Mokoyeti Nature Trail and Ecology Programme

To many people a nature trail is a place for leisure and for non-formal learning. Both adults and children visit nature trails hoping to see or learn about something interesting or strange. And many do not consider most of what they see at a nature trail to be any different from their other outdoor experiences.

The WCK Mokoyeti Nature Trail is also important in that it is next to two important conservation sites in Kenya: The Nairobi National Park and the Nairobi Safari Walk both of the Kenya Wildlife Service. Thus the Nature Trail, the park and the Safari Walk all used for our field based ecology programme together form a science/ecology-learning complex rarely found elsewhere in Africa. There is therefore a lot to see, learn and wonder about at the WCK Mokoyeti Nature trail. It is not only about the variety of species hidden but also about using the curriculum as a tool to unearth and discover hidden knowledge. Teachers, pupils and parents should now feel confident their school science is strongly backed by the WCK Mokoyeti Nature trail. It is one more immediate and meaningful justification for conservation.

Areas that have been highlighted in this trail include; indigenous and exotic tree species.
Indigenous trees are those that grow naturally within a specific place. The Croton megalocarpus is an example of a tree indigenous to Kenya. In contrast exotic trees are those that come from a foreign source or a country. The Eucalyptus saligna also found here is a native of Australia and is therefore exotic. It was at first introduced in Nairobi to help drain the early town’s marshes.

There are also trees that made history.
In 1901, the East Africa Railway reached Port Florence - now called Kisumu city. This momentous event opened up Kenya and laid the foundation for the modern country we know today. It also meant that wild lands could now be easily accessed and exploited by man.
The tree, Wild Olive - (Olea europaea ssp. Africana) found in the trail, powered the ancient steam engines because it is a hard wood, which burns slowly and efficiently to give a hot, steady flame. It is a valued timber tree, used for making high quality furniture. Traditionally, it was used for medicinal purposes. Some communities still preserve and ferment milk by smoking gourds using this tree. This is said to give the milk a tangy and delicious flavour. The species has been used also by the Maasai to make clubs.

Woodcarving is a big industry associated with the growth of Tourism in Kenya. Tourists buy wooden carvings as souvenirs. Some communities earn their living from this trade, especially the Kamba.
The silk oak (Brachyleana huilensis) is the 2nd most popular woodcarving tree in Kenya, after the African Ebony. Both are hard woods and they make high quality, durable carvings.
Most hardwoods grow too slowly to meet demand and the silk oak is an example of a tree species endangered as a result of over harvesting. Fast-growing trees such as the Jacaranda are now being used in the wood carving industry to reduce pressure on special trees such as the Silk Oak and the African Ebony.

Trees are living pharmacies
More than 60% of the world’s people depend directly on plants for their medicines. A great majority of modern medicines owe their existence to research on the natural products that plants produce. Trees like the; (Maytenus heterophyla), Red stinkwood (Prunus africana) and the East African Greenheart (Warbugia ugandensis) all grow here. All these trees have medicinal properties.
Aloes are a group of plant species that have many uses. As a result, they face threat as a result of overexploitation. There are over 30 species of Aloes. Some are stemmed while others are not. They have varying chemical compositions and as result, some species have more industrial use than others. Aloes, which are endemic in Kenya, have tended to be over-harvested from the wild to the level where a 1986 Presidential Decree had to be put in place to enforce their protection.

The Aloe rabaiensis is used for chicken diseases and fresh cuts to stop bleeding. The well-known perfume is from the Aloe vera. Other uses of Aloe are ornamental, Aloe juice and landscaping. Some plants contain poisonous substances. The Acokanthera oppostifolia is a good example. This is confused for Strychnos henningsii, which is not poisonous but has medicinal values. The Acokanthera’s fruits are edible when fully ripe but poisonous when unripe. The concentration of the poison is at the roots, stems and leaves and is used to make arrow poison especially in the semi arid areas. However, there is an antidote for the Acokanthera oppostifolia poison called Mukunyi- the Cardiospermum halicacabum that is a shrub. The Mokoyeti River, which gives the name of the nature trail, originates from the Ngong Hills and joins the Athi River through Nairobi National Park. It is a seasonal river, which can rise up to two meters during the rainy seasons. When the water level is low, the river is silted with leaves from the trees.

Some aquatic species found here include the skaters, whirligig beetles, dragonflies, crayfish, tadpoles and fish. The Louisiana Crayfish have been introduced from the United States into most of the Nairobi Rivers and Lake Naivasha. The tilapia fish you may see here have spilled over to the river from the Mamba Village upstream.

The Nairobi Ecology Programme
Requirements
All wildlife club members should have wildlife clubs cards with their passport size photos on them. Students can only become wildlife club members from standard four onwards or equivalent.

The clubs patrons should bring along their current club certificates issued by wildlife clubs office. Groups are requested to carry their packed lunches with them.

Bus bookings
The wildlife clubs 25-Seater bus hired at the rate of Kshs. 3,600. A deposit of Kshs. 1000, which is inclusive of the fee, is paid during the bus booking. Schools can however use their own school buses at no fee.

Schools can be picked from as far as Thika post office, Athi River, Kitengela, Kiambu, Kiserian and Matathia all in the outskirts of Nairobi city. Bookings can be done via telephone no. 020-891904 or write to Education Officer, Wildlife Clubs of Kenya, Box 20184, Nairobi.

The Action
The day’s programme starts at the WCK Headquarters. where a lecture is given on conservation. The group then proceeds in company of an education officer from wildlife clubs to David Sheldrick’s Wildlife Trust where a lecture is given about the centre and activities conducted especially on orphaned elephant care.

Next is the Giraffe Centre where lectures are given especially on giraffes and other small animals like tortoises, parrots and rabbits.

The Animal Orphanage is next and a KWS guide runs the show. After lunch the groups can decide whether they want to visit the Nairobi National Park where talks are given on different habitats in the park and the animals, or they may decide to visit the Safari Walk or Bomas of Kenya and Mamba Village.

At the end of the course evaluation is done and groups are encouraged to visit other parks in the country at no fee for Wildlife Clubs Of Kenya members.
If you are lucky you may spot some small animals in the Nature trail like the Bushbucks, Suni, Black-tipped mongoose Giant forest hog warthogs and tree hyrax.
Welcome to the real hide out (Mokoyeti in Maasai language) and learn with fun.