Surviving the Environment Arena and beyond: Maasai Mara Reserve
by Wycliffe Ledama
I am a person who is persistent in my life. I have always believed that there is a way through no matter how difficult the situation might be, so when I'm a leader, I make sure that I persist in each and every situation. It's one quality of good leadership that every leader should uphold and follow. As a leader in my community, I envision a world that honours both our commonalities and our differences, that not only actively recruits women and girls to schools but which actively addresses any barriers to their meaningful participation in society. Also where young men can learn the roles that are handed to us as children and where education has a ripple effect that creates a fairer world for women, where every single African young woman has a community around her who recognizes her potential.
I envision a world where people who are marginalized are given a bright future. For example, when we speak about people with disabilities, we see the infrastructure work against us. I envision a world where the physical barriers that hindered us to succeed are eradicated and society accepts that there are people who have special needs and need access to all places. Therefore to help in this way, I believe it makes the lives of all human beings better. It's at that time when these steps are taken; that people could compete on an equal footing and everyone will be accounted for. I'm sure UNEP MGCY is breaking visible and invisible barriers to ensure inclusiveness and equality for all.
I spent 25 years of my life surrounded by trees in a small town in Kilgoris, Narok county. While I understood the importance of forests, I also knew that approximately 3 billion people depend on burning solid fuels or kerosine to meet household energy needs. However, my perspective changed when my family travelled to Maasai Mara National Reserve. As I stood in the middle of a forest filled with trees 90 feet tall, I realized tha forests are special and each one is unique. Each forest has its own ecosystem, plant and animal life and beauty. I believe everyone should have the opportunity to experience the beauty and wonder of not just forests, but also everything nature has to offer— meaning that we need to keep our world clean and healthy. Since then, the environment, and thus conservation, has become one of my biggest interests.
When I first came to college in Nairobi last fall, I knew that I wanted to join an organization that would do its part to fight for our planet. After a year of struggling to find a group that shared my passion and determination, I came upon UNEP MGCY. Here, not only could I work to help the environment, but could also pursue my other interests of communications and health issues. It has been a dream of mine for a while now to come to Nairobi, learn the tools of the trade at Kenya Water Training Institute, and begin a career in water engineering, specifically in conservation. By working as a service provider this fall at UN.org, I have the opportunity to get hands-on experience working with policymakers, the government and non-profit organizations who do incredible work.
While I have been to a few beautiful places in Kenya, there are still many, many more I want to explore. That is why being a volunteer at the UN is so critically important to me. Yes, this opportunity will strengthen my communication skills and advance my working knowledge of civic education and engagement programs, but I am here for a bigger purpose as well: keeping our environment as beautiful in 100 years as it is right now. Kenyan Forests’ works diligently to keep our plane healthy, and I am so excited to contribute in any way I can to this important cause.
Reasons Why We Need to be Environmentally Conscious
It is critical to protect the environment so as to reduce the destruction of ecosystems caused by a myriad of anthropogenic activities. It is more of a moral obligation for humans to protect the environment from pollution and other activities that lead to environmental degradation. Importantly, environmental degradation is detrimental since it threatens the long-term health of animals, humans and plants. Air and water pollution, global warming, smog, acid rain, deforestation, wildfires are just a few of the environmental issues that we are facing right now. It is everyone’s responsibility to take care of the environment to make this planet a wonderful place to live. One does not need to put a lot of money to go green but simple changes in daily lifestyle is all that is required to reduce your carbon footprint on the environment.
Here are the 35 reasons why humankind should save the environment or at least be environmentally conscious.
1. The environment helps in protecting the ecosystem: Changes affecting the ecosystem put multiple species in the danger of extinction necessitating the need of protecting the environment. Ecosystems are deeply connected to one another.
2. Protecting the environment protects humanity: Pollution is one of the most hazardous factors affecting the environment. It affects the quality of food leading to the ingestion of toxic substances.
