White Nile River Basin Expedition – Jinga 4/10

Welcome to #10 of 11 blogs written by Alison Jones before her departure to Uganda and Kenya as NWNL’s lead photographer. Updated 4/11: Location and text have been updated to reflect revised plans.

The former Rippon Falls, where L. Victoria becomes the Nile and J. H. Speke camped in 1862

Date: Sat–Wed, 10–14 April 2010 /Entry 10
Reporter: Alison M. Jones
Location: Jinga

NWNL will end its White Nile River Basin expedition in Jinga on Lake Victoria, the head of the Victoria Nile. With the guidance of a member of the National Association of Professional Engineers, NWNL will photograph fishing on Lake Victoria, the Bujagali and Owen Falls dams, and a local resettlement village created for those who had to be moved out of the Bujagali Reservoir. Discussions will focus on the processes followed (or not followed) in constructing these hydro dams and on other Nile River Basin projects that NAPE is focused on that impact Nile watershed ecosystems and water supplies, including oil exploration and extraction from protected areas.

From the field: The end of NWNL’s Uganda expedition was the beginning: the source of the Nile at the northern end of Lake Victoria’s Napoleon Bay! In 1862 John Hanning Speke was the first European to see Rippon Falls, submerged when the Owen Falls Dam was built (1954). At this hydrological landmark the Nile River begins its 4000-mile (6400-km), 3-month-long journey north to the Mediterranean Sea.

Our visit to Bujagali Falls, downstream from Rippon Falls, gave us an understanding of the power and drama of the Nile – what Rippon Falls was like before the Owen and Kiira Dams. Bujagali Falls provide nesting sanctuary for many bird species and are home to the spiritual gods of the Busoga Kingdom. Yet these falls will also be submerged when the government, with support of international financial institutions, finishes another large hydropower dam, despite the failed productions of the two immediately upstream.

A villager from Malindi where blasting for the Bujagali Dam has cracked many homes

These losses will be in vain because it is all but certain that the Bujagali dam will never reach its promised production of 250 megawatts. The upstream Owen Falls and Kiira Dams, meant to produce 350–380 megawatts of power, only produce 120 megawatts now – less than half intended! This is because of Lake Victoria’s falling water levels due to climate change, increased extraction by growing populations, and deforestation in the headwaters of rivers entering the lake. Water amounts coming into the Bujagali Dam are no different than that coming into the two upstream dams, as there are no additional tributaries between them and the Bujagali site.

Additionally, there were no proper environmental or social impact studies prior to construction. The government has largely disregarded the effects of the dam on the livelihoods of local stakeholders, whether resettled or suffering from the blast impacts. Surrounding communities (comprising over 8000 people) are struggling with landlessness, food insecurity, declining environmental quality, declining health, collapse of their fishing industry, and uncertain socio-economic futures. Resettled farmers who were moved from the Nile’s riverine flood plains have been struggling for 10 years to live on reassigned land that lacks water, sanitation or trees.

On top of these socio-economic issues, the cost of the dam relative to the amount of power expected will make Bujagali Dam’s hydropower the most expensive in the world – certainly not affordable to the 90% of Ugandans who currently lack electricity. NWNL hopes that the advocacy efforts of its newest partner, NAPE (National Association of Professional Issues), will help raise awareness and mitigate some of the problems being caused by the Bujagali Dam. The World Bank and the European Investment Banks are currently conducting investigations and withholding their critical funding until the reviews are concluded and recommendations initiated.

Alison Jones at the Source of the Nile with flag of NWNL’s fiscal sponsor, WINGS WorldQuest

White Nile River Basin Exped. – Kidepo Valley NP

Welcome to #9 in a series of blogs written by Alison Jones before her departure to Uganda and Kenya as NWNL’s lead photographer.

Pregnant Karimojong girl carrying baby and water, Kidepo Valley, Uganda

Date: Wed–Fri, 7–9 April 2010 /Entry 9
Reporter: Alison M. Jones
Location: Kidepo Valley National Park

The last of the six national parks to be visited on this expedition is the 556 sq mi (1,442 sq km) Kidepo Valley National Park, with its views of Alekilek Volcano, Labwor Hills and Bar Alerek Rock.

