Archive for the ‘appeals’ Category
As you know from previous updates, “Kuruwitu: Between a Rock and a Hard Place” is one of the films we are currently producing under the Inspiration series. (If you would like to refresh your memory about this project, you can read my earlier entries here and here.) To follow is Simon Trevor’s latest field report, describing progress on the Kuruwitu project (don’t miss the photo-story which follows his account, showing the extraordinary success of the No Fishing Zone in rehabilitating Kuruwitu’s marine environment):
We are waiting for it to stop raining at the coast so that Lesley [Kenyan camerawoman working with AEFF] can record the latest increase in fish numbers. This will enable us to show the great changes that have taken place since we first started filming here, just after the local fishing community had declared this area a No Fishing Zone in order to provide a safe fish breeding ground and to allow the fish stocks to recover.
Lesley Hannah, cold and exhausted after another successful dive. Lesley is holding one of AEFF’s cameras in a special underwater housing which has enabled her to get such amazing footage of the changes taking place beneath the waves at Kuruwitu. Before we sign off on this film, we also feel we should include the arrival of the glass bottomed boats, which have been financed by a grant from the Community Environment Facility (under the Community Development Trust Fund, a joint EU-Kenya Government initiative). This will be such a momentous occasion, for it signals the beginning of new lives for the fishermen who will no longer have to rely on fishing for their livelihoods. We just hope that the tourist trade in Kenya will remain stable. To our delight, another community very close to Kuruwitu has already declared another No Fishing Zone in their area, and we were there to film the official opening. This time the coastal Director of Fisheries presided over the event and there has been great support from other government officials, especially the local government chiefs. In fact, the local officials were so excited that they were being filmed and their good intentions recorded, that they have since been imploring us to return to film their fish. Although this area, known as Bureni, is only a couple of kilometers from Kuruwitu, upon seeing Lesley’s latest underwater footage from there, I immediately noticed that the corals were of a different type and even the fish species were different. Of course both the coral and the fish were badly depleted but we now know that it will only be a matter of time before this area too will recover, just like Kuruwitu – provided the community can keep destructive elements at bay. This diversity within the marine ecosystem from one area to another shows how important it is to conserve more than just one or two isolated patches in order to benefit fully. In addition to Boreni, yet another community expressed interest in the Kuruwitu model, this time from the Lamu area, a considerable distance up the coast towards Somalia. The community members even came down to talk to the Kuruwitu fishermen and again we were there to record their wonderment at the fish at Kuruwitu. So it looks like AEFF shall have a camera team on the coast for a long time (as long as we can raise enough funding to make all these films!) What is interesting to note is that this need for films on the coast is repeated time and time again across the country, and indeed across the region. I have been struck many times by how many parallels there are between the forests and savannas and the marine environment. Now there’s another idea for a film… You’ll remember that in my previous post about progress on this film, I had promised to post some images…so here we have it: The Kuruwitu story in pictures… BEFORE THE NO FISHING ZONE WAS FORMED AT KURUWITU:
This is Kuruwitu in 2006, but it resembles much of Kenya’s underwater landscape beyond the Marine Parks these days. Huge areas have been denuded by irresponsible tourism (people breaking the coral heads with their feet while snorkeling), by over-utilization of fish and all other marine life (which has removed the creatures which keep the sea urchins in check), and by the effects of El Nino over ten years ago.
This was a typical sight before Kuruwitu was formed. Sea Urchins have completely destroyed this coral head, which has probably been living here for four hundred years. This area used to be one of the finest coral gardens on the East African coast but it was decimated by people’s feet trampling the coral while snorkeling and by the rough waters stirred up by the El Nino weather system in 1996. Most of the fish were caught and taken away for the aquarium trade. Some of the coral would also have been sold as living specimens across the world.
A new emerging coral head is fed upon by a sea urchin. “Urchin” is an old word for a spiny hedgehog. The urchins feed on the algae, which coat the coral and, as they do this, they undermine the coral heads, which then collapse. As a result of the removal of the creatures which feed on urchins, their numbers had risen so that new coral like this one could never grow to maturity.
Sea Urchins have completely devastated this area – scientists now term it “urchin barren”.
This man is searching for “the last” baby octopus. Local traditional fishermen have seen their stocks of fish plummet as more and more people arrive at the coast to concentrate on removing anything edible from the shallow waters along the reefs. Additionally more efficient fishing nets, scuba diving equipment, and motorized boats have increased the catches to such an extent that today, there is hardly anything left. So now there is little hope for a better life from fishing for most of the population along the coast, and other alternatives need to be found.
Tidal pools like this one are completely devoid of fish and no longer hold breeding fish stocks at low tide. These pools have been denuded of all life by over-exploitation, including by the international aquarium trade.
These coral reef fish represent the desperation that coastal people now face in their struggle for survival, for these are not traditional food species. Due to over-exploitation of fish all along Kenya’s 500km coastline, there are no larger fish here any more. These reef fish have far more value attracting and being seen by tourists who will pay time and time again to come and see them, but faced with hunger and no other options, people have no choice but to eat them. AFTER THE NO FISHING ZONE WAS FORMED AT KURUWITU:
These men are members of the Kuruwitu Conservation and Welfare Association. They are not wealthy in material terms but they have the most extraordinary asset right on their doorstep. The No Fishing Zone that they have voluntarily created is recovering and will soon provide the foundation for a better standard of living for this coastal community. Supported now by the Kenya Government and with funding from a European Union/Kenya Government financial grant, the local people will have the means to conduct snorkeling and glass bottom boat tours to their coral gardens. They now have the opportunity to change their way of life from fishing to tourism. This is only possible because of the astonishing recovery of the Kuruwitu area, for which they must take much of the credit.
There are thousands of different types of coral across the world. You may find this hard to believe but a coral is an animal. Thousands of free-swimming larvae drift across the oceans before attaching themselves to rocks where they develop into billions of living polyps, which secrete calcium carbonate skeletons. Over thousands of years whole reefs are formed in this way. People benefit from healthy reefs in many diverse ways.
Prior to the formation of the No Fishing Zone by the Conservation Association, the aquarium trade had removed nearly all the fish but here is living proof of the Association’s success and their determination and courage in the face of opposition from many sides. They have to contend not only with the professional aquarium traders in Kenya, who remove an uncontrolled number of fish and even living coral (on which fish rely for safe refuges and breeding places), but also with some other local fishing communities alongside the Kuruwitu area who have yet to see the benefits to all brought about by a No Fishing Zone and say they have sold the sea.
Here’s another urchin killer. This large ferocious Black Barred or Picasso Trigger fish is responsible for keeping those coral wreckers in check. But this fish is in great demand as an aquarium fish. It was aquarium suppliers who denuded the original Kuruwitu coral gardens and if it were not for the Conservation Association members, they would still be carrying out their destructive trade. A QUESTION FOR US ALL…
Beautiful Helmet Shells like this one have been removed from the coastal waters in their hundreds of thousands to sell to tourists. These creatures feed on sea urchins, and so the end result is that sea urchins proliferate uncontrollably. They are not the only creature that kills urchins and keeps their population in check but their almost total removal from the underwater environment has had a significant effect.
It has been calculated that the international seashell trade removes 2,200 tons of shells per year from the ocean. Why is it that we humans must remove everything we can from our environment when it looks so much more beautiful and natural in its rightful place? How many parents still encourage their children to collect shells during a stroll along the beach? In today’s world, there are just not enough shells left for that luxury.
