Our First Day at Taita Research Station: Karibu!
Our first day began with an introduction to the research carried out at the station and in the surrounding Taita Hills. A recurring theme throughout the day was the importance of combining scientific research with local and Indigenous knowledge. We found this especially inspiring, as understanding the environment requires both perspectives.
After our delicious breakfast, we were introduced to research ranging from hyperspectral remote sensing to bird ecophysiology. One of our fellow field course students, Nikolai Tuuri, has been studying how indigenous trees outside forests can be detected using hyperspectral remote sensing, with the help of Darius Kimuzi, who has extensive knowledge of local tree species.
After the morning briefing, we headed to Dawida Biodiversity Conservation Station, where we learned about conservation work in the Taita Hills from John Maganga and Dr. Cesare Pacioni from Ghent University. The area is home to several endemic species, including the critically endangered Taita Apalis, with fewer than 200 individuals remaining, as well as the Taita Thrush, Taita Greenbul and Taita White Frog. Habitat loss is one of the main threats to these species, making the restoration of forest corridors and the planting of indigenous trees important conservation measures. Cesare also introduced us to his research on how forest fragmentation and deforestation affect birds and their physiology.
Conservation also involves the relationship between people and wildlife. John Maganga talked about local efforts to reduce the stigma surrounding snakes and prevent unnecessary encounters with them. For example, during droughts, placing a bowl of water outside can provide snakes with access to water and reduce the likelihood of them entering houses. We also learned how climate change may further alter this relationship, as rising temperatures could push some snake species from the lowlands towards higher elevations.
Into Ngangao Forest
After the introduction at Dawida Biodiversity Conservation Station, we headed into the protected Ngangao Forest. At around 1670 metres above sea level, the forest offered both a physical challenge and an impressive introduction to the landscape of the Taita Hills.
The forest is home to many endemic and indigenous tree species, including Celtis africana and Aphloia theiformis. We also encountered Ficus thonningii, a strangling fig, and Newtonia buchananii. One particularly impressive Newtonia buchananii is estimated to be more than 500 years old. The tree also carries visible marks from historical logging, giving us a very tangible reminder that the forest has been shaped by human activities for a long time.
One interesting thing we saw were the so-called logging pits scattered around the forest. Around 200 of these pits have been mapped by a University of Helsinki student. They are remnants of earlier logging practices, where pits were used in the process of cutting and processing large trees. Seeing these traces of past human activity in the forest offered a glimpse into its history and how people have interacted with the landscape over time.
The forest is still changing. Pine trees planted in the past are now dying in places, while indigenous vegetation is regenerating around them. This contrast between introduced trees and recovering indigenous forest illustrates how ecological processes continue long after land-use practices have changed.
The forest also carries meanings that go beyond its ecological value. We visited a sacred cave associated with traditional practices and community history. The site has been used for prayers, including during periods of drought, and has played a role in local social practices. It was a reminder that a landscape can simultaneously be an ecosystem, a research site and a culturally meaningful place.
We also had ten minutes of silence in the forest. Without conversation, the experience shifted from observing the forest as a fieldwork environment to simply being part of it. The forest became less of a fieldwork site and more of an experience: sounds, smells, humidity and the vegetation around us suddenly felt much more present. Some of us definitely got closer to nature than others!
The hike ended on the rocks overlooking the surrounding Taita Hills. After several steep climbs and descents, the view was a fitting end to our first field experience.
A Glimpse of Everyday Life
In the afternoon, we got the chance to explore the local area more independently. Each of us had a small shopping challenge: find something for ourselves, a small gift for our mothers and something we did not recognise. This turned into an interesting way to explore the local market and everyday life outside the research station.
Our shopping bags ended up containing unfamiliar fruits, sweets and various small discoveries. Exploring the village after spending the morning learning about conservation and research also gave us a different perspective on the area. The afternoon reminded us that the Taita Hills are more than just a research environment; they are a lived-in landscape shaped by communities, history, livelihoods and culture.
We ended our first day at Taita Rocks Hotel, watching the sunset and reflecting on everything we had seen and learned. After a long day in the field, our first taste of a Tusker beer felt like a well-earned end to the day.
Our first day at Taita Research Station showed us that fieldwork is not only about collecting data. It is also about learning to observe a place from different perspectives. Scientific research, local knowledge, conservation and everyday life are all connected here — and we are looking forward to finding out what the rest of the field course will teach us.
Taita Research Station Field Day 2
Day two of our course in Taita-Taveta region started with our fellow student colleague, Sarianna Waldén, giving an interesting briefing on her masters thesis work so far. Her topic dives into the experiences and realities of women in the artisanal and small-scale mining industry, exploring their stories and roles in the supply chain, how the women are organised and how the social aspects of women in the industry develop.
Although around 10–50 % of the industry's over 1 million Kenyans workforce consists of women, little research has been done focusing on women in this region. This gender imbalance has also proven itself true with the difficulty of getting ahold of women working with gemstones and mines, as Sarianna has so far been able to interview five men and two women on the topic.