This park is located on the Sudanese border. It is comprised of savannah landscapes ending in the rugged horizon formed by Mountain Forest. Along its Lorupei River, there are Acacia geradi forests, kopjes – quite typical of arid Kenya. Its huge latitudinal range, and thus climate variety, accommodates a high diversity of flora as well as fauna. Carnivores here include lion, bat-ear fox, striped hyena, aardwolf, caracal, cheetah and hunting dog. Ungulates include the lesser and greater kudu, reedbuck, klipspringer, bright gazelle, Rothschild giraffe and oribi, and kavirondo bush baby. The tree-climbing lions are found in Narus Valley. There are 58 birds of prey in this park.

This park is known for its giant kigela trees, big sand rivers, unusual fox kestrels and fascinating walks. We will also visit the Kanangorok Hot Springs, located 11 km from Kidepo River Valley, and a local village. The Karimajong manyattas and kraals will offer interesting cultural perspectives.

From the field: Abutting southern Sudan, this dramatic open savanna valley in Karamoja district was the “lomej” (the meeting point) where Karimojong, Ik and Dodoth pastoralists gathered for their hunting. Otherwise the scarcity of rain kept them nomadic and well dispersed, since Karamoja gets only 600–800 mm of rain per year, far below what is needed to sustain people and their herds. The rule of thumb is that at least 1,000 mm is needed to sustain people in a land without infrastructure.

In this valley where dry season dust-devils can rise up to 50 m high, three seasonal rivers that run north to meet the Nile in Sudan and deep, hand-dug and -shelved wells in sand beds have provided water for these people and the wildlife. In 1962 the Uganda Wildlife Authority gazetted Kidepo National Park and moved the indigenous people out beyond the park boundaries.

Traditionally, both the women and the men who lived here had rain ceremonies. The male elders slaughtered and read the intestines of a cow to predict when rains would come. The women would travel as a group, singing and dancing, to seek those who might have angered the gods by unethical practices, such as stealing a neighbor’s crops. When the women found the likely perpetrator, they would denounce him for causing the gods to withholding rain. With justice served in this raucous fashion, the gods would be willing to release the rain again.

However, recently rain has become scarcer according to Faustino, the 100-year-old Karimojong chief interviewed by NWNL. Since the longest-running civil wars in Africa have surrounded and spilled into Karamoja, automatic weapons have proliferated. Thus – as in Ethiopia’s Omo River Basin – fatal conflicts over access to water and cattle raiding have risen with the increased frequency and severity of drought and environmental stress in turn causing severe famine. Recently the government has established a policy of disarmament in this region, which has reduced the killing and is applauded by many, including Chief Faustino. Yet, still, his people’s well has gone bad and their cattle have been raided. Fortunately, the village is sustained today by tourism income and a badly-needed health clinic and accompanying well are about to be built.

White Nile River Basin Exp. – Murchison Falls NP

Welcome to #8 in a series of blogs written by Alison Jones before her departure to Uganda and Kenya as NWNL’s lead photographer. Updated 4/11: to revise park description.

Aerial view of Murchison Falls, Uganda

Date: Mon–Tues, 5–6 April 2010 /Entry 8
Reporter: Alison M. Jones
Location: Murchison Falls National Park

The last of the six national parks to be visited on this expedition is the 556 sq mi (1,442 sq km) Kidepo Valley National Park, with its views of Mt Morungule, home of the resettled Ik tribe. This park (elev 2998 ft, 914 m) is located on the Sudanese border. It is comprised of savannah landscapes ending in the rugged horizon formed by Mountain Forest. Along its Lorupei, Narus and Kidepo Rivers, there are whistling thorn and white barked acacias, as well as acacia geradi forests and kopjes – quite typical of arid areas of Kenya and Tanzania. Its huge latitudinal range, and thus climate variety, accommodates a high diversity of flora as well as fauna. Carnivores here include lion, bat-ear fox, striped hyena, aardwolf, caracal, cheetah and hunting dog. Ungulates include the lesser and greater kudu, reedbuck, klipspringer, bright gazelle, Rothschild giraffe and oribi, and kavirondo bush baby. The tree-climbing lions are found in Narus Valley. There are 58 birds of prey in this park.

This park is known for its giant kigelia trees, wide sand rivers, unusual fox kestrels and fascinating walks. We will also visit the Kanangorok Hot Springs, located 11 km from Kidepo River, and part of the volcanic system of Lotuke Mountain, which NWNL will photograph from across the border in Sudan. The Karamajong manyattas and kraals just outside the park will offer interesting cultural perspectives.

From the field: Aerial documentation along the shores of Lake Albert, en route to Murchison, revealed sites of oil exploration on fan deltas (approximately 25 on L. Albert) and a hydro-power site at Tonya Falls on the lake’s eastern escarpment. Neither the details of Uganda’s Oil Production Agreement, means of transporting the oil, nor the selected extraction companies have been announced. This secrecy has led to many rumors in the press. Hopes are that the expected oil income will be put towards food, healthcare, education and energy, rather than rumored purchases of fighter jets for a quarter of a billion dollars. On April 11, 2010, President Museveni noted Uganda’s need to focus on electricity and infrastructure: “Political clashing has blocked us [on developing electricity and infrastructure]. That is why we ended up setting up the Energy Fund now, and now we are moving on building the dams without losing time.”

Murchison Falls defines the northernmost tip of Africa’s Western Rift Valley, a 1,864 mile (3,000 km) tectonic trench between here and Lake Malawi. It has been “opened” for the last 12 million years. The park itself is defined by its abundance of borassus palms, oribi, Jackson’s hartebeest and Rothschild giraffes. A boat trip up to Murchison Falls offered incredible photo ops of migratory and resident birds, Nile crocodiles (a species older than hominids) and hippos.

The ephemeral Yamsika River empties into the final reaches of the Victoria Nile and local people believe that their small gods lived here at the confluence, where pied kingfishers now nest in holes in the soft stone cliffs. Crocodiles and fish eagles congregate under the falls to gather fish mutilated by their plunge here 141 ft down into the Western Rift Valley.

Both below and from above the falls one can see the river’s natural “pollution” in the form of foam clusters moving with the current. These islands of bubbles are created by the action of minerals and sediments that are carried over the falls and become a nutrient rich froth nourishing riverine fish and wildlife.

White Nile River Basin Exped. – Kibale Forest NP

Welcome to #7 in a series of blogs written by Alison Jones before her departure to Uganda and Kenya as NWNL’s lead photographer.

Date: Sat–Sun, 3–4 April 2010 /Entry 7
Reporter: Alison M. Jones
Location: Kibale Forest National Park

The 776 sq-km Kibale Forest NP is full of lakes, marshes and grasslands and offers both swamp and forest walks. It’s Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary claims 335 bird species. The forest is habitat to the rare giant forest hog and forest elephant. The forested slopes of lowland tropical rainforest, deciduous forest and mountain forests are perfect for the world’s highest concentration of primates, including 500 chimps, red colobus, L’Hoest’s monkey and 11 other primates. A field of crater lakes lies between Fort Portal and Kibale Forest and there is a superb community development fringing the park. This will be an excellent opportunity for NWNL to document the importance of forests and wetlands to a watershed.

From the field: Kibale National Park comprises both forests and wetlands – key components for tourism, employment and cash flow for communities near such “protected” areas. Ugandan President Museveni requested this month that Africa’s Great Lakes countries protect their wetlands and forests to stem the spread of the desert. He said this was needed to insure future abundance of water needed to help generate hydro-power for industry and reduce the cost of doing business. He also noted transboundary impacts of regional ecosystems on weather: “There are swamps in Southern Sudan called sudds and there are forests in the D.R. Congo that are key in the rain-making process in Uganda.” These regional wetlands and forests, the president claims, contribute up to 40% of the rains in Uganda.

In many parts of Uganda, buildings and farmland now cover former wetlands. It is said that during the dictatorship of Idi Amin caution and the wisdom of elders was thrown to the wind as wetlands were transformed into roads, houses and industrial zones ignoring all planning laws and enforcement agencies.

With this in mind, NWNL documented how Kibale’s wetland sanctuary provides habitat to primates and birds that help disperse indigenous seeds, as well as water for the local people. Although residents have been advised to boil their water, many believe that the swamp water tastes better and has more nutrient value than boiled water. NWNL will pursue the health implications of this local belief.

Kibale National Park’s forest has been spit into two sections due to demand for land for tea farming. Another sign of industry affecting this forest ecosystem was found in the constant cloud of large heavy trucks hauling rock to the Hima cement factory. Kibale District has lost half of its forest cover over the last 20 or so years. Stakeholders are now working to reverse this trend. Last year the National Forest Authority evicted hundreds of illegal squatters, however politicians immediately over-ruled that action and allowed re-occupation of Kibale District forests.

Forests throughout Uganda are suffering from illegal logging and the growing demand for charcoal and firewood. Even though prices for wood and charcoal have probably tripled, this fuel is still cheaper than metered electricity. Thus far, promotion of solar cookers or more efficient charcoal burners has not been very successful. NWNL looks forward to its end-of-expedition meetings in Kampala with stakeholders to learn about the government’s follow-up on recent proclamations that it supports afforestation and resettlement of villages on mountain slopes prone to fatal mudslides that are becoming more frequent.

White Nile River Basin Exp. – Queen Elizabeth NP

Welcome to #6 in a series of blogs written by Alison Jones before her departure to Uganda and Kenya as NWNL’s lead photographer.

Woman collecting water amidst water hyacinth, marsh grass and papyrus in Masurua Swamp

Date: Thurs–Fri, 1–2 April 2010 /Entry 6
Reporter: Alison M. Jones
Location: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Satellite photo of L. Edward and L. George

Our drive to the 488,000-acre Queen Elizabeth National Park will pass through Ishasha region, with its unusual tree-climbing lions. In shadow of Rwenzori Mtns, this park forms a saddle between the northeast shores of Lake Edward (the larger lake) and southwest shores of Lake George (the smaller lake). Its ecosystems include open savanna, rainforest, papyrus swamps, and crater lakes full of pink-backed flamingos. There are 100 mammal and 606 bird species here, as well as the Uganda kob. As well, this location has a reputation of having the rare occurrence of tusk-less female elephants. It will be interesting to learn what the possible causes of this genetic tendency may be – and discuss current status of poaching in Uganda’s national parks.

Egyptian geese

A boat trip on Kazinga Channel between the lakes will offer great “photo op’s” of hippo, fish eagles, buffalo, elephant and a wealth of bird life. Local fishermen come here in their reed boats from the village of Kazinga. They go out at night to avoid the hippos, which graze on land at night and spend the days in the water.

Within Queen Elizabeth NP, the Semliki River flows from L. Edward north to L. Albert demarcating the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, also part of the Nile River Basin. In some places the changing course of the Semliki River sparked confusion in 2009 over the location of the boundary. Due to the recent discovery of rich oil fields in this area, such boundary disputes between the two could lead to conflict.

From the field: Queen Elizabeth National Park, in East Africa’s Western Rift Valley, is a water-lover’s paradise. There are two shallow, but large lakes connected by a natural and wide channel with mountain ranges to the east and the west! Yet it is thought-provoking as far as protected area management in a country where tourism is the second largest foreign exchange earner. We have seen several issues first hand. The park has local villages within its boundaries. One of the park’s lakes allows local fishermen to haul their catches. There was a salt plant on the lake shore that only worked 1 year because engineers used metal pipes.

One of the greatest current threats within this lovely park is a limestone mine for cement production. While NWNL has not been not able to access this corner of the park; our Uganda partner, National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE), has produced a booklet explaining violated laws, risks and impacts concerning this commercial extraction. NAPE contends that this project disrupts migratory corridors of wildlife; has progressed without consultation with local stakeholders; and uses heavy machinery in a fragile ecosystem that is an internationally-designated RAMSAR site. Furthermore, the environmental impact assessment was approved without any public hearing.

One concern the limestone mining project raises is that the migratory corridor will be destroyed, forcing animals into areas where they will destroy peoples’ crops. This could result in the death of both humans and wildlife. Another concern is that the lack of legal compliance regarding approval of this mining operation will impact usage of other Ugandan natural resources held in trust for the people. Ugandan environmentalists are concerned that this precedence will influence the method of exploration of newly-found oil in this Albertine Rift of the White Nile River Basin.

White Nile River Basin Expedition – Bwindi NF

Welcome to #5 in a series of blogs written by Alison Jones before her departure to Uganda and Kenya as NWNL’s lead photographer.

Mountain gorilla chewing on a vine

Date: Mon–Wed, 29–31 March 2010 /Entry 5
Reporter: Alison M. Jones
Location: Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest

Today I arrive at Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest in the southwest corner of Uganda for a couple days. This World Heritage Site is a dense rainforest still intact from the last ice age. On these Albertine Rift Valley ridges, with elevations ranging from 3,805 to 8,553 feet (1160–2607 m), there are many gorges, streams and waterfalls, habitat to 90 mammal species, 100 fern species and 23 endemic forest bird species. The world-renowned highlight of this forest is its relatively large population of mountain gorillas. Bwindi has more than half of the world’s remaining population (about 330 of 600) of this endangered species. What must they think of the human footprint?

From the field, 29 March: It’s the rainy season here in this 40 mile long chain of volcanoes. Mist hangs over the montane forest ecosystem, which include bamboo forests and hagenia-hypericum woodlands. The flight here from Mburo NP over “the Switzerland of Africa” revealed lush green farmland made fertile by abundant rain and rich volcanic soil. First – bananas, bananas, bananas, and then on arrival in Kyonza we noted tea plantations, similar to land cover around the perimeter of Kenya’s Mau Forest. Tomorrow we will visit the local Bwindi Community Micro Hydro Power Project on the Munyga River and trek to see the gorillas here in the 25,000 years old Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. We are hoping all of today’s rain will mean clear skies for tomorrow, but we are told it rains daily here.

1 April: Yesterday I spent 9 hours in a gruelling chase up and down vine-filled, muddy ravines in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to finally find the group of 18 gorillas. Interesting to learn the “value” of both this tropical forest and the gorillas. The forest is the faucet of the White Nile River Basin. In Rwanda, 80% of the country’s water supply comes from the forests the mountain gorillas inhabit. Without the tourism dollars of those wanting to see these primates, the forest would be cut down to make room for more crop fields. So the gorilla’s presence is a great conservation tool for the forests. As well, every night each group of gorillas settles down in separate new “nests” after breaking branches and clearing an open spot. This allows cleared space for new forest vegetation to grow. I think of the parallel role of wolves in the upper reaches of the Mississippi River Basin where their presence helps keep elk away from riverine vegetation, as NWNL documented a year ago.

White Nile River Basin Expedition – Lake Mburo

Welcome to #4 in a series of blogs written by Alison Jones before her departure to Uganda and Kenya as NWNL’s lead photographer.

Pink-backed pelicans, Kenya

Date: Sat–Mon, 27–29 March 2010 /Entry 4
Reporter: Alison M. Jones
Location: Lake Mburo National Park

We leave Entebbe now, and for the next 15 days NWNL will be investigating conservation and stewardship in the vulnerable White Nile River Basin. My focus will be on sustainable resource management that can protect the region’s ecosystems and species – including humans. Degradation and poverty in this White Nile sub-watershed foreshadow future problems elsewhere in the greater Nile River Basin and throughout Africa. This month’s devastating mudslides in Uganda’s White Nile headwaters are said to be due to uncontrolled deforestation and settlement, much like the conditions NWNL has documented in the Mara River Basin’s Mau Forest. The human impacts of these disasters range from no access to water, to water-related diseases, and conflicts over natural resource usage.

There are consequences for the watershed’s renowned wildlife as well. Lake Mburo National Park’s acacia woodland and kopjes are home to roan, eland, impala, zebra, waterbuck and 310 bird species. In the park’s five lakes, there are hippo, crocs and sitatunga. Red, black- and yellow-crowned gonolek are found in papyrus swamps. I particularly look forward to a boat trip that will provide access to 26 species of open-water birds include pink-backed and white pelicans, darter, fish eagle, long-tailed and greater cormorant, white-winged black tern, pied kingfisher, African finfoot, great white egret, and night heron.

From the field: Entebbe’s Botanical Garden is a great introduction to indigenous species of flora and bird species in the White Nile River Basin. I was as thrilled by the small, finch-like bronze mannequins as I was by a pair of great blue turacos flying over an umbrella tree. A recently painted sign at the entrance set the tone for visitors – and all of us around the world:
1. The human understanding is limited by the available knowledge.
2. Utilization of our biological resources is based on our understanding at a given time.
3. Therefore the search for more knowledge must continue so that we understand our biological resources better, thus utilize them optimally.
4. As we do search and utilize, let us conserve for the future. Who knows what? The future outlook may be different.

White Nile River Basin Expedition – Entebbe 3/27

Welcome to #3 in a series of blogs written by Alison Jones before her departure to Uganda and Kenya as NWNL’s lead photographer.

Gathering water from Lake Victoria

Date: Saturday, 27 March 2010 /Entry 3
Reporter: Alison M. Jones
Location: Entebbe

This morning, before a late afternoon flight to Lake Mburo, I will begin NWNL’s focus on the impacts of disease, human settlement and infrastructure here at the source of the Nile that thus affect one third of Africa’s populations residing in and depending on the natural resources of the Nile River Basin. Our research has shown that climate change, population growth, pollution and dams are currently threatening the natural resources and balance of this watershed. Nile watershed issues NWNL is studying here include:

– Forest and wetlands: The headwaters face deforestation, dams and increasing settlement.
– Lake Victoria: Pollution and invasive species threaten the livelihoods of 30 million lakeshore inhabitants.
– Climate change: Increases in floods and droughts are greatly impacting this watershed.