Would you buy one of these cowrie shell necklaces after learning and seeing the effect of removing marine creatures from their natural home on Kenya’s coral reefs? ——– Please help us complete this educational film! AEFF requires a further $5,000 to complete the filming and postproduction work on this film. This will cover the cost of the editing, the writing, translating and recording of the narration (in English and Kiswahili, and hopefully in Giriama too - the tribal language of this coastal area) and all other finishing costs. In addition, we need to raise $3,750 to produce 500 multi-language DVD copies of the film for free distribution across Africa via our network of distribution partners including mobile cinemas, conservation organizations, educational institutions, terrestrial and satellite TV. This includes the cost of creating a DVD master, producing the covers, replicating the DVDs, packaging each DVD into a cover, freight of the DVDs from UK to Kenya (there are no reliable replication facilities in East Africa at present) and the significant cost of distributing each DVD to remote places across the continent. Once completed, this film will be seen by millions of people in its first year alone, and will forever endure as an important educational and historical document, charting the progress at Kuruwitu, and setting an example for others to follow in order to create a better life for themselves, without destroying the environment. Please help if you can….Thank you. Catch up on previous tales of Kuruwitu through our earlier posts:
I am finally back in my office after a hectic, but very fruitful ten days in Nairobi – non-stop meetings, meetings, meetings…but it’s all looking good for AEFF, as we continue to build relationships with partner organizations with whom we hope to grow and flourish over the coming years. Of course, our Nairobi trip started with the prize giving at the Giraffe Center, which was celebrating 25 years in conservation in Kenya, making this year’s environmental awareness competition particularly special. As you know, AEFF was asked to donate 150 DVDs as prizes for the school children and university students taking part…and thanks to the generosity of our supporters from Wildlife Direct, Safaritalk, Fodors and our own website, we managed to raise the funds to enable us to provide these prizes. As a result, every winner and every runner up received, within their parcel of prizes, an educational DVD about various environmental and wildlife issues, drawn from our selection of 12 different films.
What a day it was! The event kicked off at 1.30pm, with poetry readings by children from all around the country, of all different backgrounds and age-groups…and no ordinary poetry reading it was either, for the kids themselves had written their poems, demonstrating an acute grasp of the issues and a deep concern for the environmental health of their country. It was really moving to sit there and listen and watch, for the poets were very animated in their delivery. The younger children sang songs, which they acted out as they sang.
One of the most extraordinary performances came from the Machakos School for the Deaf. Despite their disability, these kids staged the most extraordinary dance routine in colorful costumes and intricately painted faces, guided by the deep rhythmic vibration of a drum (below). It was an incredible performance.
Altogether, there were over 400 students at the event, which was held in the leafy gardens of the Giraffe Center, in Nairobi’s Langata suburbs. We caught up with many friends from the conservation field, including Steve Itela from Youth for Conservation and his colleague Isaac.
The Guest of Honor at the event was the Director of the Kenya Wildlife Service, Dr Julius Kipng’etich (above), who made a grave yet rousing speech, discussing the major environmental issues of our day (global warming, pollution, over-population, deforestation, loss of biodiversity), and calling upon the youth to meet these challenges as they grow into adulthood – while simultaneously pointing out to the current generation that if we do not face these issues, it will be the young who condemn us when we hand on the problems to them. Dr Kipng’etich then outlined KWS’s strategy in meeting the demands of the coming years, a process in which he hopes many young and talented people will join him.
Of course, as the prize giving itself approached, the kids could hardly contain themselves (above). The KWS Director was the first to hand out prizes, to the overall Boys Environmental Champion of the Year, and the Girls Environmental Champion of the Year (below).
Following on from this, various sponsors and supporters were called upon to hand out prizes to the kids, from the youngest kindergarten children who won awards for their artworks, to the university students whose essays had set them apart from their peers. Ian Saunders, representing AEFF, was called out of the audience to give away a series of awards, including our DVDs contained in every enticing prize package…
Altogether it was a fantastic day, perfectly organized by the Giraffe Center team led by its manager, Christine Odhiambo, and even the giraffes turned up on cue, to thrill children and adults alike.
From AEFF’s point of view, we are delighted that 150 school children and university students now have a copy of one of our educational films to show at their schools, all across the country. This will also allow the schools to get in touch with us, and request further films to use in their science classes. Already since the event, AEFF has received requests from university students who want to show our films in their Environmental Clubs at university, and from there take them further afield to show to community groups… it just goes to show how many diverse positive effects can come from participating in an event like this. Thank you again to all our supporters who made this possible. If you are able to continue supporting us with a contribution towards our film making work, your donation will be gratefully received and will help us to continue making educational films long into the future, for the benefit of people, the environment and wildlife in Africa. Thank you.