3. Humans have a moral obligation to preserve nature and its features: Humans are responsible for taking care of the environment. Protecting the environment would be an act of fulfilling their compulsions.
4. Biodiversity is a significant part of life in the world: Biodiversity not only consists of the animals living of earth but also the forests, grasslands and tundra, which are significant features in maintaining the life-cycle of the eco-system.
5. Forests provide raw materials for various consumer products: Forests are a significant part of the environment, which helps in providing various raw materials such as food, rubber, timber and essential oils. Forest management means the availability and sustainable use of these natural resources.
6. Forests provide habitats for a variety of species: Almost half of the species live in forests thus
destroying the forests would lead to the destruction of the ecosystem at large.
7. The way in which a person protects the environment reflects their personality: Just like the way you treat other people reflects your personality, the way you treat the environment reflects who you actually are. A good person will treat the environment responsibly. So treat the environment well and prove that you indeed have a good personality.
8. It is a way to give to your generation: One will be happier in life if you focus on giving rather than receiving. Treating the environment well is one way to give to the others in your generation. By treating the environment well, you make the planet a better place to live for everyone. You help yourself and others to have a higher quality of life.
9. It is a way to give to the future generations: Not only protecting the environment benefits people in the current generation; it will also benefit people in many generations to come. This planet is our legacy to future generations.
10. It is a way to give back to the planet: Whether we realize it or not, we can only live by consuming resources provided by this planet. Take energy for instance. We only get the energy by utilizing resources like oil and coal provided by the earth. This is not to mention basic needs like food and water.
11. The environment is effective in generating a successful food chain: The sun provides light for the plants. The plants are food for the animals that are in turn consumed by other animals. Therefore, destroying the environment would destroy the food chain system.
12. The trees that are a significant part of the environment helps in keeping the climate cool: trees play a significant role in creating shades on the ground. Urban trees help buildings stay cool, reducing the need for electric fans or air conditioners, while large forests can tackle daunting tasks.
13. The environment is useful in maintaining the earth’s balance: Trees also have another way to beat the heat: absorb CO2 that fuels global warming. Plants need some CO2 for photosynthesis which is stored in wood, leaves and soil, often for centuries. The forests equally absorb impurities from emissions.
14. A balanced ecosystem results in rain: large forests have the tendency of influencing the weather patterns hence creating their own microclimates.
15. Trees, a significant part of the environment, play a critical role in the refilling of aquifers: Forests are like giant sponges, catching runoff rather than letting it roll across the surface, but they cannot absorb all of it. Water that gets past their roots trickles down into aquifers, replenishing groundwater supplies that are important for drinking, sanitation and irrigation around the world.
16. Trees play a significant role in blocking the wind: Farming near a forest has many benefits, like bats and songbirds that eat insects or owls and foxes that eat rats. Nevertheless, trees can also serve as windbreakers, reducing wind speeds of wind-sensitive crops. In addition, beyond protecting those plants, less wind makes it easier for bees to pollinate them.
17. Trees help in keeping dirt in its place: A forest’s root network stabilizes huge amounts of soil, bracing the entire ecosystem’s foundation against erosion by wind or water. Not only does deforestation disrupt all that, but also the ensuing soil erosion can trigger new, life-threatening problems like landslides and dust storms.
18. Many animals need the environment for survival: As the environment gets destroyed, more animals in the ecosystem perish. As the environment is degrading, most animal species face extinction.
19. Preserving the environment could prevent soil erosion: Soil erosion is a factor that occurs due to various human activities that have led to environmental degradation. Erosion can occur naturally from the impact of water and wind, or it can be encouraged by irresponsible farming practices.
20. Maintaining the environment slows down global warming: Deforestation adds more carbon and carbon dioxide that capture and absorb heat, thus speeding up the process of global warming by making the Earth hotter. The forest slows this process down because carbon dioxide is stored in the trees and also converts to oxygen.
21. Maintaining the environment leads to the creation of natural watersheds: The plants and trees in the forest catch rain and other types of moisture. It helps water to naturally discharge into larger water bodies like lakes and rivers. This maintains water quality and enables aquatic systems to flourish.