From the field: Entebbe’s Botanical Garden is a great introduction to indigenous flora and bird species in the White Nile River Basin.  I was as thrilled by the small, finch-like bronze mannequins as I was by a pair of great blue turacos flying over an umbrella tree. A recently painted sign at the entrance set the tone for visitors – and all of us around the world:

1. The human understanding is limited by the available knowledge.
2. Utilization of our biological resources is based on our understanding at a given time.
3. Therefore the search for more knowledge must continue so that we understand our biological resources better, thus utilize them optimally.
4. As we do search and utilize, let us conserve for the future. Who knows what? The future outlook may be different.

White Nile River Basin Expedition – Entebbe 3/26

Welcome to #2 in a series of blogs written by Alison Jones before her departure to Uganda and Kenya as NWNL’s lead photographer.

Date: Friday, 26 March 2010 /Entry 2
Reporter: Alison M. Jones
Location: Entebbe

I arrive today in Entebbe to begin documenting Uganda’s White Nile River Basin. I plan to spend the afternoon in Jinga, the source of the White Nile on Lake Victoria. Here this western arm of the Nile begins its 2300-mile (3700-km) journey to meet the Blue Nile at Khartoum, Sudan. But before reaching that confluence, two arms of the White Nile come together in southern Uganda. The eastern Victoria Nile tumbles in a northwest direction from L. Victoria through the chasm of Murchison Falls into Lake Albert. The more westerly Albert Nile forms at a higher elevation from early trickles in the Rwenzori Mountains, known as the Mountains of the Moon. These mountains are rapidly losing their glaciers due to climate change which will likely produce a reduced flow to the Nile in upcoming years.

From the field: Welcome to the Pearl of Africa! Entebbe is directly on Lake Victoria. Our flight in from Kenya under heavy clouds revealed lush green vegetation and red clay roads. Settlement in Entebbe environs is on hilltops because surrounding each one are rivers of papyrus swamps, some of which have bridges crossing over these “swamp-ways.”

This afternoon NWNL will meet its White Nile River Basin expedition partner who will facilitate our documentation, photography and in-situ research. NAPE is the National Assoc. of Professional Environmentalists. It covers Uganda and the Great Lakes Region of Africa working to promote sustainable and equitable management of natural resources.

White Nile River Basin Expedition – Uganda

Welcome to #1 in a series of blogs written by Alison Jones before her departure to Uganda and Kenya as NWNL’s lead photographer.

Date: Tuesday, 23 March/Entry 1
Reporter: Alison M. Jones

This is NWNL’s 11th expedition to document its 6 case-study watersheds in Africa and North America. It will be our first trip to Uganda’s White Nile Basin, although we have already conducted two expeditions to Ethiopia’s Blue Nile River Basin. The Nile River Basin, one of NWNL’s six case-study watersheds, is very important in that one third of Africa’s populations reside in and depend on the natural resources of the Nile River Basin. In Uganda, I will photograph the two White Nile tributaries, the Victoria Nile and the Albert Nile and investigate conservation of forest and wetland habitats and ecosystems. To do this I will visit the following National Parks: Lake Mburu, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Lake Elizabeth, Kibale Forest, Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley.

After two weeks in Uganda, NWNL will return to Kenya’s Mara River Basin to document it in the rainy season, after having spent a month in that watershed last fall at the end of a three-year drought. I will be based in the Mara Conservancy. I have documented this area since 1985 and support this community-based model of conservation management since its launch in 2000. I will investigate the current status of implementation of its new Ten Year Management Plan for the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

The difficulties of blogging from the field while in Africa have led me to write point-to-point descriptions of our itinerary before departing. On return to New York, I will post actual experiences, so keep following this blog. It will be a fascinating journey. Meanwhile, if I have the ability to post from the field it will follow the prepared text in italics.

From the field: I left NYC three hours late on Monday March 22 due to a driving rain storm and arrived in Nairobi the next day in a pelting thunderstorm. After fog and a wet windshield caused me to miss the road to James Robertson’s – my Nairobi base for the next two days before flying to Uganda – I arrived to the chirp of frogs and the guardian gazes of three Rothschild giraffes.

The next two days I will have meetings here in Nairobi that will update me on the conditions In Kenya’s Mara River Basin. Our 1-month 2009 expedition in the Mara watershed ended October 15 – the day the rains broke a destructive 3-year drought. They were greatly welcome. Now the more fierce El Niño March/April rains are pounding Kenya, displacing perhaps more people than the drought and expected to last through May. After a quick bowl of tomato soup, I am off to bed. La la salama – Good night!