To celebrate World Earth Day and the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, on Saturday 22 April, chairman of the Friends of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Mr Tukero Ole Kina joined committee members KWS researcher Lynn Njeri and Malindi business man Ray Muremi on an early morning walk. The walk was lead by ‘father of the forest’ David Ngala and many birds both local and migratory were seen in the brachystegia woodland.

Mr Ole Kina commented following the walk that he had spotted plastic bottles and other rubbish. He said that the Friends would look into providing dustbins and so that visitors would not discard their trash in the forest.

He thanked Lynn Njeri for organising the walk and encouraged other Friends to attend the next one on Saturday 6 May.

The aim of these regular walks, which take place twice a month, is to build capacity in wildlife identification for the staff and stakeholders  in Arabuko Sokoke forest ensuring  that all they have the general knowledge required on the Arabuko Sokoke forest wildlife and habitats and most importantly to develop passion for wildlife in the forest among the staff and stakeholders in to ensure greater conservation effort benefits.

This walk was conducted at the Mida Creek Reserve and centrally coordinated by Kalama Ali and Lennox Kirao. Since we had group of 15 pupils from Mida Primary School WCK, the walk was jointly led by Albert Baya, Alex Mwalimu and Kibwana Ali. The walk started right at the entrance gate, through the old Mombasa Malindi road, to the waterway through which rain water from the ASF connects to the Creek, into farms and final at the mangrove channels and mud flats/sand bars.

Birds and trees recorded: