Greenery returns to Soysambu!

Posted on November 5, 2009 by Combes Kathryn

Over the last two weeks the Conservancy has finally been getting some much needed respite from the drought. Below are some pics I snapped this afternoon on a drive through the Conservancy.

1. For the first time in 5 months there is finally some water in the Mereroni River, while it is not quite flowing into Lake Elmenteita yet, we are hopeful that with a few more showers the stream will reach to the lake shore.

2. Two young male Water Bucks enjoying the fresh juicy grass.

3. This Jackal and his mate stop mid Dikdik hunt to watch with curiosity as we drive by.

4. A Rothschild’s Giraffe enjoys the freshly budding leaves of a mathuthi bush.

5. Finally, the glorious site of The Nose and flamingos reflected in the lake water.

It is amazing that the colours in the landscape have changed so dramatically over the last two weeks. Incredible what a bit of rain can do!

-Kate

Saving a beautiful flamingo sanctuary from extinction

Posted on November 5, 2009 by Combes Kathryn

This article written by Beatrice Obwocha appeared in the Kenyan national newspaper The Standard today (5//11/09)

From the Nairobi-Nakuru highway, the shoreline of Lake Elementaita looks like a desert surrounding a small patch of water.

The western and eastern shores of the lake hold little patches of water from hot springs while the main basin of one of Rift Valley’s smallest lakes is turning into a dust bowl.

One gets the impression that they can walk right across the remaining muddy patch that stretches several kilometres.

When strong winds blow, a whirlwind of grey dust sweeps right across the lake whose water levels have declined to less than half a metre deep.

Not even water from the recent rains pounding Nakuru and its environs seem to have made a difference on the lake.

Thousand of flamingos that used to line its shores, giving them a pink hue, have migrated elsewhere as the lake’s water level has declined to its lowest in 20 years.
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Soysambu Conservancy has entered in America’s Giving Challenge!

Posted on November 3, 2009 by Combes Kathryn

Soysambu Conservancy has just entered in America’s Giving Challenge, which gives us a chance to win $$$! The competition is only running for another 5 days so we may be out of the running for the $50,000 major prize, but there are daily awards of $1,000 and $500 if we can get the most people to donate in any 24-hour period.

The great thing about this Challenge is that it doesn’t matter how much you give, but instead how much you do to encourage friends and family to get involved in our cause.We all need to come together and start promoting Soysambu Conservancy to win some money to help conserve this beautiful patch of land.

Each of us has tonnes of friends on Facebook who we can ask to donate to our cause. But let’s think big too—can you put our cause in your email signature, can you throw a party and get people to donate through the cause when they enter, can you organize other people to go out and fundraise from all of their friends? As you reach out to your friends be sure to tell them why Soysambu Conservancy matters to you. The possibilities are endless so let’s talk about what we can do to win on the Conservancy Cause Wall or by replying to this bulletin.I think we can do it! But it’s going to take all of us.

Check out the Giving Challenge ( www.causes.com ), then visit our cause to see how we’re doing so far and get involved.

You can donate right now by going to http://www.causes.com/donations/

Let’s win some money for Soysambu Conservancy!

Thank you

Kate Jennings

Soysambu Medical Clinic

Posted on October 22, 2009 by soysambu-guest-blogger

Kendall Smith recently spent several weeks volunteering in one of the medical clinics on the Conservancy.

As I look back, I am continually blown away by the rich culture and amazing people that I encountered On Soysambu. While working in the clinic, I experienced first-hand the health care standards of rural Kenya. Although a major medical facility is located nearby in the town of Nakuru, most Kenyans who live on the ranch visit the clinic for general concerns. With only one nurse in the clinic, we stayed busy giving vaccinations, prenatal check-ups, administering medication and performing minor surgery.

Although we did not have advanced medical equipment, we were able to treat most ailments or, if necessary, refer patients to the larger hospital. Because the clinic and medications are supported by donations, patients typically paid a small fee for service. Residents were so thankful to have access to medical treatment at Soysambu, even if they had to walk quite a distance or wait for care. On several occasions, the nurse and I walked to local village communities to administer vitamins and de-worming medications.

From this experience I learned how thankful people were to know that others cared about their health. I am so grateful for all the amazing people I met at Soysambu and am continually impressed by their commitment to their neighbors, the
animals and the land.

Kendall Smith, 2010 degree candidate, Bachelor of Science in Nutrition, Oregon State University, USA

Bless the rains down in Africa…

Posted on October 17, 2009 by Combes Kathryn

Slowly, but hopefully surely, we are beginning to get some rain here on Soysambu. Yesterday we got 5ml, the day before that 3ml and from the thunderstorm that rolled through here this afternoon we are hoping to have got around 10ml.This rain is so desperately needed, particularly in the centre of the 48,000 acre property which seems to be in a rain shadow. We often sit here and watch the rain clouds drifting over the northern and southern ends of Soysambu, but all to often the centre is left dry. Grass coverage here is long gone and when the winds come the dust picks up. Below is a picture I took on 29th September of a dust storm blowing across the plains infront of the main house and Conservancy office.

On a clear day this picture would show the end of the Lake Elmenteita and the nose. Through the dust it is near impossible to make out the trees on the other side of the plain, about 3km away. The dust has come from the eastern side of the lake, the opposite side to the Soysambu boundary, from a town called Kikopey, where thousands and thousands (no exageration) of local pastrolist’s cattle, sheep and goats are decimating the land everyday (pictured below). There is nothing left there. Nothing. I drove past recently and saw the desperate site of a skeletal goat pulling up the grass roots in an attempt to get something to eat. It is a sad state of affairs there.

Luckily the cattle grazing on Soysambu has been much better managed and the damage far less. This can only keep up for so long though and unfortunately if we dont get decent amounts of rain soon cattle and wildlife will start dying of starvation, a situation already occurring over the fence in Lake Nakuru National Park.Below are some pictures I took this afternoon, both from the roughly same place as the dust picture above (see the difference). The first picture I took just as the storm was easing and there was an amazing amount of water lying around, made extra visible by the lack of grass cover.

This second picture was taken about half an hour later and shows just how thirsty the soil is- most of the water has soaked in already, and a herd of the beautiful Boran cattle are wandering across.

We are all hoping that this steady rain continues and that in a few days time we will begin to see a green tinge returning to the land.