Hi Robert,
found your account of the kenya visit very interesting.

I would like to visit it in 2008. Can you let me know details of
people who can make the local arrangements. do you also think a trip
to neighbouring Tanzania would add to the charm of the trip
best wishes for the Chrismas & New year to all of you on the group

Avi


--- In Ethnoornithology@..., "Robert Gosford"
<robertgosford@...> wrote:
>
> Dear all,
>
> Picking up where I left off from the previous message...my trip to
> Kenya was memorable for a number of reasons - it was my first trip
to
> Africa, it provided an opportunity to renew acquaintances with
> researchers and students from Kenya in their home country - rather
> than at conferences and meetings scattered across the globe - and I
> was looking forward to seeing how ethnoornithology 'worked' in a
> country generally considered to be economically poor but
biologically
> and culturally and linguistically rich.
>
> In all of these matters I was more than pleasantly surprised -
people
> in Kenya were friendly and welcoming, the climate in Nairobi was
> amenable - with warm days and cool nights in October (so different
> from Darwin in Australia where in October the days are hot and
humid
> and the nights only slightly less so).
>
> I arrived in Nairobi a week or so before the meeting so after a
day or
> so recovering from my long flights I was looking forward to
exploring
> the city and surrounds. On the Saturday morning I met up with Fleur
> Ng'weno, a veritable encyclopedia of things ornithological in Kenya
> and who runs the highly-recommended Wednesday morning bird walks
> around Nairobi city. She told me that we should head to Nairobi
> National Park, just a few miles from the city centre.
>
> I had no idea of what to expect but was absolutely stunned by the
> sheer variety of the birds and mammals we saw in a few short
hours -
> virtually in the shadow of Nairobi's high-rise buildings we saw
dozens
> of birds (all new to me) and a bewildering variety of ungulates,
> baboons, and a few of the 'big five' - all accompanied by Fleur's
> knowledgeable commentary.
>
> The next day we went to Lake Naivasha, a fresh-water lake in the
Rift
> Valley an hour or so's drive from Nairobi. We went with a group of
> students, tour-guides and others interested in birds and the mix of
> Acacia woodland (so familiar to me from the savannah country across
> northern Australia) and lake-side habitat delivered another
> bewildering variety of birds and mammals - the sight of a group
> (herd?) of hippos lolling around in the shallows a few metres off
> shore was unforgettable.
>
> Then down to the business I was in Kenya for - the 1st
> Ethnoornithology Conference for Kenya. I've been impressed for some
> time with the vigour and interest shown by Kenyan and east African
> researchers involved in ethnoornithology and was looking forward to
> meeting people I'd only heard or read of.
>
> The meeting - like the rest of Kenya - was impressive and exciting.
> About 50 people gathered for the conference and represented all
> sectors of ethnoornithological interests in the country - young
> students interested in the practical application of cultural bird
> knowledge to species and habitat conservation, senior researchers,
> including Dr. George Matute and Dr. Hussein Isak, birders and
> professional ornithologists from the National Museums of Kenya,
> international guests, including Dr John Fanshawe and Dr Leon Bennun
> from Birdlife International, local bird-guides (interested in
> incorporating traditional bird knowledge to value-add to their
work)
> and members of local support groups for the many Important Bird
Areas
> (IBAs) throughout the country.
>
> Mercy Njeri has prepared a comprehensive report of the conference
and
> I look forward to posting that on the ERSG site soon. I will also
look
> to post copies of the presentations to the conference and some
> photographs of participants.
>
> I can't stress the importance of this meeting enough - I believe
that
> it is important not only for the future of ethnoornithology in
Kenya
> and east Africa but it also serves as a model and example for
others
> interested in running similar conferences elsewhere - I'm sure that
> planning has started for the next one in the near future!
>
> That's all for now - must get the Xmas presents out, have breakfast
> and prepare for the day.
>
> Best to you all,
>
> Robert Gosford
>