The bird count begins – two members of the magnificent starling family, a Nubian woodpecker and so on.
Taking place in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, the census is part of a project with a dual aim – to make money from the exploitation of biodiversity, which then helps conserve natural resources and support local communities.
The 5,000 hectare site on the edge of Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya features elephant, giraffe, antelope and lion.
The reserve is owned by the Maasai and no fence separates the land from the territory used by herders for their cows, sheep, goats and donkeys.
These days, well-heeled visitors are returning to the reserve after the Covid-19 pandemic, which has had devastating financial consequences.
“Tourism has completely collapsed and we realized we had to find other ways to increase revenue and revenue to keep paying rents,” said Mohanjeet Brar, managing director of tour operator Gamewatchers Safaris, the Selenkay of the Maasai rented.
The reserve is eyeing the potential of carbon credits and projected biodiversity credits — mechanisms aimed at channeling funds to landowners who will preserve natural hotspots for rare species and carbon storage.
– data first –
For Selenkay, the first step in realizing these gains is to collect data — to take stock of the reserve’s treasury.
Cameras and acoustic recording devices provide information about which animals occur in which numbers in the reserve, supplemented by human observations.
For over a month, team members are stationed mornings and evenings at specific points to spend 10 minutes counting all animals seen and heard.
“Is biodiversity higher inside the protected area than outside the protected area and what is driving this increase?” said Andrew Davies, an assistant professor at Harvard University in the United States who is supporting the research.
“Once we know that from a scientific point of view, we can start thinking about creating credit for the sale.”
With the help of a drone, the researchers are also getting an idea of how much carbon is stored in trees and in the soil.
The tourism revenue from Brar’s businesses supports the local community in many ways, helping provide water for people and livestock and creating jobs. All rangers and almost all Selenkay employees are Maasai.
Despite this, living conditions are still difficult, said Noolasho Keteko, one of the women from the Maasai village bordering the nature reserve.
The mother of eight with short hair and colorful pearl jewelery also earns her money with tourist visits to the mud hut village and with the sale of jewellery.
But when Selenkay closes for the rainy season in April and May, the village needs help, she explained.
The people of the district want to prevent the land from being sold, converted into fields and fenced off so that wildlife cannot roam freely.
But just before the reserve, a high fence crosses the landscape to make room for fields.
Borrowing money could help the environment, said one of the leaders, Nicholas Koyieyo.
It would encourage herders to reduce cattle numbers to allow grass and trees to regenerate, he said.
– market question –
The big question is whether Selenkay’s resources can be adequately monetized.
“Kenya has a very fast growing population – the price of land is also high (and) there are many options for land use,” Brar said.
The carbon credit market is well established, if far from perfect.
In it, carbon emitters can offset their greenhouse gas emissions by “buying” emissions that are reduced or saved by other members of the system.
But the much-vaunted market for biodiversity credits has yet to be created.
Preparatory talks for a UN biodiversity summit to be held in December ended in Nairobi on Sunday after little progress had been made.
“There is no market for the biodiversity trade and we need to develop that,” Davies said.
“We need carbon as a first step to get things going, to gain the trust of landowners,” he said.
“A lot of money has to flow back to the community. So if we start raising money and giving it to the community, they will have faith in us.”
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