in both Shimoni and on Mkwiro Island. For this opportunity and job, I am eternally grateful. GVI has been and will remain the best experience of my life so far.

There are so many stories to tell…. so much I would love to share with you, but I have been struggling to find the right words! The words that would do justice to the people to whom I work with, to those I have met and the stories we share together.

I have so many amazing memories of my time with each of these communities (Shimoni and Mkwiro), memories of the challenges we faced together, the successes and achievements and the laughs and jokes we had along the way. Community Development work is long; it’s not all about tangible results as much as it is the easier option. It’s about capacity building and providing vocational training opportunities, providing individuals with the much needed knowledge and skills to enable them to go out and independently achieve their aims and objectives. This is the one thing about GVI that I have deep respect for.. and something I am proud to say I assisted in instilling within the work we do in the communities. Ensuring project sustainability and community ownership is what is important and something we pride ourselves in ensuring!!

Text: Fran Millsop

Fran (right) and Nikki (left) during one of the activities of Safe Shimoni.

‘The effects seem invisible, not because no one can feel them or see them… but because they are immeasurable’.

Don't mess with baboons!

2011-10-07T01:22:00.000-07:00

In Africa, baboons figure in the list of main worries for many development workers. This is especially true in the case of the human-habituated troops that roam freely around villages and theirs outskirts. This animals approach houses to scavenge on rubbish and organic residues, and it’s pretty frequent to see them close to our house. But their courage doesn’t finish there: they adventure inside the houses, where they will shamelessly steal any onions, bananas and other fruits and vegetables in their reach. Hence, one of our rules is keep always the doors closed!

Thinking about the next robbery... or just feeling lazy?

Needless to say, if you encounter a troop of these animals in the forest, and they don’t run away (and don’t think otherwise: this is the most usual scenario), you don’t have any other option than politely wait until they decide to let you pass. And seriously, you don’t want to do it otherwise: a male baboon standing in his back legs may be as tall as many girls I know, being much heavier and having way longer fangs than them.
Nevertheless, although they can be cocky and defensive, they don’t dare to attack humans. But these behaviours are pretty frequent among baboons living in highly perturbated environments, and may lead to several problems.
A simple piece of advice: if you come to Africa, don’t mess with baboons!

Malaria outreach with Safe Shimoni

2011-10-06T00:47:00.000-07:00

No day is the same when you are working on the Community Project in Coastal Kenya. Each day we spend time planning community programs, developing lesson plans, teaching in the classrooms and most importantly just spending time with the children. Each day is a rewarding experience, but occasionally we also get to witness some remarkable events that truly put things in perspective.

Nikki with the boys from Safe Shimoni

Safe Shimoni is a local activist group which aims to improve the health conditions on the southern coast of Kenya. GVI works closely with the group and aids them with proposal writing and presentation techniques. I was fortunate enough to attend one of their Malaria Outreach sessions in Mkwiro on Wasini Island. The outreach was directed towards the women of the village, and to my surprise nearly 100 women turned up. It took place outside the primary school overlooking the water. Safe Shimoni had close to 15 representatives, who presented themselves and began the presentation with a quick overview of their aims and objectives. Then, each representative took a group of 10 women to have a more in-depth conversation regarding the topic. Safe Shimoni came with laminated picture books which explicitly explained the dangers of Malaria. The women, despite their natural reservations, were intrigued and very involved in the group discussions. The lesson covered also the use of mosquito nets, bug repellant and the effects Malaria can have on one’s body.

The fact that most people in the village still slept without a mosquito net and had very little knowledge on Malaria was alarming to me. However, Safe Shimoni did such an incredible job reaching out to these community members and expanding their knowledge. The session was in Kiswahili so I only picked up some of the words, yet I was still inspired by the presentation and the reaction it evoked from the local women. Leaving the session that day reminded me how change is needed everywhere, but it only takes some motivated individuals to start the process.

