Fencing Mau Forest – 2012 – No Water No Life

Interviewee

Colin Church

Chairman, Rhino Ark Charitable Trust

Interviewer

Alison M. Jones

NWNL Director and Photographer

In Nairobi, Kenya on March 30, 2012

Introductory Note

Our 2012 Mara River Expedition focused on
deforestation in the Mau Forest threatening
downstream Mara River flows to the Maasai Mara to a trickle. [NWNL documented this in 2009 also.]. Like the linings of our lungs, forests are critical to the health of our watersheds. Global Canopy Programme claims forests harbor 40% of the world’s biodiversity. As Mau Forest waters flow to L. Victoria, the give life to Mara-Serengeti wildlife and human populations. The Mau itself holds spectacular biodiversity and sends water to Mara-Serengeti savannah species.

As Chair of Rhino Ark (2000-12), Colin Church set up electric-fence protection of forests in Kenya’s Aberdare Mountains, Mt. Kenya and the Mau’s Eburu Forest. Next on his list is the vast Mau Forest. As source of the Mara River, the Mau supports the famed Mara and Serengeti Ecosystems. Fencing Mau Forest ravines, waterfalls and streams will protect 2,000 sq. kms (772 sq. mi) of forest and rare species, such as threatened bongo, black rhinos, African elephant, giant forest hogs, leopards, lions, African golden cats and spotted hyena.

One year later, NWNL again met with Colin to investigate challenges and progress in Rhino Ark’s efforts to install fencing to protect the Mau Forest ecosystem, water resources, and wildlife habitat. That follow-up interview is titled Fencing the Mau Forest-2013.

Outline

ABERDARE FENCING by RHINO ARK
FENCING SAVES WATER RESOURCES ALSO
MAU FOREST DEGRADATION
RHINO ARK TO FENCE MAU FOREST

Key Quote Water catchments and rivers are the most important need for all communities. That’s the backdrop. If people have water, they will protect the forest. –Colin Church

ABERDARE FENCING by RHINO ARK

NWNL Colin, it’s a pleasure to chat about your success in protecting the Aberdare Mountain Range, its wildlife and nearby farmers. What is your association with this region?

COLIN CHURCH I was born near the slopes of Mount Kenya and have lived in Kenya most of my life. Now I live in Karen [outside Nairobi]; but I spend much of my time up in the mountains, particularly in the Aberdare Mountains.

NWNL What were the concerns regarding that Aberdare Mountain Range that sparked your involvement with conservation and the formation of Rhino Ark?

COLIN CHURCH In 1989, wildlife conservation faced a highly volatile situation in East Africa. Kenya was part of that crisis. In a peripheral, pristine forest area of the Aberdare Mountains, rhino had lived in a natural state. But they began to be poached – partly for the value of their horns, but mainly because rhinos are nuisances to local
farmers. Elephants are an even greater nuisance to farmers. Elephants love potatoes, so you can’t have elephants in a forest that adjoins farms with great patches of potatoes.

In Aberdare National Park, there are two game lodges. Founded in 1936, the famed Treetops Lodge was Kenya’s first tourist lodge, where Elizabeth became Queen of England. The local wildlife is drawn to waterholes at Treetops and The Ark; the farms were only 2 kilometers away. Farmers were desperate, saying, “Hey! We’re losing all our potatoes! We’re losing our maize! We will shoot these elephants.” They also threatened they’d be interested if someone said, “I will give you much money for a rhino horn.”

Elephants were being poached to extinction, and rhinoceros were under threat. Dr. Richard Leakey was then Director of the Kenya Wildlife Service [KWS], working to completely transform KWS. Rhino Ark began as a grassroots initiative at that time.

NWNL Why was the name Rhino Ark chosen, and what was its original Mission Statement?

COLIN CHURCH The name was chosen because the rhino was a high profile, iconic species under great threat in and beyond the Abedare Mountain Range where this organization began. Realistically, a barrier was needed to keep wildlife from entering human settlement and cultivation. That’s how Rhino Ark began.