22. The environment provides an excellent source of groundwater: The Forest Service has reported that 20% of our drinking water comes from forests. In forest ecosystems, rain and moisture are made into groundwater that is collected as freshwater used for drinking.
23. The forest, a useful part of the environment, helps us to breathe: Did you know that more than 10 people can get nourished by oxygen from a single tree? Well, trees are the typical lungs of the earth as they absorb carbon dioxide and change it to oxygen thereby allowing survival on earth.
24. The forest gives us clean air: The air we breathe is less harmful to us because the forest trees act as a natural filter to remove harmful particles.
25. Maintaining the environment leads to less solar radiation: In small doses, the ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun are good for us and provide a healthy dose of vitamin D. But, when we are exposed to too much sun, it can be uncomfortable and lead to skin cancer or many other health issues. UV rays are made less powerful because the forest has the ability to weaken solar radiation.
26. Maintaining the environment such as the growing of forests stabilizes noise pollution: With the way our ears process sound, the forest actually cuts down much of the noise we hear or makes some sounds so subtle that we barely notice them. Instead, the forest replaces intrusive noises with its own pleasant sounds of birds chirping and leaves softly rustling.
27. Maintaining the environment is critical in providing food for people: There are many healthy edibles found throughout the forest. Around the world, many people depend on forest food to live.
28. Maintaining the environment leads to the availability of food for both animals and plants: Food from the forest also provides sustenance for animals. Without the forest, many of these animals would perish. Even if we tried, we could not replicate all the foods that are naturally healthy for them in the way the forest can.
29. Environmental protection promotes economic stability: Many people are employed because of the forest and millions of jobs would be lost without it. The forests simply provide energy and are a source of livelihood for many.
30. Protecting the environment make us happy: Millions of people head to the forest to find relaxation and renew their spiritual energy. It has also been scientifically proven that the natural elements of the forest can serve as a remedy for emotional and mental distress.
31. Environmental protection encourages better physical health:
The quality of air found in the forest can help to improve lung health and there are many recreational activities to be found there as well. For example, taking a walk through the forest enhances one’s physical endurance.
32. Environmental protection reminds us to appreciate the beauty of nature: There is nothing quite like spending time in the forests to sightsee and enjoy a day filled with surprises that only nature can afford. The visual splendour of the forest is one of the things that make the Earth especially stunning and unique.
33. Environmental protection awakens our imagination: The visual and mental stimulation that the forest provides heightens our imagination and inspires our motives.
34. Protecting the environment increases tourism: Many societies have benefited from funding, support and economic revitalization through tourism. Tourists are mainly attracted to areas such as forests and zoos which are all part of our environment.
35. Medicines can be found throughout the forests and environment: Medicines are found in the forest that can be used for a wide variety of health disorders. Medicines can be extracted to cure infections and a myriad of health problems. In 2019 in my small home town Kilgoris, in my community…I found myself in violation of the earth’s well being in the food I ate, the clothing I wore and the products I put in, on and around my body. Throughout the month of January, I became immersed with how to truly live a sustainable lifestyle, to understand the impacts of things like plastic microbeads invading our oceans, toxic e-waste disposal in developing countries, the devastating effects of industrial farming on our soil, and on and on.
-
A passion I never knew existed propelled me through the month to do everything possible to spread awareness and mobilize change. My team and I made presentations to faculty and staff, at market gatherings, we sent out school-wide videos, called government officials and made so many posters that our markers ran out of ink. Amidst the excitement, my thinking began to shift. It shifted from looking at a jug of milk as…well…a jug of milk to its impacts – fracking, contaminated water, plastics in rivers and cows pumped with antibiotics and growth hormones. It was not the image of a world that was intentional and thoughtful about people and the planet.