Reflexions on Expo 113 in the forest

2011-10-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks on forest have been really exciting! There have been a couple of sightings of the rare Zanj Elephant Shrew and even a bush pig. A few of us were even lucky enough to see two snouted night adders mating! We have also collected valuable data on human disturbance in the forest. This involves counting evidence of disturbances such as fire, charcoal pits and tree logging.

Cheers from the goats!

One day after a huge rain downpour we had nine different primate sightings (which does not happen too often), identifying 35 different primate individuals. On the same day we saw grey headed and brown hooded kingfishers, speckled mouse birds, crowned hornbills and an African fish eagle. Along with seeing wildlife in the forest we have also had some wildlife wander into the house. Some baboons came to visit and left with a cabbage and a black dress! We have also have a family of goats wandering in to say hello.

Feathery Friends from Shimoni

2011-10-04T01:08:00.000-07:00

Our black and white Colobus studies are obviously our main priority, important and very interesting. I can’t help though to every now and again walk away from the telescope, put my GPS down and hand over my field-forms and sneak off to find birds.

East Africa has 182 official Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and Shimoni has long since been on the list to become the 183^rd one. This morning, in a span of less than 5 minutes these four birds practically flew into my binoculars:

Female African Paradise Flycatcher

Ashy Flycatcher

Ross's Turaco

Yellow Rumped Tinkerbird

Build, build, build!

2011-10-03T04:10:00.000-07:00

Renovations, in particular an extension of the feeding area is now underway! The Mnarani Turtle Conservation Aquarium has planned and began implementing this extension of the feeding area of the natural lagoon in order to allow for more people to get involved with the feeding of the turtles.

Feeding area of the natural lagoon

The extension will also reinforce the feeding platform, making it much more stable and safer for anyone visiting the aquarium. The renovation is expected to be finished by the end of the week and at minimal costs; due to help from an avid supporter of the project from the local village.

Reinforced feeding platform.

This is just the first of a number of renovations planned for the weeks leading to the start of the high season in June, where the population of Zanzibar increases vastly. Keep up the good work guys and we all look forward to what’s in store for the near future.

More people will now be able to get more involved with turtle feeding.

Record Breaking Colobus Monkey!

2011-09-30T00:47:00.000-07:00

GVI Kenya would like to share some very exciting news with everybody on behalf of the Colobus Trust. The Colobus Trust is a conservation organization designed to promote the conservation, preservation and protection of primates like the rare Angolan Colobus monkey (Colobus angolensis palliatus) and its coastal forest habitat in southern Kenya.

Over the last 14 years The Colobus Trust has received numerous orphaned Colobus infants in need of hand rearing but unfortunately, due to their complex and sensitive digestive system and general fragile nature we have never been successful in keeping one alive for more than 21 days. Indeed, this is repeated in any institute that has attempted to hand rear this particular species of Colobus (Colobus angolensispalliatus) or an International Zoo and leading authority on animal care, the same story is repeated time and time again, ‘the infant does well for the first 2-3 weeks, then suddenly crashes and dies within 12 hours’.

An angolan back and white colobus, just after hearing all these good news!

There is now one notable exception, Baby Betsy, an orphaned Angolan Colobus who has been in the care of The Colobus Trust and hand reared for 65 days (5/04/11). Angolan Colobus monkeys are born pure white, developing the adult black and white coloration at around 3 months old, via a grey stage, which Betsy is currently displaying. She is in constant contact with her primary or secondary carer, replicating the level of contact, care and love she would naturally receive from her colobus Mum. During the day she is wrapped in a sarong and tied across the chest of her carer and sleeps in the bed alongside her at night.

Fed on an individually designed diet of goat milk, infused with chamomile tea, probiotics and multi vitamins, supplemented with wild leaves and flowers and a weekly ‘poop shake’ – her usual milk meal with a small amount of colobus feces added to provide good colobus stomach bacteria – Betsy is doing remarkably well and exceeding all our expectations.