Our Mission Statement says, “Rhino Ark is committed to conserving mountain forest ecosystems and creating harmony between the people and the wildlife that exist close to each other.” The focus of intent refers to private and public lands being divided only by a line on a map. Simply stated, Rhino Ark wanted to establish solutions for farmers and wildlife. Its original goal was to protect animals from humans – not so much vice versa.

NWNL How did Rhino Ark set about achieving that mission?

COLIN CHURCH In seeking a solution, a group of conservationists became determined to install an electrified fence. Many said, “Oh my God, you can’t have an electrified fence! It’s the worst thing for wildlife!” I agree if there is plenty of room and space – as in the savannas of Africa. I’m a great critic of fencing when it’s used the wrong way.

The Aberdare fence was built with charitable donations. KWS is legal guardian of the land and the governmental arm providing support and personnel. Rhino Ark isn’t involved with private land activities or private conservancies.

NWNL How have nearby residents reacted to the Rhino Ark fence?

COLIN CHURCH As soon as we began to construct a fence around the Aberdare Mountain Range, farmers were delighted. There was a 100% harvest rate for crops, whereas before it was 20%, and even 0%. People were no longer losing their lives, nor having to protect their assets from wildlife. Of course, that created a ripple effect. Other communities started coming to us, saying, “Oh, you fenced that ridge over there! Please, would you do ours?”

FENCING SAVES WATER RESOURCES ALSO

Rhino Ark had intended just to protect rhino in a small area of the National Park to create a safe sanctuary.” But suddenly there was human demand that a fence of 400 kilometers [248 miles] be built around of this water catchment of high rainforest and mountain hillsides.

NWNL So protecting farmers and wildlife led to protecting forest headwaters and river sources. What are the impacts of that extension of Rhino Ark’s original intent?

COLIN CHURCH Over a span of 20 years, we built that fence, encircling 2,000 square kilometers [772 sq. mi.] of water catchment and pristine forest. As a result, we can now say, “Ok, we’ve protected the elephant from eating your potatoes. You help us protect the forest because the water is critical to everything.” The buy-in to that concept has been substantial. People living along the boundary are very happy.

Kenya’s pristine mountainous forests have provided water sources for probably 100 million people in East Africa. The Aberdare Mountains are a showcase example of

Africa’s pristine forests, precious national parks and forest preserves that abut high intensity farmland. This situation occurs across Uganda, parts of Congo and Tanzania, and in Rwanda where you must climb over a wall to visit the gorillas.

NWNL Are there any remaining concerns in the Aberdare Mountain Range today?

COLIN CHURCH Nothing in life is perfect. We have gates all the way around the Aberdare Mountain Range. Passing through our gates we still have “human beneficial activity,” but that is lessening. Within each community, we say, “Now look, if you’ve got some cattle, it’s better to use ‘zero-grazing’ [fodder-fed cattle] than taking cattle 5 kilometers up into the forest where you must then go find them – and where an elephant will chase you! Those cattle could easily be eaten by a leopard or get sick. Having to walk 5 kilometers to milk your cattle doesn’t make sense.”

These scenarios create a very, very powerful national public opinion that agrees that water catchments and rivers are the most important need for all communities. That’s the backdrop. If people have water, they will protect the forest. That’s critical in this tropical zone where rain clouds get drawn in by high mountains, where the highest rainfall is. In certain sections of the Aberdare Mountain Range, rainfall is up to eighty inches a year. Thus, it’s critical to save this region.

When you’re talking wildlife, using a fence as a management tool sounds ridiculous. Why have a fence? Answers vary ecosystem to ecosystem. In montane ecosystems, a fence has been proven to be a successful management tool. However, it may not be applicable in savannahs.

MAU FOREST’S NEED for FENCING

NWNL Can you explain how Rhino Ark’s mission to protect the Aberdare Mountain Range wildlife, farms and forest water catchment transitioned to protecting the much larger Mau Forest water catchment area?

