Conservation and the protection of life and livelihoods took steps forward over the last month.

A workshop at Loragai Community Forest Association (CFA) Offices in the beginning of May discussed the progress on the Disney funded activities.

The meeting brought together the area chief, grazing committees, group ranch representatives, and the rangeland coordinators of 3 group ranches (Makurian, Lekurruki and IL Ngwesi) All are are beneficiaries of the first phase of the Disney funded project.  The workshop showed progress in the implementation of Disney Project -and illustrates a growing capacity of Il Mamusi CFA and participating conservancies to reduce Human-Elephant Conflict and Human-Wildlife Conflict in and around Mukogodo forest

Also present were representatives from Borana Conservancy, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) and Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF).

Rangeland coordinators have spent the month organizing meetings with community members in their group ranches on grazing plans and raising awareness on Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC). As a result of the meetings, grazing committees have been revived in these three group ranches as part of grazing land management and restoration.

The rangeland coordinators gave an update on the progress of individual group ranches:

Makurian Group Ranch

Community members in Makurian Group ranch have selected farms that will be fenced using a solar-powered electric fence to enable them to practice subsistence agriculture during the rainy season. The fence is designed to protect agriculture and people from elephants in particular.

The tendering process to procure a qualified fencing company was also completed, and Wisdom Agritechnic was awarded the tender based on criteria developed by members of the Disney Grant project steering committee.

The fencing work on the ground is expected to start in June and will take a period of 1 month. Labour will be provided by community members and an elected fencing committee will manage and monitor fence installation and management.

Lekurruki

In a meeting held in March, Lekurruki proposed to develop and protect Lontana spring to ensure that it continues to provide clean water to the community, livestock and wildlife.  In preparation, a spring protection survey was undertaken with support from Mount Kenya Ewaso Water Partnership (MKEWP) and Geodev Solutions. They carried out a feasibility study to develop the engineering designs, and bill of quantity for the proposed works.

Water samples were collected during field survey to determine the water quality and to advise on measures to improve it for better health.

The spring is an important water resource for communities living in Anandunguru plains, Mukogodo Forest, as it supplies domestic and livestock water.

The survey report is expected in early June 2018 and will serve to launch the set of construction activities in the Forest.

Il Ngwesi

Several community awareness meetings have been held in Il Ngwesi since February 2018. The meetings have led to successful revival of grazing committees and grazing plans during dry and rainy season.

The group ranches have pledged their full support to the Disney Funded project activities to ensure the success of the project.

In the next few weeks, IL MAMUSI CFA rangers will undergo wildlife monitoring training facilitated by LWF and NRT. The training will help them to collect elephant monitoring data to determine the results of these activities on human-elephant movements and conflict.

The Disney Conservation Project is administered by LWF and delivered by IL MAMUSI with the support of the Wildlife Conservation Society in Kenya.