Kilombero Valley Ornithological Center (KVOC)

Über uns

Kilombero Valley Ornithological Center (KVOC), founded in 2013, is a local community-based non-profit organisation focused on the conservation of birds and wildlife in the Kilombero Valley of southern Tanzania.

Its mission is to have a sustainable and lasting impact on local attitudes towards conservation and the environment and to work towards the protection of endemic, threatened and near-threatened wildlife species of the valley.

What we do
• Kilombero Valley ornithological Center work is aligned to the four pillars of species, sites and habitats, ecological sustainability and people. Within this framework, the Kilombero Valley Ornithological Center emphases developing positive linkages between birds, biodiversity and the livelihoods of people.
• KVOC carries out wildlife surveys and community projects. The education and outreach programs, includes increasing conservation awareness and engaging with communities in discussions regarding wildlife protection; working with schools and the wider village communities. The Centre also works with village leaders to help them develop land management strategies.
• Center wishes to significantly reduce and reverse the rate of loss of the region’s biodiversity. Our efforts to achieve this focus on conservation action for priority species, and priority habitats for bird and biodiversity conservation. We also work to empower local people to analyze threats and develop safeguard options that suit local socio-economic contexts and use existing indigenous knowledge.

Projects:
• Beekeeping Project: In order for conservation activities to be successful the community must be involved and must benefit directly from this process. Income generation. The honeybee products can be marketed locally, Beekeeping in Kilombero Valley also provides incomes to various stakeholders in the value chain. These include bee farmers, carpenters etc.;Produces food and medicines. The conditions/diseases treated using bee products include stomach upsets, diarrhea, vomiting, wounds, burns, cough. It also helps to boost the immunity of people living with HIV/AIDS; Makes a significant contribution to biodiversity: Pollination, Wild Plant Growth, Food Source, Wildlife Habitats.
• Wildlife Conservation: Protecting wild species and their habitats in order to prevent species from going extinct.
Bird Surveys. The status of the Kilombero Valley as an Important Bird Area we use birds as a monitor of environmental change. Methods used includes Time Point Count and Mist netting.
Butterfly Survey. Butterflies are a worthwhile taxa to survey for a number of reasons; they are easy to capture equipment used for their capture is relatively cheap and they are a good indicator of habitat type and quality.
Reptiles and Amphibians Survey: Direct Observation; Pit-fall Traps. Pitfall traps are a technique that can be used to survey reptiles and amphibians as well as small mammals and insects. Therefore it is a very useful technique to employ when time or manpower is limited. Equipment is also relatively cheap and animals that cannot be attracted by bait can be captured.
Signs of poaching survey. Illegal Hunting wild animals, Deforestation for charcoal and timber for subsistence and income had been a common practice for local communities in the Kilombero Valley. Recording of poaching incidents is important, as information is needed on the types and patterns of poaching. For example, knowing which techniques are employed, which species are most commonly caught, the average age caught, and any areas in which poaching is rampant, is very useful if the impacts of poaching are to be determined. Once this is established, measures to combat poaching can be taken.
• Community Awareness - Teaching schools and Village Meeting: Teaching kids about the environment early is important, will give them a great start on learning about the world around them. Children will also take the message home to their families and provide another means of spreading messages to adults with limited access to communications media. We use printed Materials brochures, presentation of audio-visual materials and field trips. Planting trees and fruits in forest increasing food for mammals and birds; Village meeting: Saturday nature walk, training village game scout on how to collect wildlife data during the patrolling.

Sebastian Fabian Ngasoma is the Founder and Director of Kilombero Valley Ornithological Center (KVOC).

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.