COLIN CHURCH There are other key water towers besides the Aberdare Mountain Range. The Mau Forest Complex is a whole different ballgame than Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Mountain Range where Rhino Ark began. The Mau Forest Complex is the biggest closed-canopy forest in East Africa. Its waters flow out from the Mau Forest into the Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem and then into Lake Victoria, a source of water for the Nile.

The Mau Forest has never been a national park. It’s a Forest Reserve. That was a mistake in the days when national parks were being founded. The Mau Forest wasn’t considered a place that tourist went. It was a forest that didn’t seem to have significant wildlife needing to be protected.

But very importantly, the Mau Forest is a source of many, many rivers and lakes on both sides of the Rift Valley. The outflow of rivers on the western side heads into Lake Victoria, primarily via the Mara River as it flows through Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve and Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park before terminating in Lake Victoria.

DEGRADATION of the MAU FOREST

NWNL It seems the Mau Forest has had a complex history of usage.

COLIN CHURCH For 25 years, the Mau Forest has been subjected to degradation, exploitation and political irresponsibility. Land within the Forest Reserve has been handed out to cronies as a political favor. Their lands took up a substantial portion of the Mau Forest, which is a huge area of 4,000 square kilometers [1,542 sq,mi.]. That’s history now.

Public perception regarding the Mau Forest situation suddenly changed as people woke up to the fact that, unlike the Aberdare Mountain Range, major portions of this critical forest were being handed out as political favors and razed for agriculture.

After a great outcry, the government eventually came to grips with how precious this whole native forest system was. So, the government haa retrieved about one quarter of the forest that was excised and grabbed by farmers, schools and residential projects There has been a sea change.

NWNL So Mau Forest land that was water retentive became water consuming by those entities. How do you quantify the value of the Mau Forest today?

COLIN CHURCH In terms of goods, services and biodiversity, the Mau Forest Complex is probably worth over $1 billion annually to the Kenya economy, based on a United Nations assessment. A Rhino Ark assessment of the value of the Aberdare Mountain Range confirms that.

Rhino Ark did a very detailed assessment in the Aberdare Mountain Range (half the size of the Mau Forest) of the value of its goods, services and biodiversity. Biodiversity is always a little bit difficult to pin down; but a team of economists put it at about $330 million annually. The total value of the Aberdare Mountain Range contributes $630 million annually to the economy of Kenya and its 44 million people. Given that, the larger Mau Forest Complex is certainly worth over $1 billion.

NWNL When you calculate goods and services of the Mau, are you including agriculture – tea plantations and small-scale farming — or just the forest without agriculture?

COLIN CHURCH An ecosystem is much bigger than its precise size. The Mau Forest is 4,000 square kilometers [1,542 square miles], but around the forest are huge populations of farmers that are part of the ecosystem and dependent on the rain it brings in. Huge tea estates on the periphery produce about a third of Kenya’s tea – a major export. As well, the Mau has huge areas of wheat plantations and production. So, I am talking about a much broader thing than the forest.

NWNL What would happen if all the forest disappeared?

COLIN CHURCH If the forests go, the heart of the ecosystem is seriously under threat. Over the last three or four years, it has been shown that rivers are beginning to stop flowing into the Rift Valley lakes. The Mara River is certainly being impacted by silting. Some of the smaller rivers flowing into the Rift Valley Lakes have ceased to flow.

NWNL What then is being done to save the Mau Forest? It seems resettling people who have settled there is a very difficult task.

COLIN CHURCH Although the government is now in a much better position to assert its authority in the Mau Forest, finding alternative places for people to live is a tough game. What is important now about the Mau is that there has been a turnaround.

This new vision to protect and restore the Mau Forest is very young and very fresh; but the Mau Forest no longer a political football being kicked around. Politicians who haven’t accepted the ecosystem value of this forested mountain ecosystem still try to say, “We don’t want our people to move.” However, they’re no longer saying, “We want it for ourselves.” They’re saying that the people who are there now need to be properly looked after if they’re to be moved.

