Capacity Building for Local Conservation Leaders in Ruvu Coastal Forest Reserve
Project Leader: Ms Dorah Mbogo
Ruvu-South Coastal Forest Reserve forms one of the most important coastal forests in Eastern Africa coastal belt. According to BirdLife (2012), the reserve is 35,000 ha, and a mosaic of forest, woodland, thicket, swamp and grassland in Kisarawe district, It lies 6o 53’S to 7o 03’S and 38o 46’E to 39o02’E at 120 - 260m elevation above sea level, 45kms from Tanzania largest commercial city, Dar es Salaam.
The reserve has high biodiversity and ecological values with a variety of endemic and near endemic fauna and flora species. Baker (2002) reported about twenty-five other bird species such as Anthreptes neglectus, Circaetus fasciolatus and ground thrush (Zoothera guttata). This is beside 36 mammal species in 31 genera and 19 families including the vulnerable little-collared fruit bat Myonycteris relicta and critically endangered species of spiny-throated reed frog (Hyperolius spinigularis).The forest provides fundamental ecological habitat for the endangered Sokoke Pipit (Anthus sokokensis) which is restricted mainly to the interior of the forest with Brachystegia species where it feeds on termites.
Although of high biodiversity and species richness, the study area is under extreme pressure from illegal logging, charcoal production, and railway and road systems passing through hence calls for immediate conservation interventions. Funded by the Rufford foundation, the project conducted conservation training and provided support to the members of the Village Natural Resources Committee, which is the body of the village council responsible for conservation and protection of all natural resources in the village. In our case, due to insufficient resources, these members collaborates with government authority in conservation of Ruvu-south coastal forest reserve. They were trained on their duties and responsibilities in participatory forest management and conservation, forest legislation, law enforcement and community training. To ensure long lasting project impacts and sustainable outcomes they were also prepared and trained to become community trainers. For more information about this project please visit at: https://dmbogo8.wixsite.com/website
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