4000 people in Wasini Island

2011-09-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

Wasini Island is home to around 4000 people, split between the two main villages, who live their lives separated from the mainland by a 2km channel. Situated in the tropical Indian Ocean, it is an incredibly picturesque place to call home, but island life comes with it challenges in terms of supplying communities with some basic necessities. With no reliable source of freshwater, GVI’s main focus for the past few months has been assessing the status of water provision for Mkwiro village and implementing any improvements deemed priorities.
In Mkwiro there are communal water tanks used to store collected rainwater throughout the year – in working condition these could provide enough rainwater to get the village through the dry season. Unfortunately, over time disrepair and leaks started causing a loss of collected water and meant villagers have had to purchase water from the mainland.
This is where GVI stepped in. Through donations from GVIs charitable trust money has been raised to repair the water tanks. Local ‘fundis’ or builders are currently working on these essential repairs and are well on the way to having them in fully working condition. This will make a huge difference to the people of Mkwiro, giving them enough water not only to drink, but to cook and wash with. This is one of a number of community projects we are currently fundraising for - many thanks to everyone involved in making this hugely worthwhile project happen.

Once the dust is cleaned, a document taken from our archives!

2011-09-28T04:21:00.000-07:00

Last night was a particularly special night for the lucky folk based in Shimoni. Instead of tucking ourselves into beds in our house in the village, we all packed water, first aid kits, roll mats and torches and headed out into Shimoni forest for a campout! We have done this before, but not since this time last year. The reasons being that during January – March season, there is no chance of rain, and the mosquitoes are few and far between! Any other time of year and one could end up getting rather wet and eaten alive by the biting critters.We prepared a huge pot of potato salad, bought ourselves two whole chickens, scrubbed our handy homemade grill, and marched out to section 22 of transect 2 to set up.

We had been out scouting earlier in the day, and had found a nice open area that didn’t have too much coral rag. We all gathered deadwood off the forest floor for firewood and got the fire going without any trouble. Julien (a volunteer from Portugal) proceeded to cook the chicken to perfection in a lime and chilli marinade! Once we were all fed and settled, we donned our forest boots and torches and headed out for a night walk! Night walks are one of my favorite things to do in the forest – it is a completely different place at night.

The forest is alive with nocturnal creatures; the rustling of small feet in the leaf litter and the night calls of the various animals are all around you, making you strain your eyes into the shadows to look for the telltale reflections of eyes in the torchlight.We were fortunate to get some awesome sightings of several sunis and a pair of small eared galagos (bushbabies) hopping through the trees. These two animals are the ones most likely to be seen at night, as they are the most abundant nocturnal animals in the forest. Sunis are tiny antelope, whose shoulders rarely rise above 40cm off the ground. They are primarily nocturnal, and feed on leaves, shoots and fruits on the forest floor. Shy creatures, but get stunned in the torchlight, so night walks are the only times you can get a really good look at them. Small eared galagos are one of my favorite animals – relatively large for a bushbaby, with incredibly soft, wooly fur, bushy tails and huge eyes that glow red in torchlight. Apart from being very cute, they are considered to be the closest living representatives of the earliest primates. Their form of locomotion has been retained, and you can see the subtle differences between them and other primates.

Unfortunately we didn’t manage to get any good photos of the animals seen, but it was a great experience for all present. We are going to do this a couple more times in the next couple of months hopefully, to take advantage of the season and to get some good photos of the nocturnal wildlife.

We’ll keep you updated (naturally…)!

Bats!

2011-09-27T02:11:00.000-07:00

Last week we went for a new adventure: going to the hole in the ceiling of the Slave caves at sunset, to see the bats going out for their nightly hunt. The bats that inhabit these caves are basically of two kinds: small insectivorous bats and big fruit-eating flying foxes.

Close shot of an insectivorous bat.

And it was such an amazing experience! Being just a meter or so from this hole in the ground, and seeing hundreds and hundreds of bats flying out of it, and flying around you or even against you, is so unique. Despite the darkness and the unbelievable speed of the bats, we managed to get some cool pics. We encourage future volunteers to try this!

New snorkel transect brings new data

2011-09-23T00:41:00.000-07:00

Our marine programme has had a recent addition that we are all very excited about!!! Transect 11 has just been recently added to our snorkel surveys. The transect is just off the shelf outside our Mkwiro base which means that as long as the tide is low it can be snorkelled without even getting on a boat!!

