In June 2008 I was fortunate to photograph an endangered Kenyan endemic, the beautiful Sharpe’s Longclaw Macronyx sharpei, a pipit-like species confined entirely to the rapidly disappearing tussock grasslands of the Kinangop Plateau, an hour’s drive from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. I had absolutely no idea then quite how involved I was about to get with the species of course, but an offer to provide the photographs to any conservation group working on this highly range-restricted species led me first to Luca Borghesio, an Italian researcher working in Kenya, and then to the Friends of Kinangop Plateau (FoKP) and inspiring individuals like Dominic Kimani, Sammy Bakari, James Wainaina, and Joakim Kiiru.

I couldn’t let this fantastic generosity go unremarked upon, and asked David if he would be willing to be interviewed on the blog to explain, amongst other things, why he wanted to help and what he hopes his donations might achieve…

About: David grew up in Nairobi, where he lived until he was 17. He was a member of the East Africa Natural History Society (EANHS), which became Nature Kenya, the BirdLife International partner in Kenya. Between 1975 and 1980 he was a regular on the EANHS’s Wednesday morning bird walks led by Fleur Ng’weno, recording the birds seen and heard on the walks. He also took the opportunity to watch birds on his own (David’s local patch was Ololua Forest in Karen, a suburb of Nairobi) and when visiting other parts of Kenya with family and friends.

David moved to England in 1980. He now lives in London, where he works as a lawyer. He is married with a daughter and still enjoys birdwatching, both in the UK and on holidays abroad. He has been a member of the UK conservation organisation the RSPB for many years and is also a member of the African Bird Club

David, many thanks for talking to 10,000 Birds - and more importantly thank you on behalf of Dominic, Sammy, and the FoKP for all you’ve done over the last eighteen months.

‘Growing up in Kenya’ sounds fantastically exotic to those of us who didn’t grow up there. Can you sum up how Kenya seemed to you in the 1970s?

• DF: It was a magical place to live for a child interested in birds and other wildlife like I was from an early age. Ololua Forest, a remnant of the dry upland forest that once surrounded Nairobi, was a short cycle ride from my home, which was itself a good place to become familiar with the city’s common or garden birds. I was fortunate enough to be able to visit diverse wild places, some of them (such as the remarkable Nairobi National Park) close to home and others (the huge Tsavo National Park, for instance) further afield. Regular visits to Lake Naivasha and the central highlands (where my father went fishing), and to Kenya’s coast (based at my grandmother’s house near Mombasa), introduced me to the Rift Valley and highland forests and to coral reefs, coastal scrub and rainforest, respectively. Everywhere I saw many different and varied species of birds, a rare privilege for one so young as I was. Through my mother and my grandmother, who were both active members of the East African Women’s League, I learned that most Kenyans were much less fortunate than me but saw how they made the most of what little they had. I also saw how a little help can go a long way.

You went on bird walks with the near-legendary Fleur Ng’weno. She’s played an enormous role in Kenyan conservation by introducing Nairobi residents to the birds all around them for many years, but I would imagine many 10,000 Birds readers won’t know anything about her. Would you mind taking a moment to talk about her?

• DF: Not at all. Fleur Ng’weno is a renowned conservationist and naturalist, who has lived in Kenya for over 40 years and worked tirelessly to establish and protect important bird areas there. Through the EANHS/NK, with which she has a long involvement, she instigated Wednesday morning bird walks, introducing hundreds of Kenyans and visitors to the birdlife of Nairobi and its environs. Each Wednesday morning birdwatchers meet at the National Museum, Nairobi and drive or walk to sites in or around the city to observe, identify and learn about birds. Fleur’s dynamic leadership (ongoing since 1971), expertise and passion make these walks very special. She nurtured my interest in birds, and many Kenyans have also derived their enthusiasm for birds from her. Some of them now work as bird guides.

  If any of your readers ever find themselves at a loose end in Nairobi on a Wednesday, I would recommend they go on a bird walk. Participants meet in the National Museum’s car park at 8.45 am. I understand that a lift can normally be arranged for those who do not have a car, and non-members of NK pay a temporary membership fee of 100KSh.

