more photos

collecting data on reef impacts

The road to Mwamba, A Rocha's field study centre

Henry the centre manager recycling an old toilet into a clipboard to take underwater!

Photos of the reef

Data

Had a great day yesterday and today collecting data on the state of the reef and fish biodiversity. One of the projects we are working on to serve Kenya Wildlife Service (who manage Watamu Marine Park) is to look at the potential impact of tourists on coral reef health. So we are looking at the coral cover and damage at sites where people snorkel and where they don't.

Last night a group of secondary school (High School) kids came and are camping at the centre. So its a bit more crowded than usual. But they went out snorkeling this morning and we accompanied them out on the boat. Was good to give them some information on the reef, why it is important and how to not damage it snorkeling. Then I went around and collected information on which fish were at the site. Tomorrow we are going out on a KWS boat to look at the different habitats in the park. Part of what we need to do is see what the various impacts are in the park and what can actually be done about it.

Mangrove report

Well, the mangrove forest was as I remembered. VERY hot, bit like planting trees in an oven. There were several community groups, primary school kids, women's groups, and local villagers. No churches though, so glad that our Christian environmental group was present. It seems that here, like so many places, the church is absent from these types of events. Had an interesting conversation with someone who explained that the elders of the village didn't really get planting the trees. They said trees were a gift from God, so no need. My response to this person was and if I could speak Swahili to the elders would be "you are exactly right, trees are a gift from God." But to me that implies exactly the opposite, that they are something that we need to steward and see as having value because the Creator made them. We can use them, of course, but to simply harvest them until they are gone is to dishonour God who gave the gift to us.

Well, enough preaching. Was exhausted, frankly, from the heat, so took a bit of a nap, did some reading, then went for a walk in a small village that was very reminiscent of where we lived in India. Lots of coconut palm trees and lots of poverty. There is a primary school that we hope to start working with.

Things fishy

I will tell a little more about the project in another post, but thought I'd tell a few highlights of being in the water. Saw several guitar fish, some big rays, a turtle, lots of coral, and three grouper species - but who's counting. It is nice to be back swimming in an area that I understand and that is warm!

Tomorrow we head out for a community event to plant mangrove seedlings. If you don't live near the tropics, you may not know that mangroves are plants/trees that live on the edge of the ocean and along estuaries. They can tolerate both salt and freshwater. They are very important for shoreline protection and the young of many fish start life there. It also makes good firewood and building material. So often there is unsustainable cutting of mangroves for various reasons, but it usually ends with shoreline erosion and decreased fish abundance.

Mosquitoes

I am writing this while trying to swat mosquitoes and remembering my sermon at church a few weeks ago where I introduced the advent appeal for mosquito nets for Malawi. Long-story, but basically now I am putting to use the information I was talking about then. Putting on insect repellent, sleeping under a mosquito net, and taking malaria tablets. Should be ok, of course, but all the buzzing around me right now doesn't inspire confidence.

Imagine if I didn't have the money to by the malaria tablets. Imagine if the centre didn't have the foresight to put up a mosquito net in each room. (oh, there is a big crab walking across the floor right now, nice visitor from the beach! Actually a few, I think there will be an interesting fight.) Imagine if I didn't have the money to buy insect repellent. Well, that is the situation for most people in this area of Africa and the reality is, many get malaria. In fact, over 1 million people each year die of malaria, most in sub-saharan Africa. Even if I get it, which is unlikely given the precautions, I have enough money and access to medical care that I most certainly won't die. Doesn't seem fair, and its not. Some good news before I left the UK about a malaria vaccine, but still a long way to go on that.

From Kenya

Well, finally arrived on Tuesday afternoon. Got to the airport on Sunday afternoon and eventually the flight was delayed because of fog. They sent us to a hotel. I would of gone home had I known what was coming, but it looked like we would get on the plane early in the morning. We eventually left at about 12:30pm on Monday, only to arrive in Nairobi at midnight. Of course, all the planes to the coast weren't leaving until the morning. Despite promising hotels, Kenya Airways didn't do anything for us when we got there. I probably would have stayed at the airport anyway. So I sat in a chair in the luggage pick up area from about 1:30 am until 5 am. Met a nice Muslim Tanzanian guy there. We sat and talked about all those taboo topics, religion, politics, etc. Made for a nice, but tiring night. Got to Kenya Airways domestic and they had no idea there was a problem Eventually most of us got to Mombasa on the 9:30 am flight, which also ended up being late. Thankfully my co-worker Benjo picked me up in Mombasa and we made the two hour drive up to Watamu.

Got stuck in snorkeling that afternoon. Water felt like a bath, but was still mentally refreshing, anyway. Been meeting folks, helping Benjo with moving ahead in the marine work, and getting the lay of the land. Was doing some training in coral reef research. Seeing some old fish friends has been nice.

There are so many opportunities here, just a matter of where to focus. More on that in another post. We don't have internet yet at the A Rocha centre, but hope to soon. So for now I am suffering again at the hotel on the beach from last year where I type to the sounds of waves crashing on the beach and sit with a glass of passion fruit juice at my side.

Off again

It is Saturday night. I, like usual before a trip, wish I wasn't going. I had a nice evening with the family and am already starting to miss them. Once I am there, I know I'll enjoy and I also know that what I am doing is important. I just want to make it worth the cost. Hopefully more to come from Kenya.