Project Description

A BioBlitz At The British High Commissioner To Kenya Residence

October 6th, 2021

On a chilly Friday morning on 3rd September, WildlifeDirect held its first BioBlitz event in Nairobi, in the garden of H.E. Ms Jane Marriott, British High Commissioner to Kenya. The BioBlitz involved ten children from the Wildlife Warriors Kids Club at Red Rose School in Kibra, a low-income district in Nairobi. They were accompanied by two teachers, WildlifeDirect staff, and scientists from Nature Kenya, Mpala Research Centre and the National Museums of Kenya.

A BioBlitz is an amazingly fun way for ordinary people to learn about the species around them. With the help of experts and using the iNaturalist App, our children and H.E. Ms Jane Marriott discovered the surprising richness of birds, trees and insects in a Nairobi garden. It was so engaging that afterwards, the High Commissioner declared that she would re-wild a portion of her garden to promote wild species which captured the attention of the local press. In 3 hours, 58 species were recorded and over 100 observations were made.

The BioBlitz event was an amazing outdoor opportunity for the Wildlife Warriors Kids to learn about urban biodiversity in Nairobi, one of the most species-rich cities in the world. The High Commissioner’s residence was a perfect environment for the children, who come from an area with no local access to green spaces. They were able to connect with nature, learn about plants, pollination, catching insects, and observing and identifying birds, alongside experts. The goal of the BioBlitz is to enhance children’s curiosity, passion and knowledge about nature, and motivate them into action to conserve biodiversity.
“I had a thrilling experience meeting the British High Commissioner to Kenya, H.E. Ms Jane Marriott, Dr Paula Kahumbu and other scientists. We learnt about the scientific names of birds, insects and trees, I hope to see and experience more as a Wildlife Warrior”. –  Faith Wawira
“We learnt the scientific names of trees, how to make birds calls and how to capture insects. We were also awarded books by Dr Dino Martins to go and read and share the information with our friends. THANK YOU!”   – Joab Coasta

We look forward to more invitations by H.E. Ms Jane Marriott, the Fun Ambassador. When we invited experts to participate in supporting the BioBlitz we were so humbled by their patience and passion whose attention to the children has surely changed their lives forever. We are grateful to Dr Dino Martins, Ivy Ng’iru and Ella Frigyik (entomology), Dr Paul Musili and Matthias Mbale (botany), Peter Mureithi and Richard Kipng’eno (ornithology). The event was captured by Boniface Muthoni.

If you would like to be part of this wonderful initiative please donate today here.