I’m assuming I’m right to say that growing up in Kenya is the prime motivation for your supporting the FoKP and your interest in Sharpe’s Longclaw?

• DF: That’s certainly part of my motivation, Charlie. I also want to get more involved in the conservation of African birds and other wildlife at the grassroots.

The bird-walks didn’t extend out as far as the Kinangop Plateau of course. Did you visit the area while you lived in Kenya though, and if you did how different was it then to the current descriptions of farms/woodlots/growing human population etc?

• DF: The bird walks extended as far as Limuru and Thika, among other places. I didn’t visit Kinangop Plateau itself with my family or friends, so I don’t know how different it was then from how it looks now. But my mother, who was born and raised near Thomson’s Falls/Nyahururu, remembers vast swathes of treeless tussock grasslands.

Non-breeding Sharpe’s Longclaw Macronyx sharpei. Kinangop, June 2008.

How aware were you of the conservation problems facing Kinangop prior to last year and did you know much about Sharpe’s Longclaw specifically?

• DF: I knew that Sharpe’s Longclaw is one of only a few birds endemic to Kenya, and that its stronghold is the Kinangop grasslands. I had been in correspondence with NK for some time prior to last year, looking for a particular project of theirs to support, and I had eventually settled on working with FoKP, one of several site support groups sponsored by NK. NK gave me an insight into the conservation problems facing Kinangop and the work, which I admire and want to support, that FoKP are doing in their local community to address these. You and Luca are clearly of the same mind, so I’m glad I came across you both, via 10,000 Birds, and we were able to join forces!

In your opinion whose responsibility is the conservation of the Sharpe’s Longclaw?

• DF: Sharpe’s Longclaw is, sadly, just one of too many endangered species in the world today. In my opinion, the primary responsibility for conserving those species, or rather their habitats, lies with the people who live there. But where they are poor and uneducated, they cannot bear that responsibility alone. They need help from, in the case of FoKP, bodies such as NK and the likes of you, Luca, me and your other readers who generously responded to your appeal. So it becomes our responsibility, too.

When you donate as you’ve done here are you giving to Kinangop, to the Longclaw, to the people working on conservation there - or all of the above?

• DF: I am entrusting the money to the people working on conservation there (i.e. FoKP), who I believe share the same goal as I have and I think you have, too, Charlie.

Yes, I would definitely say so, David. I think it’s very encouraging - and exciting - that such (potentially) disparate individuals are all working towards the same end: the protection of the grasslands through working with the people who live there. Having said that what specifically would you like your donations to achieve?

• DF: I would like my donations to help conserve enough of the Kinangop grasslands to secure the long-term future of the people who depend on them to make a sustainable living, and thus of Sharpe’s Longclaw (and other local species), too.

You’ve put a lot of money into Sharpe’s Longclaw conservation, but haven’t seen one yet. Hopefully you will, of course, but would it matter to you if you never actually saw one?

• DF: I hope I will see a Sharpe’s Longclaw some day, yes. But what matters more to me is that visiting birders who set out to see one make a contribution towards the local community, which will hopefully encourage them to conserve what remains of the Kinangop grasslands. Visiting birders can engage the services of a local bird guide. They can also pay a visit to the Njabini wool-spinning workshop and buy some of its beautiful, hand-made woollen goods.

Eco-tourism does definitely seem to be a potential part of the answer to the situation facing the Sharpe’s and it’s something we’re all going to be working more on as the work we’re doing develops.

On a somewhat related theme, there’s no doubt that much of Africa’s wildlife is under intense pressure. You’ve lived in Kenya and you obviously have a deep interest in conservation there. How optimistic are you that species with tiny ranges within Kenya like, for example, the Sharpe’s Longclaw, the Critically Endangered Taita Apalis Apalis fuscigularis (image right, copyright ARKive), or the Endangered Sokoke Scops Owl Otus ireneae can survive the 21st Century?

• DF: I think that everyone who cares about their survival has to remain optimistic. I also think that the key to ensuring their survival is to find ways in which the people who share their habitat can gain from conserving as much of this as possible.