Thanks to the generosity of members here on Wildlife Direct, as well as members of the Safaritalk and Fodor’s forums, combined with donors contributing directly through our own website, we have now raised all the funds required for the prize appeal for the Giraffe Center environmental awards. Thank you to everyone who contributed. Specific donations from the past week will be acknowledged when we receive our statement of account from Wildlife Direct on June 3rd. I’ll be back with photos of the prize giving and an account of the whole event which starts at 1.30pm, June 6th. In the meantime, we have lots of important projects still ongoing, including the production of our Inspiration series of films - my previous post tells of one such film, and more updates on our other films in progress will be posted shortly… Have a great weekend, everyone!
We’ve had such a great response to our Appeal for DVD prizes for the kids in the environmental awareness competition, from our supporters both here on Wildlife Direct and on the SafariTalk forum. I know many of you visit both sites, and some are supporting us here and some there - a big THANK YOU to you all, as well as to those of you who made contributions directly via our main AEFF website. Thanks to the earlier contributions made in April and the excellent response over the last 24 hours since our last post, we are now just $50 short of our target, in order to provide prizes for all the kids.
I thought it was time for a quick update on the Appeal we launched for funding to cover the 150 educational DVDs to be used as prizes for the kids participating in the Environmental Awareness Competition. Several of you have already kindly sponsored a number of DVDs. We have also received support via our own website and from members of the Safaritalk forum. We are now just $200 short of raising the total amount we need. Although this is not a huge amount of money, it is something we have to find over and above our regular annual budget. When the Giraffe Centre came to us requesting the donation of prizes, we knew it was important to help, because the Giraffe Center does such an amazing job, hosting thousands of children each year who not only get to see the giraffes close up but are exposed to a comprehensive conservation education program (which includes our films). By the way, you can see some great photos taken at the Giraffe Center on Iregi Mwenja’s Bushmeat East Africa blog, right here on Wildlife Direct. This is the kind of experience the Giraffe Center gives to thousands of kids (and adults) each year - you can imagine, after experiencing this, how receptive people are to the conservation message! That is why we are happy to be able to work with the Giraffe Center to reinforce this message and bolster the amount of conservation education material available by making sure they have copies of all our films which they use as part of their conservation education program. We’ll be there ourselves at the prize giving on June 6th, and will be sure to post some photos and a report about the event here… If anyone is able to help us with the final $200 required to ensure all the kids receive their DVD prizes, we would be very grateful.
The 150 DVD prizes will comprise plus/minus 12 copies each of the 12 films AEFF currently has available.
| CHILDREN’S ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS AWARD The Giraffe Center of the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife is a non-profit organization whose objectives are to educate the youth in Kenya on the importance of conserving wildlife and the environment. This year, the Giraffe Center celebrates 25 years in conservation education. The Giraffe Center has long been one of our major distribution partners, using our educational films as teaching tools to great effect. Each year, they show our educational films about diverse conservation and environmental issues to over 165,000 children and adults, as follows: Organized School Trips:……………60,000 children per year As part of their education program, the Center organizes an annual National Environmental Awareness Competition, whereby children participate in essay writing, artwork and photography, giving them the opportunity to analyze the environmental issues affecting them on a daily basis, and to suggest possible solutions to problems. This year’s competition theme is “Environmental Conservation Education”, culminating in a prize-giving day on 6th June 2008, to coincide with World Environmental Week. The African Environmental Film Foundation has been asked to contribute 150 DVDs of our films as prizes for the participating students (many thousands of children will compete). 150 winners and runners-up from different categories and age groups, representing students from across Kenya, each going back home to their village with a copy of an educational film which their whole community will see, have the potential to spread the conservation message contained therein to every corner of the country. Despite the cost of these DVD copies being relatively small, it is nonetheless an expenditure for which we have not budgeted. Therefore, if we are to be able to contribute the DVDs as prizes, we need to raise the money to produce the copies. Please help if you can: The cost of producing each DVD copy (which has to be done in UK as no high quality replication facilities exist yet in East Africa), including the cost of the cover and freight from UK to Kenya is $7.50. Donations can be made online here, or by check made out to the ‘African Environmental Film Foundation’ and sent to our Foundation offices in the USA, Kenya or UK. Please specify that your donation is for the Giraffe Center Award Partnership. Thank you. A heartfelt thank you for any help you can give… 150 DVDs of AEFF’s twelve educational films will constitute prizes…
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