Casuarina Planting at Gazi Primary School

Yesterday, 193 students at Gazi Primary School participated in planting nearly 300 Casuarina seedlings on school grounds.  These seedlings will supplement the 3,000 trees recently planted as part of the Gazi Mangrove Project.

The students learned that Casuarina trees are hard wood trees that can be used as a substitute for mangroves in building materials and fuel.  The children will be responsible for tending to the seedlings on campus, to ensure that they grow into healthy, hardy trees.

Here are some pictures from the day’s events.

An Update on Project Progress

The project is progressing nicely. We’ve already made good headway on several activities:

On April 27^th, the members of the Gazi Women Group came together for a 3-day training course on successful beekeeping practices. The training was conducted by Begandani N. Mkaila and Hajj Mzee of the Ministry of Livestock Development.

Over three days, beginning April 28^th, twenty four members of the Gazi Youth Group and thirty madrasa students planted over 3,000 Casuarina seedlings on four acres of land.

The Project hired two Field Assistants. Welcome Tima and Zulekha! They are currently planning and conducting mangrove conservation lectures in local primary and secondary schools, as well as tertiary institutions.

On May 14^th, members of the Gazi Women Group traveled north to the Mida Creek Mangrove Boardwalk and Magangani Butterfly Farm. There, they had the opportunity to see a similar boardwalk ecotourism project and beekeeping activities in action.

Other activities currently in progress include execution of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), site survey for the location of the fish ponds, and marketing strategies for the boardwalk.

Last week, construction of the boardwalk began. Repair and expansion of the boardwalk should be complete within thirty days. The construction is managed by Mr. Eric Obam; the work is being carried out by ten members of Gazi village.

Photos:  Gazi Women study beekeeping; Gazi Youth plant trees; Boardwalk under construction; Men transport poles from staging area to construction site.

Enhancing community participation in mangrove resource management

Hello, and welcome to the Gazi Mangrove Project blog.

Gazi Mangrove Project is a 2-year project funded by the Small Grants Programme of the UNDP.  Its purpose is to enhance the productivity, stability, and functional integrity of mangrove ecosystems and fisheries production in Kenya through knowledge sharing of land and resource use best practices.  In layman’s terms, this simply means that we’re teaching the community how to conserve the mangrove forests in which they live.

The Gazi community has been actively involved in coastal and marine conservation issues since the 1980’s when the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) established a field station in Gazi village.   Gazi Bay is, perhaps, the most studied mangrove ecosystem in the world.  Research topics ranging from mangroves to seagrass beds to coral reefs have produced some of the top scientific publications on the subject in the world.  It is because of Gazi’s rich history of mangrove research and conservation that it was chosen as the location for this project.

Since 1991, Gazi has been replanting mangroves in the deforested intertidal areas of the bay.  Today, trees that were planted in the early 1990’s have reached harvestable size for building and firewood.  The community groups in Gazi now seek to expand mangrove reforestation activities by replanting more than 10 hectacres of eroding shoreline with suitable mangrove species, while engaging in activities that reduce pressure on mangrove and fisheries resources and provide alternative livelihoods for the community.

The Gazi Mangrove Project is being undertaken by three community groups in Gazi village: Gazi Women Group, Gazi Youth Group, and Gazi Fishermen CBO.  Activities include repair and expansion of the existing mangrove boardwalk, marketing of the boardwalk to local and international tourists, mangrove conservation education in local schools, beekeeping activities, fish farming, and establishment of tree nurseries to grow suitable alternative species for timber and fuel.

Capacity building is being provided by several strategic partners including: KMFRI, Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Fisheries Department, Ministry of Livestock Development, and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).

More detailed information on the project activities can be found on the About page.

The purpose of this blog will be to update on the status of the project as it unfolds, as well as to share our challenges and successes.  We welcome you to our small home in cyberspace, and hope you will join us as we strive to protect one of the most productive ecosystems in the world.