CURRENT INITIATIVES

WILDLIFE RESEARCH

Rhino monitoring.

Rob Brett, now one of the world's leading rhino experts, carried out his PhD here in the late 80's and his research led to the establishment of the Ol ari Nyiro as a rhino sanctuary.

As mentioned, the Kenya Wildlife Service is providing 15 more Black Rhinos in November and we will be employing a resident ecologist to monitor their progress.

Elephant monitoring.

Max Graham has been carrying out invaluable research into the migratory habits of the Laikipia elephants as part of his Cambridge University PhD.

The research has yielded some fascinating results which help shed light on possible solutions to the elephant/human conflicts that arise in the region as well as providing crucial information towards the dream of establishing a mutually secure elephant 'corridor' along the migration routes of the Aberdares and Samburu districts.

Laikipia Predator project.

Teetering on the brink of extinction, Wild Dogs are hounded by farmers who perceive them as a threat to their livestock.

It is therefore a great privilege to have had the pleasure of 14 on the ranch earlier in the year in the Kaptuya area. These were keenly monitored by foot and from the air by Dr. Stephanie Romanach of the Laikipia Predator Project, in conjunction with our rangers and community scouts and hopefully will continue to thrive.

Ornithology.

Proximity to the avifauna of Lake Baringo and the Rift Valley migration route means that the area is of great interest to ornithologists.

Highly respected in their field, Jenny Hern and Lester Short studied the various species here over a 20-year period for their publication, 'The African Honey Guide'. Our Head Guide and resident ornithologist, Douglas Nagi, is currently busy setting up the Laikipia Birdwatching Society involving local schools.

Entomology.

Philip Ochieng, resident entomologist, is cataloguing the extraordinary diversity of insects on Ol ari Nyiro, particularly the Mukutan Gorge, and filling the specimen cabinets as fast as he receives them.

With 750 species and counting as the bug season begins, Philip is initiating honey projects and a pupae collection scheme of an endangered butterfly, the Monarch, in conjunction with the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) that will generate revenue for the neighbouring community.

PLANT RESEARCH

Ethnobotany.

When ethnobotanist Truman P. Young carried out research in conjunction with the National Museum, he concluded that the 2350 species and subspecies of plants identified so far at Ol ari Nyiro comprised 'botanically the most varied non-forested area in East Africa.'

We involve volunteers in an ongoing project to collect, document and photograph the vide variety of flora at GMF, often in conjunction with indigenous herbalists to better understand their medicinal properties.

Leleshwa.

The discovery that the common shrub, Leleshwa, has extraordinary medicinal and growth renewal properties has led to a UNDP grant and the construction of an oil extraction plant here at the conservancy.

The oil, whose full potential is only beginning to be realised, is already on the market and the fast re-growth makes the wood perfect as a renewable charcoal source in the community.

Reforestation.

As mentioned previously, this simple but effective conservation practice yields rewards far into the future.

This year over 10,000 trees have been planted: African Olive, Terminalia brownii, Acacia abyssinica, Erytrina abyssinica, Protea gaguerdii, and Red Cedar which, since they constitute the primary habitat for the endangered Colobus monkey population here in the 2000 acres of original, protected Engelesha Forest, are of particular importance. Over 3000 trees have been planted in the last few months.

CULTURAL RESEARCH

Archaeology.

Archaeologists find the centre particularly conducive to their studies due to the abundance of pre-historic material in the area.

The revelatory sites of Dr. Richard Leakey and the more recent discovery of Millennium Man, our oldest ancestor, are both nearby. Known as The Cradle of Mankind, the Rift Valley is, after all, where we once all originated.

A follow-up visit by Dr. Karega Munene, from the National Museums of Kenya, and Dr. Kathleen Ryan, from the University of Pennsylvania, researching potential Neolithic sites took place in September.

• Conservation initiatives