The wetlands of Rukiga District in southwest Uganda are home to Uganda’s national bird, the Grey Crowned Crane. They are vital to local communities, which rely on the wetlands for their food, water and livelihoods, or ways that community members support themselves and their families. But increasing human activity is putting pressure on the wetlands and their cranes.
In March and April 2021, several crane poisoning and persecution incidents using snares have been reported in southcentral Uganda. The incidents are thought to be driven by crop damage caused by the cranes when they visit agricultural fields. These incidents have coincided with the onset of seasonal rains, which is planting season for most crops.
As I reflect on our accomplishments during this challenging year, I have never been prouder of our team and how together we have become stronger, never wavering in our mission in a time of crisis. Long before the pandemic began spreading across the globe, we were combatting global crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. And as our latest Annual Report 2020 reflects, we are making a difference together while keeping our teams safe and strong.
Welcome to the latest edition of Cranetivities! Join us this week as we learn more about fall migration. You can find our most recent edition of Cranetivities here.
Kingwal Wetland Field Assistant Eva Bii, left, shares soap, handwash and masks with members of communities where we work. Our entire Kenya team – Maurice Wanjala, Dr. Joseph Mwangi, Eva, Damaris Kisha and Vivian Nekesa – participated in the COVID-19 supplies distribution.
Like a devastating bushfire, the COVID-19 pandemic has spread with alarming speed, unleashing both an economic and health crisis, unlike any experienced in the last century. In March this year, Kenya reported its first case of COVID-19. The pandemic is much more than a health crisis, as it is affecting the socio-economic life of every individual and country. The number of reported infections in Kenya is still rising, attributed to, among others, poverty, poor access to essential services such as clean water and sanitation, and poor hygiene practices. Measures put forward by the government to curb the spread of the virus have focused on ensuring basic hygiene and social distancing, requiring every individual to wash hands frequently, sanitize and wear masks in public places.
Welcome back to another fun edition of Cranetivities! You can access all editions of Cranetivities here. In this week’s post, we focus on South Africa’s national bird. Behold the beauty of the Blue Crane!
Welcome back to another fun edition of Cranetivities! You can access last week’s and all of our editions of Cranetivities here. This week we have a simple and fun activity: NATURE BINGO!
The goal of nature bingo is to win by putting checks on the paper and by experiencing the natural world around you. No matter where you live, you can hear birds, see flowers and find natural spaces to explore.
