FANHS Bomm Voturrw 30 NumOei i OaewnBa* tOV) 
29 
4. 'Specifying and 
initiating action for the 
protection of key species, 
sites and habitats' 
Here, for the moment, we are working 
primarily with the Important Bird 
Area* Site Support (irnupv Thu work 
wa* made substantially easier oner the 
I.androver had arrived through the 
CiBl t NDP IBA Proiect in February 
2000. It u impossible to list. even in 
outline, all that hat happened at sites 
over the pair year. However, highlight* 
include rhr tin rettful completion of r lie 
RSPB-fundcd Kmangop Grasslands 
IBA protect. Thu built tuhttannal 
capacity within the Friend* of 
Kmangop Plateau group, whiih u now 
independently running it* own uflict 
and itt own conservation and 
educational campaign* A tenet of 
public meeting* organised by FKP 
greatly improved undemanding ol the 
conservation problems on the plateau, 
and membership it growing fast A Final 
output ol the project ita *trikiog putter 
about Sharpe't l.ongflaw, the flagship 
grassland species — these tan hr 
purchased from the other In Kakamega 
Forrst. meanwhile, two cooperating 
SSG* ate about to start implementing 
•n rco-tnuritm and education protect, 
funded by GEF UNDP Small Grant*, 
lor which Nature Kenya will provide 
backsropping along with the National 
Museums of Kenya The Ki|abc 
Hnvironmrnt Volunteers (KLNVO), an 
SSC. fur i In Kikuyu Escarpment Forest, 
has also |ust been awarded a prestigious 
BP Conservation Award to undertake a 
detailed asscstmcnt of the level and 
sustainability ol people * use «>f the 
Kcnta Forest <a section of the IBA). 
Much has been done to strengthen all 
tile SSG* this year. in. hiding training 
in management and group leadership 
and .• special course on 'Fundamentals 
ol Ornithology tor Site Support 
Groups These groups contain very 
active and committed individual* ami 
we are pleased to be able to work with 
them ro ui hievc real conservation action 
un the ground 
Not all conservation action has hern at 
IBAs The succulent garden within the 
new Nairobi Botanic Garden rrpresrnis 
an excellent facility for ix-nin 
> onservation. as well at education I he 
garden was planrrd entirely by 
Succulciita volunteers, working with 
rhr Botanic Garden team at the 
National Museum* of Kenya - another 
excellent example of conservation co- 
operation. I understand that It is 
thriving. 
Looking to the future, I am especially 
pleated to tell you about MARI This 
is a recently constituted group whose 
lull namt is the Hahirat Restoration 
Initiator tor Eattrrn Africa lr is made 
up of u wide range of people with 
expertise in restoration ecology, and 
now a Committee of the Society. 
Habitat restoration is a motor issue at 
many IBA* and other »icc*. and we look 
forward to HARI starting to get it* 
teeth into some projects on the ground 
