David Ngala

Category: FoASF staff | Date: Jul 17 2008 | By: davidngala

Friends of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest (FoASF) has, since it began in 1999, been pretty much run by volunteers other than having a Visitor Centre Assistant at the forest station to welcome visitors and explain what they can do in the forest - birding, walking, camping etc. Just a year ago we employed David Ngala who is the “main man” for this blog and who is passionate about the conservation of Arabuko-Sokoke. His job is ‘Conservation Officer’ but our struggle has been to really be able to channel his passion and fieldwork into something more structured and effective - simply for lack of time and resources amongst the FoASF Committee who have otherwise been doing the volunteering.

We are really thrilled, therefore, to have Caroline Lumosi joining us in August as the Manager for FoASF. The very generous donation from Nancy in April is what is allowing us to take Caroline on. It is a crucial position she will be filling as her job is to make all the wheels go round in the organisation and for things to really happen - to date they’ve been happening in fits and starts when we’ve had the time and space to do it.

I met Caroline in Nairobi on Sunday and had a long meeting with her explaining all about the ins and outs of the organisation. She’s currently finishing up some voluntary work in Kakamega forest in western Kenya and will go down to Watamu in the first week of August. She will be taking DAvid’s data he collects on illegal activity, mapping it and producing reports to circulate to stakeholders. She’ll also revive the ‘Friends’ scheme and help Mary at the Visitor Centre in her work. She’ll also be taking over the main updating of the blog - so watch this space!

A cut stump photographed by David using his new camera

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Tags: Arabuko-Sokoke forest