NWNL What are the legal ramifications of moving people out?

COLIN CHURCH Those legally entitled to some land are being bought out and moved. But there are still those illegally continuing to access this land. They comprise a rear-guard demanding compensation. Yet the mood of the public is, “Why should we compensate people who went onto land which should never have been given away?”

You can only take State Reserve, National Park or National Reserve land in Kenya through an Act of Parliament; yet no Acts of Parliament were enacted regarding decisions to develop the Mau. Rather, Presidential Decrees stated, “I’m giving you this land.” That’s putting it simplistically, but it is what happened. So, according to Kenya’s Constitution and land ownership laws, those who recently moved into the Mau Forest are on land that should never have been given away.

RHINO ARK TO FENCE MAU FOREST

NWNL What role or action will Rhino Ark play in protecting the Mau Forest?

COLIN CHURCH Rhino Ark is now committed to fencing Mau Eburu, one of the 22 forested blocks of land in the Mau Forest. [The Rhino Ark website has a detailed description and photos of the Eburu Ecosystem Fence Project’s history, size, location, geology, species and stewardship challenges: http://www.rhinoark.org/our projects/eburu-ecosystem-fence-project.html]. We are confident we’ll complete that fencing in 18 months. Given our funding support, we can say to the other Mau Forest blocks, “Fencing is a positive solution that will protect the farms and the forest.”

The volcanic water catchment of Eburu is subterranean and thus has significant rainfall seepage. Falling at 8,000 feet, the rain tends to go into the ground and sub aquifers below Lake Naivasha and Lake Elementita. These basically feed the sources of Kenya’s geothermal power. This geothermal power is tapped all the way along the Rift Valley, from its west side (where the Mau is) to the east side (on the Aberdare Mountain Range and Mount Kenya). These geothermal stations now produce about 20% of Kenya’s electricity, I think; and more geothermal plans being made. So, rain that enters these sub-aquifers is very relevant to the future of Kenya’s power.

East Africa’s Rift Valley produces serious geothermal inputs to its national grids. Geothermal is initially quite expensive, until it’s up and running. But it doesn’t create the same environmental damage as wind turbines. Since it’s subterranean, all you have outside is an extraction plant.

NWNL To properly restore the Mau Forest, should trees be replanted simultaneous with fencing installation? Or can one say, “Fence it, and nature will take care of itself?”

COLIN CHURCH Mau Eburu is a very manageable section of the full Mau Forest. In our plans, fencing is just one aspect of protecting its forests. It creates a dynamic in which people living next to the forest suddenly understand its value. They realize that if they hack down all the trees, they’ll get less rainfall and less water flow. In our restoration program, we point out those effects and say to people, ‘It’s better to have trees there than not.”

I believe we should entice communities to use managed processes to replant our indigenous forests. In the Aberdare Mountain Range, we have a program that helps communities develop a nursery. We say, “Look, we’ll plant indigenous trees inside our fence to strengthen the canopy. If you want to grow fuel-wood trees outside our fence to sell to the public, you can pay for that nursery.” So, we are replanting inside and they are planting and selling commercial trees outside. It’s very good; it’s a win win situation.

FUTURE COMMUNITY SUPPORT & FOREST STEWARDSHIP

NWNL How do you stop further deforestation, given great need of so many today in and around the Mau for wood for purposes of building, cooking and warmth, as well as a commodity to sell?

COLIN CHURCH Rhino Ark is very committed to continuing to look after the forest. For instance, we employ 2 people to walk daily along the Aberdare Mountain Range fence as the eyes and ears of the forest. They address overgrowth, report animals breaking down the fence, and so much else.

They monitor the wildlife and any illegal activities going on. They don’t have the powers of arrest, but they can contact KWS or Kenyan Forest Service as discipline forces to say, “That is going on over there, you deal with it.” Thus, the guys who walk the fence are not targets for any bad elements from nearby communities doing something illegal. It is critical that we work with the law enforcement authorities.

