Ngong Forest

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 24 2008 | By: ngongforest

This week there are plenty of African Green Pigeons (Treron calva) in the forest. They are moving in a flock of about 20 birds and you are likely to see them in the huge fruiting fig trees (Ficus thoningii). You dont often see these birds in the forest but sometimes you can herar their fluting call. Nicholas Akach

Tags: African Green pigeon, Ngong

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Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jul 17 2008 | By: ngongforest

  As the young, old and the famous gathered around the Ngong Road Forest Sanctuary’s main gate, I was busy in the final touches of erecting poles to support a banner displaying the starting point of a fun run to be held inside the forest. Having monitored the marking of the 5Km and 10Km tracks to be used, I was convinced that all arrangements for the event were fine. The day was Saturday 14 June 2008 and the sanctuary was to hold it’s annul Safaricom sponsored run. My colleague Ranger Akach and George were busy directing vehicles at the car park as they arrived one after the other for this unique forest run. The crowd swelled quickly and became anxious to start the run. Perhaps the animals would not feel threatened by the runners and I was sure olive baboons would not mind as they often visit the rangers camp and are used to human presence. Those thoughts were interrupted by an announcement from Dr E Odera one of the Sanctuary’s Trustee that the family 5km run was about to start.
 The runners took their positions at the starting point and when the race was flagged off the crowd cheered and clapped until the last person disappeared into the forest. Shortly after, the 10Km senior race was to start. First was the women 10km race to be followed by the men 10 Km race.
Within a few minutes, Some of Kenya’s prominent athletes, amateurs and many fun runners were all enjoying the run in the cool shades along  nature trails and under the indigenous Forest Canopy. The fans were left to enjoy the soft music from the dais as the birds sang for the runners.
 Rangers, Route marshals and first aid personnel had taken positions along the trails and at the check points their mission being to provide security for the runners as well as ensuring the runners followed the demarcated trails to the end.
  The first person from the 5km run emerged from the forest and sprinted towards the finishing line as the crowd cheered and clapped. One after another runners emerged to the cheering clapping of the crowd as it swelled again as runners joined in.
Soon afterwards the senior athletes among them former world marathon champion Paul Tergat emerged sprinting towards the finish line, most of them showing little signs of fatigue.
All cheering went wild, as 65year granny from a slum adjacent to the Forest emerged half running towards the finish line. Determined and excited for making it to the end among other members of her community team, she waved to the fans amidst shouts and ululations. On her back, her T- Shirt with the words ‘Nairobi’s Carbon Sink’ conveyed her message to the world.
The Forest run is an annual event held to raise awareness on the importance of this unique Indigenous Forest within the City and by so doing raise some funds from well wishers to meet among other financial obligations, the Rangers salaries.
jranjus@yahoo.com

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