A funny thing happens when you follow your passion. As soon as I started reaching out to students, faculty and staff, I found many people who believed in a more sustainable future for our community, our world and our planet. Early junior year, a group of friends and I talked about how amazing it would be to have solar panels that doubled as sun protectors on our boiling-hot classroom building. Today, what we deemed as a far-fetched idea, is a reality. Who knew that a small group of students with a daydream could be the final push for a more sustainable campus? Looking back, so many people had a hand in the project. It underscores the existence of a massive force of positive change that is assembling across the globe. We see it grow every year during the Project Standard initiative amongst my high school, Training Institute and college peers around the world.
This world needs a paradigm shift, and that will only happen if the people who live on its soil realize that we are the force for change. If you are passionate about design, math, teaching, art, science, public health, engineering, medicine, history, theatre, literature, religion, volunteer, international relations, or literally anything else, you are the drivers of the future, and the time is now to speak up for justice. Activism is my pleasure for conserving this planet.” This planet is our home. As young people who are hardly making difference, we need to raise our voices far and wide. Let’s “dream and do” like never before. It’s up to us! to change the better tomorrow,
Taking care of our common home is an idea that, for our world, today, is no longer an issue of tomorrow but an issue of today. It is such an important idea because humans are the reason the environment is in a decline in the first place, so it is our responsibility to fix what we started. President Uhuru Kenyatta thinks that taking care of our common home should be a corporal work of Late professor; Wangari Mathai wanted us to stop wasting precious environmental goods. So how, exactly, are we supposed to help the environment? If one wants to stop contributing to the bad activities that will lead to earth becoming a grey wasteland, Hon: Mponin Nicholas Thinks simple steps can be done to do so. I personally try to use less power at school and at home, and I write letters to my state politicians to ask them to vote “yes” on bills in our parliament that cut environmental strain. Using less energy and urging politicians to make Delaware more eco-friendly are simple ways that I treat the environment better and respect Earth, our common home.
Decreasing the amount of energy that I use and encouraging my friends and family to do the same is a way that I can directly affect the number of fossil fuels burned for energy. Wherever we go, my friends and I turn off unused lights, plant trees where are no trees and only use the amount of water that is necessary. These are particularly easy ways to help the environment because they take no time out of the day, require little to no effort, and are easy habits to get into and spread to other people.
Whenever citizens feel that an issue their local politicians are voting on pertains to them personally, they can mail a letter to the politicians to ask them to consider their circumstances and why they want the politicians to vote a certain way. An issue that pertains to me personally is the conservation of the Earth. While singular people who use less energy are contributing to a greener world, if companies continue to pump out dangerous chemicals into the air and water, nothing can be done to stop the environment’s decline. So whenever an environmental vote comes up, I mail a letter to my local representatives to remind them that voting to put checks on big manufacturing businesses is one of the most important things for preserving the earth and its resources. I can still make a difference in government through my politicians.
Everyone who is able must put in an effort to save our Earth before it is too late. With every voice and outlet available, citizens of every country need to work against the earth’s deterioration. If we all work together, as a whole world, we can make the earth beautiful, green and safe for all the generations after us. We have to be aware of the life or death situation of pollution and other ecological burdens; we have to be aware that our lives are dependent on the earth’s life, and if we destroy the earth, we destroy ourselves. Pope Francis understands this better than any other pope before him. He knows that God wants us to protect the beautiful world he gave us. God wants us to protect our common home, in every way we can.
I believe being given the opportunity I will come up with a project that will challenge the people in my community and country as a whole to conserve and protect the environment, this will showcase the power of a youthful voice in a global world, having such an impact is a testament how far we should go given a right platform at right time, with a mission to do a little and change the better tomorrow. I am going to personally plant trees to create more green spaces, I challenge you all to do as much as you can to conserve our environment.
About
I am the founder and president of Standard Foundation Kenya. Despite being one of the relatively first-growing countries in Africa, Kenya still has very high maternal mortality rate. Standard foundation leverages high mobile penetration in Kenya to send information to pregnant mother's to [teach] them the importance of living healthy during pregnancy.