Tag: Conservation
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Exploring Oloolua Forest
Last week’s article was all about the new Land Rover Defender, which I had the opportunity to test in Oloolua Forest. The dirt tracks that we used were beneath the SGR, which runs right across the southern portion of the forest. I’ve written a few articles for this column recently about Nairobi’s forests, and the…
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Life and Death on the Mara River
Of the 1.5 million wildebeest that trek into the Masai Mara from the Serengeti each year, an average of 300,000 die, most while crossing the Mara River. While death at such a scale may seem senseless, it plays a vital role in the nourishment of the river ecosystem for years after the dust settles.
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With the Birds on the Swara Plains
I thought it was going to be a big sacrifice. We were at the Swara Acacia Lodge, 45 kilometres down the Mombasa Road for what Nature Kenya called the Big Birding Weekend. After a welcome Saturday morning breakfast, we were setting off for the first bird drive across the Swara Plains wildlife conservancy. As we…
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In Tsavo East With Some Wilful Wildlife
‘That’s the way to approach Tsavo East,’ my younger son, Jan, said. As the aircraft came down through the clouds, it flew along the jagged edge of the Yatta Plateau, traced the Galana River, flew low over the Lugard Falls, and banked steeply to make the Lugard airstrip. It was breath-taking – in more ways…
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Camping by the Ewaso in Ol Pejeta
In many ways, Ol Pejeta is the ideal destination for a weekend safari out of Nairobi. The drive is manageable – short enough for a one-night stay, and with plenty of good breakfast spots along the way. The views of Mount Kenya are stunning, the density of wildlife is high, and there are accommodation options…
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On the Sidelines of the Safaricom Marathon
It has been 20 years since the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy hosted its first Safaricom Marathon. The inaugural event was a comparatively low key affair, with just 180 runners taking part. Among them was Dave Buzza, who became the first and only British national to win the race. So a lot has changed in 20 years.…
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Easter at the Mara’s Oldest Lodge
‘In Maa it means a place of dark green trees. Ilkeek Orok’. James Pere manages Keekorok Lodge, in the southern Sekenani sector of the Masai Mara National Reserve. He was talking me through the rich history of the lodge, as we wandered across its lush grounds. When it opened its doors in 1962, it was…
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Budget Bush Accommodation in Ol Pejeta
When I last visited Ol Pejeta 12 months ago, its plains were green and its rivers were swollen. The woodlands were dank and dripping, and the tracks were sodden and treacherous. Now, the conservancy is dry. The plains are parched, and the marshes are waterless and cracked. But not everything has changed. Up on a…
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Local Ocean Conservation: Protecting Sea Turtles in Watamu
A young Hawksbill turtle was presented to us in an old green bucket, by a group of fishermen in the north of Watamu. The turtle had been caught up in their net as ‘bycatch’ – when non-target species are accidentally captured in fishing gear. I was with Kahindi Changawa and his team from Local Ocean…
Going Places Africa 