Dakatcha: A Rocha Kenya Nature Reserve.
Sokoke Scops Owl
About the Forest…
Dakatcha woodland makes one of the ten most threatened forests in the whole world. By size, it covers close to 465,000 Acres of land. Dakatcha is located approximately 150Km north of Mombasa city in Kenya. It is also home to 13 Red Listed species, including four that IUCN classifies as Endangered: The Sokoke Scops Owl (Otus ireneae), Clarke’s Weaver (Ploceus golandi), the Sokoke Pipit (Anthus sokokensis), and the Golden-rumped Elephant-shrew (Rhynchocyon chrysopygus).
Dakatcha is a designated Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) by Bird Life International and forms part of the East African Coastal Forests Hotspot defined by Conservation International.
In relation to composition, 32% of it is forest, 17% is woodland, and 50% has been converted to farming or open grazing land. Dakatcha lies within the Northern Zanzibar-Inhambane Coastal Forest Mosaic ecoregion and East African Coastal Forest Hotspot, characterized by a complex mix of moist and drier forest with coastal thicket, savanna woodlands, and swamps. The Woodland itself is a diverse mosaic of different forest types, savannah, and seasonal wetlands.
Brachystegia Woodland habitat
The danger it is facing…
The high rate of deforestation in Dakatcha is threatening the existence of endemic species like the Sokoke Scops Owl and the Golden-rumped Sengi. Selective logging for charcoal production and pineapple farming is responsible for the loss of hundreds of acres of this pristine forest with global conservation importance. With easy access to chainsaws and motorbikes to transport charcoal, forest clearing has intensified in recent months, and this indigenous forest is being burnt down at an alarming rate.
Since the start of the land adjudication process by the national government, local landowners have been selling the land to speculative buyers and companies interested in pineapple farming in the rich red magarini soil. This has led to the accelerated shrinking of the Dakatcha Key Biodiversity Area (IBA). And to make matters worse, local regulations give little consideration to the immense pressure placed on the forest. The poor farming methods employed by the local community leave the soil bare and exposed to erosion.
Charcoal burning in Dakatcha.
What A Rocha Kenya is doing…
Since 2014, A Rocha Kenya has been involved in land purchase to secure a significant size of habitat and create a reserve for the protection of the endangered species in Dakatcha. To date, A Rocha Kenya has purchased over 3900 acres of forest comprising of different habitat types including Brachystegia woodland, Cynometra thicket, and Commiphora bushland. The 3900 acres already purchased are just 32% of the targeted 5058 hectares.
Since we can’t afford to buy the whole forest at the same time, we focus our energy on areas with endangered species like the Scops Owl. That is why out of over 44480 acres, our target is 12500 acres. These are either the areas with the endangered species or the areas in between two blocks containing the species.
For more details on our nature reserve and land purchase strategy, please read our Conservation Strategy.
Our appreciation goes to our donors who have made this possible. We would love to thank Rainforest Trust, World Land Trust, AG Leventis Foundation, AP Leventis Foundation, Eden Wildlife Trust, CARU Containers, and Lordship Africa. And to all who have participated in this endeavor so far, we may not be able to name all of you, but your contributions have been a real blessing.
Join us at this critical point in the Dakatcha story and save a home for these endangered species! One acre of land costs $350 / Ksh 35,000 to secure. Donate via GoFundMe, M-Changa or A Rocha International.
Sunset view from the beautiful landscape of Dakatcha.
How the bought land is protected…
After the purchase is made and the contracts are signed, the next hard work is always to ensure that the land is indeed protected. To be able to realize this, we have programs put in place to help us work better with the community. These programs include Care of creation, Environmental Education, and Community conservation. In Care of creation, we teach the community members on key aspects of taking care of God’s creation like Farming God’s Way. This is done through partnership with Churches.
In Environmental Education, we teach the harm done by forest destruction, focusing on things like climate change and drought. We also teach the importance of conserving endangered species and how protecting them can directly benefit the community. On our own as a team, we can only do so much, but if the whole community surrounding the forest were to join in, then that would be something. That is why we labor and invest in the community conservation program, so that the community may conserve the forest for the community and the rest of the world.
A Rocha team during one of the trips to Dakatcha.
In addition to this, we also have Scouts who govern the forest and make sure the purchased area is well protected. They go around the forest making sure everything is in check and helping resolve any conflicts that may arise.
Once every month, our science team goes for a one-week camping trip in Dakatcha. Their main goal is looking for what we have in Dakatcha (tree species, animals, birds, butterflies), hence setting the foundation for further research. This helps us continue studying the rich biodiversity of the land and how best we can conserve it. The findings they get are also fundamental in making conservation decisions and in showing us if all the efforts we are putting in are paying off. So far, the results have always been encouraging.
Dakatcha Scouts showing they readiness to work
Once in a while, we face some disagreements and hardships in the process of purchasing these lands. The costs are way above the ceilings and the work put in demanding. But when we look back to why we started doing it, we always come to the same conclusion, it is worth it!
Dakatcha is indeed beautiful, a beautiful place for beautiful creatures!