And does it matter if they do or don’t survive anyway?

• DF: It does to me, Charlie, and I’m sure it does to you and your readers, too. Every loss of a species has an impact on an ecosystem and depletes the biodiversity that is available to humans to study, exploit and enjoy. I also think we owe it to future generations to do all we can to conserve what’s left.

Do you think, incidentally, that there is a specific ‘African’ conservation problem, or do all conservation problems the world over have more or less the same root causes?

• DF: I think that the single largest cause of conservation problems the world over is still habitat loss caused by human actions and population growth. Climate change is a major contributing factor, particularly in Africa. Africa also suffers more from unsustainable hunting, domestic livestock grazing and farming practices.

David, can I just ask you a few questions about 10,000 Birds’ relationship with you as a donor. We’ve never done anything like this appeal and fundraising before, so an honest assessment of what we’ve done well so far and the things we could or should have done better would be a great help.

First off though I’d like to be honest and admit to being concerned that we’ve not communicated enough with you - has it seemed that way to you at all?

• DF: Charlie, I’m really happy with the level of communication between us and I know you always respond to my enquiries as soon as you can. I think we have a good working relationship and I’m particularly pleased with the way in which 10,000 Birds has raised the profile of FoKP and raised awareness of the Kinangop grasslands and Sharpe’s Longclaw, too. Fortunately for me and your readers, your job enables you to go and see what’s happening on the ground and give us a first-hand account when you get back.

Thanks for those thoughts David, I appreciate them. Did you get enough feedback from Dominic during the course of his Fellowship, and how much feedback would you like to get from Sammy?

• DF: Yes, I was satisfied with the level of feedback I got from Dominic. And I’m confident that Sammy, under Luca’s supervision, won’t disappoint me either. But what’s more important to me is that 10,000 Birds should continue to publicise FoKP and their activities. I hope that their example will inspire more of your readers to get involved in conservation work.

I hope so too, David. This is probably very difficult to quantify, but have you had value for your donations so far do you think?

• DF: I think so. I’m particularly pleased with the educational work Dominic has done in local schools, which I hope will pay dividends in future, and with the brochure [low-res image below] we’ve produced to advertise the Njabini wool-spinning workshop, which should help us market its range of woollen goods more widely.

Our appeal - which you responded to so generously - was, I feel, quite specific and targeted. We’ve no history of conservation work in Africa though. Do you think that by us setting up the appeal like we did it may have diverted funds away from people or organisations that are already working in the region?

• DF: No, Charlie, I don’t. FoKP work with a number of donors but, with the exception of 10,000 Birds and your readers including me, I am not aware of any individuals among them. Your appeal was clear about what it was raising money for and I think it touched a chord.

David, you evidently feel that individuals can ‘make a difference’ in terms of conservation. There’s a lot of individuals reading this - what would you like to say to them?

• DF: My message to them is simple: get involved! If they’re not already a member of their national or local bird conservation organisation or group, they should join it now. If they are, they could join another one. And if they’re interested in supporting conservation work in another country, they should contact the BirdLife International partner there to find out how they can help them.

  In the event of a further appeal to fund FoKP’s activities, I am confident that however small a donation your readers can afford to make it will make a big difference on the ground.

Finally, David, on a lighter note if time or money was no object what African bird species would you most like to see and why?

• DF: I can’t think of a particular species that I’d most like to see although I do have a soft spot for bee-eaters, several species of which I have seen already and which I would enjoy seeing again. What I’d most like to see, however, is a network of protected areas in Africa, which are representative of the continent’s birds and other wildlife and from which local communities benefit the most by using them sustainably. Now wouldn’t that be something?!

Now that’s an aim worth working towards! David, can I just thank you once again for your support of 10,000 Birds and all you’ve done to encourage and support Dominic, Sammy, and everyone else working to help conserve the Kinangop Grasslands and the beautiful Sharpe’s Longclaw. Thank you.

• DF: It’s a pleasure, Charlie. And thank you for all you’ve done to help and promote this worthy cause, and 10,000 Birds for giving me a platform.