National Museums of Kenya:
Experiences with Darwin Initiatives
Dr. Helida Oyieke
Director, Research & Scientific Affairs
FUNCTIONS OF NMK
• Repository for things that are of
scientific, cultural and human value
• Research and document natural and
cultural heritage
• Promote sustainable utilisation of
Kenya’s heritage for development
• Information dissemination
DARWIN INITIATIVE PROJECTS
AT NMK
• Monitoring biodiversity for site management
planning in eastern African wetlands
• Kenya’s Important Birds Areas: Improving
Monitoring, Management and Conservation
• Flamingo conservation and Ramsar Site
Management at Lake Bogoria, Kenya
• Actions for the conservation of globally
threatened birds in Africa
Project Title: Monitoring biodiversity for site
management planning in Eastern African
wetlands
UK Organisation: Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
(WWT)
Collaborator(s): National Museums of Kenya,
Nature Kenya, Kenya Wildlife Service
NMK staff involved
2 Research Scientists
NMK Responsibility
• Houses the Secretariat
• Provide NMK staff for the project Regional
Steering Group
• Contributes to the development of site
management plan
• Provide technical database advice
• Assist in selection of participants for the
training courses
The WWT Darwin project
WWT, 9 partner countries & Wetlands International
Objectives
MONITORING SCHEME
DATABASE
TRAINING
SITE MANAGEMENT PLANS
Progress so far
•Training & capacity building
•Production of site management plans
•Bi-annual Waterbird Census (Jan &July)
•Site-based volunteer monitoring scheme
•Rift Valley lakes, sites around Nairobi, Lake Victoria and
the Kenya coast.
Project Title: Kenya’s Important Birds Areas:
Improving Monitoring, Management and
Conservation
UK Organisation: The Royal Society for the Protection of
Birds (RSPB), BirdLife International
Collaborator(s): National Museums of Kenya, Nature
Kenya, Kenya Wildlife Service
NMK staff involved
A Project Team – comprising of 2 Research Scientists and
2 Research Fellows from the National Museums of
Kenya, to work with 3 Technical Officers from Nature
Kenya
Objectives
• National site monitoring system in all
IBAs
• Detailed monitoring in the key IBAs
• Effective feedback between monitoring,
conservation action and reporting
• Conservation interventions and
management plans
• Training & Capacity Building
Role and responsibility of NMK
• Provide NMK staff for the project Advisory
Group
• Help in developing a systematic framework of
site and species monitoring.
• Assist in training programmes for SSGs
• Assist in preparing national reporting on the
status of Kenya’s biodiversity
• Store and manage data for IBA monitoring
information
• Assist in detailed monitoring activities
Progress achieved so far:
• A Project Team & Project Advisory Group in
place
• A Monitoring Sub-committee in place
• Training and Capacity building:
• A site management-planning workshop
• A database set up to store and manage IBA data
• Kenya’s IBA Status and trend report 2004
• Detailed monitoring established in four sites
IBA sites with detailed monitoring
Kinangop
L.Victoria
Mukurweini
Kikuyu Escarpment
Kakamega
Project Title: Flamingo conservation and Ramsar
Site Management at Lake Bogoria , Kenya
UK Organisation: Earthwatch Institute (Europe) and
University of Leicester
Collaborator(s): Lake Bogoria National Reserve,
University of Nairobi, National Museums of Kenya,
Kenya Wildlife Service, WWF
NMK staff involved
Tutors/Advisors:
• Department of Invertebrate Zoology: (Mr. Laban Njoroge)
• Ornithology Department: (Dr. Muchai & Mr Kariuki)
• Herbarium Department: (Dr Mwasya).
Intensive field training (Certificate): 4 interns (Entomology &
Ornithology)
Objectives
• Effects of changes in external factors on
the abundance of Lesser Flamingoes
• Causes of movements of Lesser
Flamingoes between lakes
• Causes of Lesser Flamingoes massmortality
• Species health monitoring
• Training and capacity building
Role and responsibility of NMK
• Training
• Provide technical advice
• Assist in selection of participants for the
training courses
Progress so far
• 2 workshops “Taxonomy for Biodiversity Conservation”
• The project has trained 50% of the objective numbers in
the two workshops
• Continuous monitoring of the Spirulina populations in
Lake
Bogoria
• Continuous monitoring of the Flamingo populations in
Lake
Bogoria
• Preparation of educational materials for the schools
• Draft designs of the school posters and the Reserve
Guidebook
• Intensive field training for 3 interns from the NMK
(Entomology & Ornithology)
• .
Project: Actions for conservation of
globally threatened birds in Africa (SAP)
• UK Organisation: Royal Society for Protection of
Birds (RSPB)
• Collaborators: BirdLife African Partnership; In
Kenya: - Nature Kenya; National Museums of
Kenya
• NMK staff involved: 1 Research Scientist
(National Species Action Coordinator for Kenya)
Objectives
• Phase 1 (complete): Establish capacity for
participatory action planning for globally
threatened bird species in Africa
• Phase 2 (in progress): Establish capacity for
implementing action plans for globally
threatened bird species in Africa
Achieved
Phase 1:
• Format for Species Action Planning Africa
developed
• Production of 8 International and 15 National
Species Action Plans for Africa
• Training and experience in action plan preparation
in >20 countries including Kenya
• Action Plans for 3 Kenyan bird species produced
Phase 2:
International Management Training focused on
implementing Species Action Plans started
NMK involvement
• Staff involvement in National Coordination
of SAP project
• Developing Species Action Plans for
Spotted Ground Thrush
• Implementing Research actions for
conserving Spotted Ground Thrush & Blue
Swallow in Kenya
RECOMMENDATIONS BASED
ON NMK’S INSTITUTIONAL
EXPERIENCES
Linkages
•
Creation of linkages and a common
coordination mechanism within a country
to:
–
–
eliminate duplication and competition for
same resources
enhance information sharing among partners
both in the UK and Kenya.
Exit Strategies
• Embedded in the final year work plan
• Ensures implementation of interventions
proposed as a result of project activities
• Focus on institutional priority needs
especially where there are other partners
involved in project implementation
Thank You All!