NWNL Does Rhino Ark fund those Mountain Rangers walking the fences?

COLIN CHURCH Yes, absolutely. The Aberdare Mountain Range now has 400 kilometers [248 miles] of fence, so we have 110 people walking the fence every day. We built accommodations for them in a style that suits the forest environment, but with very modern interiors and above current standards, since we’re looking 20 years ahead. We need buildings that will protect that guy and make him feel secure. He’s looking after the fence, so we look after him!

NWNL I’ve seen the government’s unsuccessful reforestation efforts in the Mau Forest where they planted seedlings, left and let the seedlings die. Do you worry about that happening with your projects?

COLIN CHURCH No, no, no. We don’t just go there, plant a tree and walk away. In the Aberdare Mountain Range, we have a 3-year program of caring for our newly planted indigenous trees – as we would also have in the Mau. Only when a tree is over 6 feet high is it finally on its own. Since they are indigenous trees, they have far greater strengths within their natural system.

NWNL Do you see the Eburu Fence Project eventually expanding to cover the whole Mau Forest some day – the other 21 blocks of land? And if so, how would such an enormous project be funded?

COLIN CHURCH We’re fencing Eburu as the first step. Certainly all 22 forest blocks would benefit from fencing. We are committed, but we are a charity – a small operation. Regarding costs, originally we provided 100% of the funds; but fortunately, now many organizations, donor groups plus the Government of Kenya are putting money into our projects. There’s a change of attitude now happening. This current year, the Kenya Treasury allocated 100 million Kenya shillings [US $1.2 million] to fencing projects in Mau Eburu and Mount Kenya.

NWNL What does fencing protect besides trees, elephants and rhino?

COLIN CHURCH These are World Heritage Sites with great biodiversity – species that are just incredible. For instance, bongo, the biggest forest antelope left in tropical Africa, is hugely under threat – unless we protect these forests. We’ve got to protect these forests for the people of the world.

Even Chinese workers in Kenya who live in concrete jungles flock to see the Aberdare Mountain Range, because they miss the forest. They’ve told me, “When we visit the Aberdare or Mount Kenya Forest, we just sit and look. When an elephant comes up, we can’t even believe it!” These forests are just so different from their day to-day life. That’s why we must find funding for our World Heritage Sites.

NWNL In envisioning the Mau completely fenced, do you have any predictions, in the best of all worlds, for completion date of such an enormous project?

COLIN CHURCH Well, it took 22 years to fence the Aberdare Mountain Range, but we started with only US $2,000. Then we started raising US $1 million per year. So, costs escalate. Now we’re attracting considerable support, and I think we’ll see a greater investment from the government.

Obviously the government has a big responsibility. They can allocate huge sums of money to roads and geothermal projects. Now they’re realizing that protecting forest “real” estate and its critical natural habitats protects their other investments.

NWNL Do you have a timeline….

COLIN CHURCH I think we’ll complete fencing Mount Kenya in 5 years. Now, this is the first time I’ve ever commented on this regarding the Mau Forest – but with government and political will, I think the Mau could be done in 10 years. Building the fence is not the problem, it’s getting the motivation.

NWNL Thank you so very much, Colin, for sharing your success stories in the Aberdare Mountain Range, on Mount Kenya, and now in the Mau Eburu Forest. Best of luck to your efforts with Rhino Ark. We’ll start the countdown now for fencing the entire Mau in ten years – 2022!

A POST-INTERVIEW NOTE from NWNL:

Ten years was a bit of wishful thinking. This report by Mongo Bay in 2022 (the year Colin hoped fencing around the Mau Forest would be complete) details issues that slowed the process of installation of fencing of the Mau Forest Complex).

Posted by NWNL on May 9, 2024.
Transcription edited and condensed for clarity by Alison M. Jones.

Fencing Mau Forest – 2012 Mara River Basin