FIELD TRIP D: DESTINATION: MERU (MT KENYA AREA)
Cost: $90 (covers travel, accommodation, lunch and refreshments)
Time: 28 Aug 2009 8 am to 29 Aug 2009 5 pm
Theme: Natural ecosystem and agroforestry practices around Mt, Kenya, A World Heritage Site
Champion: Sammy Carsan
No of People: 25
Summary
Above- Mt. Kenya. Source: http://www.animalorphanagekenya.org/blog/mount-kenya-rain-clouds.jpg
Right - Scientists at Kaguru agricultural training centre agroforestry demonstration area in Meru
The cold season in Kenya ends in early August but sometimes can extend to the later part of the month. This may prevent visitors to see the peaks of snow capped Mt Kenya on the equator, the second highest mountain in Africa and from which the country’s name is derived. Delmonte and Kakuzi are some of the large farms along the way with coffee plantations and smallholder farms. Past Tana River, the biggest river in the country and the main source of electricity power (a small power station is visible from the bridge) and rice irrigation schemes to Mrs. Purity Njagi’s farm. You will discover why she is a true exponent of agroforestry. Drive on into Meru where it appears that there are Grevillea forest plantations, but these are smallholder farms growing 20 different crops with 50% crown cover of trees from over 100 different species.
Welcome to Meru, a robust town next to the Mt Kenya Forest, aWorld Heritage Site. Here you will interact with a farmer field school and the Kenya Forest Service (KFS). This group is among many involved in rehabilitating degraded communal lands through tree planting. You will then drive through a dusty road seeing smallholder agroforestry systems and pass by a crater lake that is fed by a similar one high on the mountain through an underground stream and a drive around the mountain on the way back to Nairobi. Notice the tree species diversity giving way to planted Grevillea/Eucalyptus mix; then a Arundinaria/Juniperus mix on the leeward side. But undulating wheat farms and sheep ranches giving way to flower farms may block your sight from the natural ecology. Flowers are a high value export product for Kenya.
If you look north from here, the Samburu plains stretch all the way to Ethiopia and private wildlife conservancies are the major economic activities all over those plains. This is an important area for tourism with wildlife and national parks. You should be crossing the equator to the southern hemisphere again by now as you approach Nyeri. Thicket bushes and shrubs give way to Grevillea/eucalyptus to fill the landscape again as you leave the Leeward side of the mountain.
Suggested itinerary
Day 1 – 28 Aug 2009
0800 – 1100 – ICRAF to Embu with brief stops at Kabati (see Delmonte/Kakuzi plantations) and Mwea (irrigated rice)
1100 – 1245 – See agroforestry practices (fodder and dairy based) at Purity Njagi’s farm
1245 – 1300 – Purity’s Farm to Isaac Walton Inn
1300 – 1400 – Lunch at Isaac Walton Inn - Embu
1400 – 1600 – Travel Embu to Kaguru ATC with brief stop at Igoji to see Grevillea landscape
1600 – 1700 – Kaguru ATC (ICRAF nursery)
1700 – 1800 – Kaguru ATC to White Star Hotel – Meru with photo stop at Equator crossing and courtesy call at ICRAF Meru field office
1440 – 1500 – Limuru to ICRAF
Day 2 – 29 Aug 2009
0800 – 0900 – Hotel to Muthaara FFS group site
0900 – 1100 – Muthaara group interactions
1100 – 1200 – Muthaara to Nkunga crater lake through biodiversity project site
1200 – 1300 – Nkunga to Nanyuki with photo stops at Timau to view Mt Kenya peaks and Samburu landscapes
1300 – 1400 – Lunch at Nanyuki (Sportsman Arms Hotel)
1400 – 1630 – Nanyuki to Nairobi