My name is Dominic Kamau Kimani. I am a Kenyan aged 26 years old. I come from North Kinangop Murungaru village. I am married to Mary and we live together.

I became interested in birding when I was 10 years, since then I have been a very keen birdwatcher, my interest started as hobby with guidance from renowned ornithologist Dr. Leon Bennun of Birdlife International, I improved my skills in Ornithological field especially in identification of birds to professional levels. After my secondary education I was unable to continue with University education due to my humble family background. Since then I have been working at the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) as a Research Assistant. I am also a member of the Nairobi ringing Group, a programme of the Ornithology section since 2000. During my affiliation in the Zoology Department, I have undergone regular and intensive training in ornithological techniques including bird ringing both within and outside Kenya.

Since 2003 I have been involved in a number of environmental activities. For the five years I have been at the NMK, I have been under the guidance of Dr. Muchai the Current Head of Zoology Department. Between 2004 to 2006 Dr. Muchai and Mr. Kariuki Ndang’ang’a of Birdlife international appointed me to be their principal field assistant in the project ‘Land use and economics of farming on the Kinangop Plateau: Implications for conservation of grassland birds’. Through this project I was given a fellowship by NMK through International Foundation for Science (IFS). The Fellowship ended immediately after the project.

When in Kinangop, I have done a number of environmental activities for the conservation of Sharpe’s Longclaw. From 2004 I have been a volunteer Environmental Education officer for the Friends of Kinangop Plateau (FOKP). I have also been doing ornithological research under the supervision of Dr. David Harper (University of Leicester) as a field instructor for the Earthwatch International Lakes of the Rift Valley Project. Still with Dr. Harper, I have been undertaking a Certificate course on Global Ecology and Wildlife management through distance learning; I am expected to finish this course end of March 2009.

Last year, mid September to mid November I was offered an opportunity by Twinbasin, an Europe-funded programme (www.twinbasin.org/project) to go to UK on an exchange programme between Lake Naivasha Kenya’s second Ramsar site with UK designated Ramsar sites. In my stay in UK I spent two weeks at Rutland water and Agrian Birdwatching Centre. (www.rutlandwater.org). At Rutland water I shadowed Mr Tim Appleton, the Reserve manager and other senior wardens as well as the Education manager Jacky Morrell. I gained wealth of knowledge in natural resource management; community involvement, ornithological monitoring and management plan implementation. The time I spent with Jacky was very vital and I acquired great skills in running an environmental Education centre.
During my exchange programme in UK I had a chance to participate in an ecological field course at Orielton field Centre in Pembrokeshire Wales. This course was organised and taught by Dr. Harper of University of Leicester.

I spent a week in Wildfowl and Wetland Trust (WWT) in London Wetland Centre, Welney Wetland Centre and Slimbridge Wetland Centre. In these centres I gained great lessons on the wise use of water resources, habitat restoration and principles of Ramsar sites within UK. My last one-week was spent in Birdlife office in Cambridge, the Headquarters for Birdlife International, at Birdlife I interacted with different heads of Departments and acquired experience on office, publications, and projects management.

While at Birdlife I had a chance to visit the Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB) offices, where I spent a day with Barrier Cooper who took me through the International Educational programme that RSPB is involved in. All the knowledge acquired is now benefiting FOKP and LNRA in their daily management of grasslands and Lake Naivasha-Malewa basin respectively.

I am well equipped with Practical knowledge in the field; I have a good relationship with Schools and the community in general.