Exploring the new transect.

The transect has already proven to be very interesting, with some species seen here that we haven't seen on our other transects. Bottlenose and Humpback dolphins have also been recorded off the eastern end of the transect, as well as other interesting species, including large Barracuda and Hawksbill and Green turtles. This data proves that although the waters in the Wasini channel are not protected by any jurisdiction they still offer an abundant and diverse range of sea life that we hope to be able to monitor and over time, preserve with the help of organisations like KWS who share our data.

What we find on our garden (3)

2011-09-22T00:08:00.000-07:00

A sykes monkey, playfully hanging on in front of our cottage.

More inhabitants of Shimoni Forest

2011-09-21T23:48:00.000-07:00

Here you can enjoy of some recently obtained photos of the Eastern Strip-Belied Sand Snake (Psammophis orientalis).

New Expo, new skills: two brand-new boat captains

2011-09-20T23:42:00.000-07:00

For the new expo, we will enjoy of the availability and dedication of our two recently certified boat captains: Kirsty (our Marine Officer) and Sergio (our Science and Training Officer). Some weeks ago, they both attended a course an obtained their official RYA Boat Handling License Level 2, which allows them to handle our boats for the marine program. They are both of them eagerly looking forward to start carrying our volunteers across the channel and to the Marine Reserve!

Message from Wasini Island

2011-09-19T00:13:00.000-07:00

Wasini island, a small jewel in the Indian Ocean, one mile from the great continent of Africa and kissing the Kenyan/Tanzanian border. Every evening, a spectacular sunset. Every evening, our banda is visited by tens of enchanting hermit crabs and even the very rare coconut crab. This really is a special place.

Wasini island consists of 2 villages (Wasini and Mkwiro) with a confirmed population of about 5000 persons, whose livelihoods depend mainly on fishing. However, the fish stocks in the area have been steadily declining up to a 70% during the last two decades.

However, kids top everything else in this island, with their bright eyes and huge smile, plus their Kiswahili songs with which they welcome you every time you enter the village.

We have English classes with the local kids, who have therefore the opportunity to learn from native English speakers. Our objective is improving their pronunciation and grammar skills throughout all primary school levels. It is a challenge keeping the attention of these young and restless minds, and hence we have to be creative and interactive with our classes. However, it is always a nice thrill to leave the classroom knowing that the children have learnt something.

Our 10 week expo is close to an end. And it has been such an incredible experience so far! Dolphin surveys and coral reef snorkeling transects to study the impact of tourism in the ecosystem, forest conservation focused on colobus monkeys, teaching in the schools in Shimoni and Mkwiro… Bring on next expo!!!

Mating behavior of speckled lipped skinks

2011-09-16T23:37:00.000-07:00

The speckled lipped skink (Mabuya maculilabris) is common in East-Africa near natural water sources. They are beautiful and quite subtly colored animals. This afternoon we were lucky enough to witness some of their mating behavior.

Male (left) grabbing some of the female’s skin possibly inducing mating.

Caterpillar and butterfly bloom

2011-09-15T00:19:00.000-07:00

The rains have come and definitely make any field-work a lot more complicated. Trees and lianas grow so fast that access-paths disappear within days and boots get heavy with mud the moment you set foot in the forest.

Big game safari: butterflies!

Some populations though, are thriving. Butterflies are swarming everywhere and possibly more exciting, we get to see their larvae stage; caterpillars!

Caterpillar catch from the forest.

Kiswahili course

2011-09-14T02:47:00.000-07:00

End of quarter, sad farewells and promises to keep in touch. We'll miss all our volunteers. But, for the ones who are staying, it's time to start planning and preparing for the next Expo.

During class time.

Because of that, our interns, who are preparing to enter their staff placements, as well as some senior staff have attended a Kiswahili course during the previous days. Intensive. Exhausting. But we have learnt a lot, and we are all looking forward to start putting into practice this new skill we have just acquired, and we hope that the local communities will appreciate our effort.