Wildlife Clubs of Kenya

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jan 08 2009 | By: wildlifeclubskenya

The Wildlife Clubs of Kenya (WCK)  has now acquired the Wajee Nature Park. The park is a 22 acre forest tract located in Mukurweni, a few Kilometers South of Mt Kenya. Wajee Nature Park is one of the few remaining habitats for the endemic Hindes Babbler ( Turdoides hindei). The Hindes babbler is listed as vulnerable under IUCN Red List. Its main threat is habitat loss. The bird depends on secondary vegetation and open woodland much of which is now threatened by intensive farming. Indeed only six members  of the Hindes babbler are found around Wajee Nature Park. There is therefore need to take urgent measures in safeguarding the Hindes Babbler shrinking habitats.

What has WCK done so far?
1. WCK has taken over management of the Nature Park and enhancing protection of the only remaining forest track and habitats for the Hindes Babbler.
2. Educating and involving the local farmers and community on the need to protect Hindes babbler and its habitats through better farming practices.

3. Educational programmes to the school youths and local community in general to enable them understand the need to protect  the Hindes Babbler habitats.

WCK kindly seeks support from well wishers and organizations to:

1.Train local farmers on selective farming so that habitats for the birds found in peoples land can be protected. Farmers should be made aware of the existence of the bird in the farms.

2. Develop information materials  about the Hindes babbler (its status and threats locally). These will be distributed to local farmers and Wildlife Clubs in schools.

3. Refurbish the information center so that school children, local community and visitors can use it a a resource center.

4. Acquire binoculars and playback recorder for school children, community and visitors to use in tracking the bird during nature walks and monitoring the bird in the local farms.

Welcome, join us in saving the endemic Hindes babbler!

By

Gabriel