This year only three out of seventeen students in the Mining Engineering program in Taita Taveta University are women. Although it may not sound like much, according to a local miner at Choke Ranch, where we headed after Sarianna’s briefing, women have only recently begun receiving formal mining education. This is therefore a rather positive development.
The hour-long drive to Choke Ranch, our main stop for the day, took us through acres upon acres of sisal plantations, one of Kenya's significant export cash crops. Sisal is a rough natural fiber used to make rope, baskets and carpets, to mention a few. We learned this particular plantation is one of East Africa's biggest, providing jobs for communities in rural areas.
Arriving at the Choke Ranch, we were greeted by Oscar Mwangola in a mining suit and Robert Kitatu in a conservancy branded t-shirt. Oscar being a member of the ranch founding family, took us through the main activities and operations conducted on the 25 acre land area. The ranch land, originally used mainly for cattle grazing with community access as well, has developed into a multi-purpose zone providing a more stable income. The ranch combines artisanal gemstone mining, cattle farming and conservation. This variety also provides resilience in case of any unforeseen events such as drought or prolonged periods of not finding any gemstones of value.
The gemstones found at Choke Ranch is a rare green garnet called tsavorite, first discovered in 1967 and named after the Tsavo region. Tsavorite is mainly found around the Taita-Taveta area, with the geology extending a bit across the border into Tanzania as well. As tsavorite is often found alongside graphite-rich rock, the ranch has also explored the possibility of creating yet another source of income by extracting and selling the graphite found in the mine waste material.
The artisanal mining of tsavorite is a tedious process, with Oscar explaining how advancing one meter in the mine can take up to a week once at around 80 m distance from the mine entrance. Some upgrades such as an electrical winch used to haul waste bags to the surface has eased the practical problems of mining (Photo 4). Artisanal mining is still mostly operated using handheld, labor-intensive tools such as jackhammers, rock drills and chisels.
We had an exciting opportunity to visit the active mines. The mine shaft was quite low and dusty, but we made it all the way to the end of one of the tunnels. Oscar guided us through and showed us the rift layer indicating possible tsavorite, along with remnants of the nodules containing the gemstone still visible on the wall.
To our surprise, there were also lots of bats! A little scary for some of us as they flew past us, but thankfully, no one got bitten. The air was quite stuffy, so after our quick tour underground, we climbed back up into the fresh air
After the mine visit, it was Robert Kitatus' turn to talk about the conservancy project. Choke Ranch is part of a wildlife corridor connecting Tsavo East and Tsavo West National parks. They have an ecological responsibility to ensure that the migratory corridor is open for wildlife to roam freely. The conservancy also has a herd of 1000 cattle, whose grazing helps maintain the quality of the savanna, benefitting the wildlife. However, the combination of cattle and wildlife brings on some challenges. Wildlife can be a threat to livestock, as for example lions prides may hunt them. In the last two months, 17 cattle have been lost. This issue is addressed with wildlife-friendly deterrents, such as LED lights. Wildlife and livestock can also compete for resources, even though both have designated, separate drinking stations within the conservancy.
Choke Ranch has currently a staff of 40 personnel, with around 90–95 % of them hired from nearby communities. At the moment no women are working in the mines, since separate facilities would be needed. Oscar did mention this gender imbalance question must be addressed in the coming years in some way.
The ranch also contributes heavily to community wellbeing by providing water as well as funding the building and upkeep of schools, hospitals, or other infrastructure needed by the community. One third of the profit of the ranch is used for community improvement, another third is dedicated to wildlife works and the last third is for the ranch owners.
We then boarded our vehicles to explore more of the ranch, with Mwairiba hill as our final destination. On the way there we saw elephants and giraffes, which was a nice surprise. It was very special to see them up close, as could be told from our group's excitement. We stopped briefly at a spot with a drinking station, where multiple elephants were having a drink. A cattle herd was eager to drink too, and the two species had a bit of a standoff. This was a real-life example of Robert’s teaching on how wildlife competes with livestock over resources. In the end, both species got to quench their thirst, but the cattle backed off first. Guess the smaller yields for their own safety holds true in this case as well.
We then continued our drive up to the Mwairiba hill as high as possible. The dirt road was rough and deeply rutted, so we were quite nervous, but our driver got us safely to our destination. The hike up Mwairiba hill took us about 20 minutes but felt like forever, because of the heat and steepness of the path. But the views at the top were worth it and we spent a good while there. We even saw more elephants walking down in the savanna. The rangers accompanying us on the hike (in case of a lion encounter) explained how part of their job is to monitor any illegal activity in the area. Seeing some suspicious smoke in the distance, they logged the sighting into an app they use.
After our little hike we drove back to the research station for dinner, which was once again delicious. Everyone is always happy to see some chapati-bread on the menu. Later in the evening we had a cozy movie night. The day was quite long and intense, but we enjoyed it! We learned a lot along the way and got to see many things we would not have encountered on a general tourist excursion.