One of my longtermer friends and her husband are building a house at the edge of the Kaptagat forest (about 25 minutes from Eldoret). I have been fortunate to visit their property twice this year to see how the house building is progressing and to walk the grounds to admire the wildlife. Yesterday, we crossed the road from the property to explore and enjoy the forest a bit more. The couple is also extremely passionate about forest conservation, and I always manage to learn something interesting about the history of Kenya's forests and the importance of protecting these precious regions.
Here are some facts:
Forests currently cover only 2% of Kenya's land region, however, they contain 50% of the nation's tree species, 40% of its larger mammals and 30% of the bird population. Unfortunately, the forests are in great danger due to uncontrolled forest exploitation. The proximity of Kaptagat forest to Eldoret makes it particularly attractive for individuals who sell wood and charcoal since they can easily transport the material to town and sell it. Forests in Kenya are important for many reasons - they trap and store rain water, regulate river flow and prevent flooding, they are major habitats of wildlife, and are traditionally important for cultural ceremonies etc.
Luckily, my friends are leading the effort in Kaptagat to encourage landowners to plant their own inexpensive trees on their land to use for wood and charcoal. This could be an easy way to discourage the community from destroying the forest yet maintain the source of income the community receives from the wood and charcoal business.
A tree that is estimated to be more than 1000 years old!
Butterfly
Villagers carrying wood from the forest towards the main road
