Snakes... part two

Not such a good looking snake... and a good deal more dangerous....
What is it??

Snakes..... can you identify??

Snake identification quiz..... picture one.... love them or hate them you have to admit this one is a

beauty... Guard snake or attack snake? Should i be entering the house in bare feet? Friend or foe?

African Hunting Dogs... hunting....

Yesterday morning  I watched Wild dogs hunting up from the water tanks, over the reception car park, past the Chief's House and into the valley. I counted 24 , but there were probably several more in this large pack. A high number - and probably ready to split very soon as they were all adults. Whilst I watched they killed 4 dik diks in what was, for them an enormously successful hunt. Not for the dik diks. Watching their hunting organisation is always formidable. and listening to them call is one of the most evocative Laikipia experiences. Technology did not smile so happily-  as after the first two pictures my phone died!

Wild Dogs looking down on me from reception rock

Solomon In Philadelphia

After a year of  visa trips to Nairobi …. and  a good few setbacks along the way…. Solomon finally achieved his dream of getting to the United States  in November 2012.

Thanks to his amazing  hosts and sponsors who stuck by him throughout the visa shenaningans he had the trip of a lifetime in Philly.

Cooling off between the race and the totally amazing after party

Highlights  were , firstly of course , Race Day - whilst Solomon did not achieve the race time he would have hoped- he used his usual indomitable spirit to finish despite a recurring injury and  enjoyed every minute of the race in a  magnificent city.  We all extend our congratulations to him! The second highlight was his trip to Washington DC where he was presenting to the African Wildlife Foundation,  about the conservation work at Lentille. By all accounts he spoke eloquently and passionately about the improvements in the conservation lands, cattle management and development work across the Group Ranches. Food and Friends  were clearly the other highlights – pancakes and pizza looming high on the list!! 

Checking out the Washington landmarks ....


All in all solomon could not have had a better trip and the friendship offered to him has put Philadelphia firmly into his Friendliest City category. 
Thank-you so much  to all who made this trip possible

Looking Back ……..and Ahead….

Apologies for distinct  lack of blog posts… whatever happened to the second half of 2012??.. …it  rushed past in a whirlwind of Lentille projects. Expansion of the new Narupa  Conservancy,  new campsite,  new health centre,  new bore hole, new  pipelines,  new conservation resource centre, new secondary buildings, new boarding houses for Ngabolo , new classrooms for Nkiloriti and Parkuruk, a new NGO and American Not -for -Profit,  not forgetting our own ‘new’ house. So many  ‘news’:  Meanwhile our old projects also expand and develop apace in education and healthcare. So when in December we were inspecting the  ‘Oh So Smart’ 24 bed ‘hospital’ complete with operating theatre and x ray room it was only partially tongue in cheek that I what year we would be  planning the  housing development…….. oh, and  the golf course. And so it is in Developing Economies  that suddenly you are forced to look into the future and see how quickly Change creates Change. As ever our prime task   is to ensure that changes created can benefit the greatest number so that economic development can allow  communities  to better help themselves…. Together  with the smallest carbon footprint and most positive ecological impact.

It is perhaps fitting that at the end of 2012 The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille , as the driver for the community development projects, received a Virgin responsible Tourism award for alleviation of poverty.  This has been a team effort by the lodge staff/the community and of course our stalwart friends across the globe and as we look forward along the road of 2013 we sincerely thank ALL  partners in this process. Whilst we do not ever look towards breaking out the golf clubs-we do have a myriad of  further plans to extend the legs of the three legged stool of conservation /business and development projects that has been our model for Ol Lentille, to create self reliance and sustainable development.  We are constantly aware of how much there is to be done on all fronts and, as we extend into new areas, sometimes we feel as if our work is a drop in the ocean- but as we all know the ocean is made of drops.

Naiperere school pupils at the new Conservation Resource Centre- the faces of the future- balancing modernity and tradition

Wishing all our friends a very, very Happy and Healthy 2013, with enormous thanks to every one of you-  from all at Ol Lentille!

Children's Art Exhibition-great pics!

Lilyy Pond Arts gallery- a great space

Well done to all the children in Kenyan, English and  Irish schools who have  produced some wonderful art work on the theme of -What Conservation means To Me. And thanks to the Lily Pond Arts Centre in Nanyuki for loaning their wonderful gallery to display it in. Thanks also to the Laikipia Wildlife Forum for loaning their educational bus so that all the conservation teachers and prize winning pupils could go and view their work. The schools involved are part of the www.becomeafriend.net programme- creating creative links to aid understanding and learning between cultures.

Being asked to draw a fish when you have never seen an expanse of water leads to many learning opportunities- as does being introduced to wax resistance and paint wash: developed from the Parkuruk theme of  "Conservation means clean water '

It is particularly exciting to see how well the kenyan pupils interpreted this theme- conservation of their environment being such a basic part of their everyday life. The prize winners were all able to discuss the reason for their chosen themes to the Laikipia County Times...as well as how they went about their work.

Nkiloriti joining with English and  Irish pupils -'protecting our trees and our elephants' and Musul Primary protecting flora.. The tree pictures that were replicated around Nkiloriti classrooms led to a whole term's theme of conservation lessons, whilst the Musul theme was a response to the charcoal burning that is affecting their ranch and their future inheritance

Conservation of Culture from Raap and Naiperere schools- along with some wonderful bead work

The fish templates sent by Ireland for the Parkuruk pupils led to a whole new avenue of learning- plus a visit to Trout tree to see their first ever 'live' fish- not many about in the arid lands of Isiolo.

Go- The Amazing Race 2012....

Well done Race Directors Solomon Kimani, Sarah Edson and Molly Fitzpatrick and the whole team for another great Ultra Marathon Race!

Mama Ruso: first local  (Musul- NB athletcis selectors should be targeting those Musul runners!) woman to finish the 75km. A mother of three in her first ever race- what a role model  for Amazing Racers everywhere! Unable to finish Primary school herself, girls education is now about promoting her daughters

Fantastic effort to all the many 75km, 42km, and 21km racers... and to the great cause of promoting Girls' Education. Only three years to go and your first girls will have a chance of University: the future leaders of Kenya!

Beatrice takes the flag for Ol Lentille with her second place in 21k- all that running from elephants and leopards during the week is now paying off! Supported here by Big Man Johnson (driver and groundsman at Ol Lentille and another 21km finisher) and winner of the womens' 21km, a Kimanjo standard 7 pupil, to her right.

More pictures to follow.....