Kenya's bid to repair damage to flamingo population

[deborah4]

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/41524/newsDate/24-Apr-2007/story.htm

[Bubbs]

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/41524/newsDate/24-Apr-2007/story.htm

I'm a little confused here. I used to visit Nakuru in 'the good old days' and it was awesome. Not only a million flamingos but lots of just about everything you could imagine birdwise.

Why will planting trees around the lake stop the pollution pouring into the lake?

Why will planting trees around the lake stop global warming?

I have a feeling that one, or several, of the culprits lies many miles from Nakuru and they must address that issue also.

A report from late 2006 stated that there was not one single wading bird on Nakuru on the day of the reporters visit; a sad reflection on what was a magical place and what was once described as "the greatest ornithological spectacle on earth"

[deborah4]

I'm a little confused here. I used to visit Nakuru in 'the good old days' and it was awesome. Not only a million flamingos but lots of just about everything you could imagine birdwise.

Why will planting trees around the lake stop the pollution pouring into the lake?

Why will planting trees around the lake stop global warming?



Hi Bubbs

Deforestation, ie land clearance for farming, effects local climate patterns and rainfall - lakes dry up - ergo destruction of wetland habitat for flamingo - soil erosion also effect of deforestation, pouring silt into water basins (that's my understanding anyway!)

http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2007-03/2007-03-19-voa24.cfm?CFID=127894443&CFTOKEN=20640098

[Bubbs]

Hi Bubbs

Deforestation, ie land clearance for farming, effects local climate patterns and rainfall - lakes dry up - ergo destruction of wetland habitat for flamingo - soil erosion also effect of deforestation, pouring silt into water basins (that's my understanding anyway!)

http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2007-03/2007-03-19-voa24.cfm?CFID=127894443&CFTOKEN=20640098

Hi Deborah, Yeah I get all that but planting trees around the lake will not do a great deal for the immediate enivironment. Nakuru stinks and it aint coming from where the trees once were.

[Hanno]

This is just so sad. I cut my birding teeth in Kenya, and visited the Rift many times. Glad I ain't there anymore. Oh, and planting trees doesn't address the issue, nail the corrupt bast*rds that were given the land by ex-president Moi and do what they want.

[mike davidson]

its a bit more complicated than all have said , with large excisions of vast areas of forest in the Mau area which feeds water eventually into Nakuru .
Good news is that good short rains in November, and the start of good rains in April has brought a lot of water back into the lake and many thousands of flamingos have returned . All is not lost and the Nakuru group planting trees
is a step in the right direction

Mike D in Nairobi

[deborah4]

Thanks Mike

I agree that its a step in the right direction which was the reason for posting - nice to hear a positive comment when people make the effort that is being made over there.

[Bubbs]

That is good news; lets hope Nakuru can regain it's status as one of the great bird lakes of the world.

[mike davidson]

some more good news .

Its been raining there well and the lake has filled up . The flamingos are back in numbers !

Also The E.U have just announced financial support of over $1m for the Forestry services in the form of a grant to be used in conserving and running The EASTERN Mau project which encompasses Mau forest and three rivers running from there into the lake .The money will be used to fund tree planting programmes and campaigns to educate land owners on soll conservation practices .

I think the lake will recover

Mike D in Nairobi

[mike davidson]

as a postscript on a recent birding trip to Western Kenya we passed Nakuru and I was told the number of flamingos are the best for a long time . So no serious damage

Mike D in Nairobi

[Ilya Maclean]

Further threats to Lesser Flamingos: the entire East African breeding population (75% of the global population) may well be wiped out by plans to develop Lake Natron in Tanzania. See the thread I've started on this topic, which also includes details of how to object to this proposal.

[abagguley]

Further threats to Lesser Flamingos: the entire East African breeding population (75% of the global population) may well be wiped out by plans to develop Lake Natron in Tanzania. See the thread I've started on this topic, which also includes details of how to object to this proposal.

Shortcut below, if anybody's struggling to find it:

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=92385

Adrian