Tigithe River News Roundup

As you may remember, a few months ago there was a toxic spill incident in the Tigithe River.  The Tigithe River flows into the Tanzanian portion of the Mara River.  Here is the latest news on that situation...

TIGITHE RIVER WATER SAFE FOR HUMAN CONSUPTION (?!)
It is reported in various media that Tanzania's Water and Irrigation Minister Mark Mwandosya said that Tanzania's Tigithe River, which passes through North Mara Gold Mine property is now free of pollution following a range of mitigating measures adopted by the mine's management and that recent tests on the river indicate that the water is fit for human and livestock consumption.


Tanzania Clears North Mara Gold Mine Over River Pollution
Tanzania's Tigithie River, which passes through North Mara Gold Mine property is now free of pollution following a range of mitigating measures adopted by the mine's management, Tanzania's Water and Irrigation Minister Mark Mwandosya said Monday.



Debate on safety of Tigithe water reemerges
Water from Tigithe river is now fit for human and livestock consumption, Prof Mark Mwandosya, the Water and Irrigation minister has said while playing down criticism that the river is contaminated with toxic spills caused by operations within the North Mara gold mine.

Pictures of the incident.

Controlled Burn in the Masai Mara

Right now...

The Mara River Basin

So what does the Mara River Basin look like?

We have been taking land cover photographs for over 2 years.  Here is the map with the photographs.

Flickr Photostream

We have been posting some of our project pictures on the USAID Biodiversity & Forestry photostream.  Check them out when you get a chance.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/usaid-biodiversity-forestry/show/

Humble Beginnings

A picture on the wall of the WWF Musoma office...

Road Kill in the Serengeti?

Imagine. You are lying in the grass in the east African savannah, watching wildebeest fording a shallow river. You can hear the funny grunting noises they make, and as they pass by, you can feel the impact of their hooves on the ground and smell their rich animal smell. You see their kicking heels, their beautiful sleek bodies. Then you look up, and you realize that the herd stretches as far as you can see, that the plain is dark with wildebeest. If you were to wait for them all to pass, you would be there for days.


The sight is magnificent, primal and profoundly moving. It is the wildebeest migration.


Every year, more than a million wildebeest, along with hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles, move through the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem of Tanzania and Kenya, following the rains. In the course of a year, an individual wildebeest may cover as much as 2,100 kilometers. (That’s more than 1,300 miles — which is further than the distance between New York and New Orleans.) It is the last great migration on Earth.


But for how much longer? A large part of the migration takes place within the vast Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, and there are reports that the Tanzanian government is preparing to build a major road through the northern part of the park: through a designated wilderness area, through the migration route....


http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/15/road-kill-in-the-serengeti/?emc=eta1

New road threatens Africa's 'wonder of the world' wildebeest migration

The migration of vast herds of wildebeest and zebra from Tanzania into Kenya has for decades attracted conservationists armed with clipboards and tourists wielding cameras.


But a new commercial highway is to be built which will cut through key migration routes and could permanently change this marvel of nature.

Upper Catchment of the Mara River

A Lesson in the Bush

Meeting with the Mugango Community Group (part of the Mara River Water User's Association) on riparian land they have conserved with the assistance of WWF.  

Kidogo Matata

One of our wheel bearings...