BUTTERFLY FARMING PROJECT

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A community based environmental conservation centre called "Practical Resource Use Centre" (PRUCE), run by Butterfly Ventures, established in Gatero area, the village surrounding Marmanet, an indigenous forest in Laikipia District, Kenya. With continuous progress it is expected that farming of local wildlife in captivity will ease the current use trends that heavily exploit natural resources beyond their inherent recovery capabilities, through educating visitors and interested parties on the potential of natural resources hence a more practical, commercial and hands-on reason for conservation that is mutually beneficial to all stakeholders, tapping tourist spending in the area and provision of game meat from this farm as an alternative quarter and supporting students activities.

The centre acts as a focal point for collection, teaching farmers on production methods, supervising their activities, mobile butterfly tourism, marketing farmers produce, offering volunteer training opportunities and mobile teaching to schools.

PRUCE utilizes volunteers who are community members, students, volunteers and adventurers preferably in science and education. Each student is expected to participate in two weeks training at the beginning of their work at the centre by attending a two to three weeks learning programme through training modicums organised at Kipepeo butterfly farm in Malindi, Mombasa and other current running farms (reptiles, birds and insects). This training is to equip them with basic collection, breeding, rearing, processing and marketing skills, for target species. It also offers a good familiarizing point for students who would like to pursue studies in this field.

The initial phases for the above named centre is currently butterfly and guinea fowl farming, both of this species are native to this area. The project is to exploit their economic potential for tourism, reliable source of varied species of butterflies highly valued for their aesthetic, educational, prestige collection values and guinea fowl for provision of game meat respectively. They are both technologically simple and inexpensive, though many people are unfamiliar with their breeding cycles, the concept can be readily understood with a modicum of explanation, very little studies and documentation has been done on butterflies, thus farming has been done on only very few species whose farming has been replicated over time.

Students should have written proposals on areas they wish to pursue including photography, our activities includes collaboration with other wildlife farmers. Outstanding students from every group will be invited to join our staff, and be part of our expansion programme.

PRUCE operates with 3 fulltime staff and creates an opportunity for ten volunteers. In addition a governing board made up of a community leader, a University Lecturer, a staff from Kenya Wildlife Services and an Entomologist from the National Museums of Kenya operates to provide overall sanctioning of the centres operation. Periodic evaluations are conducted to access the value of PRUCE on a) The level overall economic well being of local's involved b) Helping student volunteers become effective educators and stimulate them intellectually to pursue different areas in this field. c) Development among locals on environmental issues and conservation, and rehabilitation of land of already damaged areas.
d) Impact on tourism activities in this project and area in general.

CENTRE LOCATION AREA

Marmanet forest is in Laikipia district, the area is about 2600metres above sea-level. The seasonal distribution of rainfall in the district is as a result of the influences of north east and south trade winds, the inter-tropical convergence zone and western winds in middle troposphere in July and August. The long rains therefore occur from March to May while the short rains are in October and November.

The mean annual temperatures of the district range between 16c and 26c, with an average duration of sun shine of between six and eight hours daily. The coolest month is June and the hottest February.
The area is endowed with several natural resources; the most important include land, forest, wildlife and rivers among others.

The average population density in the entire District in 1989 was 24 persons per square kilometre while in 1999 it was 33persons per square kilometre. Marmanet has a high population due to its agricultural productivity potential.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The entire Laikipia district is richly endowed with wildlife, mostly distributed in the semi arid lands. Most of the wildlife is found in large-scale ranches, which occupy over 50% of the total areas of the district, the rest is found in the unsettled small holdings, group ranches owned by the Laikipia pastoral Maasai and also in gazetted forests of Mukogodo, Marmanet and Rumuruti.

Though this is an important resource it has been the source of conflict with the farming communities. The entire district is a wildlife belt, having no permanent enclosures thus farming communities are vulnerable to foraging and preying behaviour of migratory herbivores and carnivores, the villages surrounding Rumuruti are agricultural economies that rely heavily on farm produce for food and market the surplus. High population growth, reduced acrearages and constant conflict with wildlife has led to heavy reliance on the environment which in this area is a quick ready source of timber, firewood, charcoal and proteins from wild herbivores. Wild herbivores feed on farms to a point of relying on government aid for food in this region.

E.F Schumacher, in his book 'Small is Beautiful' forwards a number of proposals for tackling the challenges we face in today's world. He suggests that business enterprises wholly incorporate the use of appropriate technologies. For Schumacher, an appropriate technology is one that is readily understood by the people that are using it, is environmentally non-destructive, incorporates locally available materials, is economically and environmentally sustainable, and is none dehumanizing to the people who use it.

Butterfly and guinea fowl farming fits all these characteristics of an appropriate technology. If well undertaken, they are both an alternative and progressive endeavour with respect to impact on the immediate surroundings to which we and other organisms depend. Different from traditional farming methods, butterfly farming is absolutely dependent upon the native vegetation. In most cases a butterfly farmer is encouraged to keep areas of land in its intact natural vegetation.

Both farming methods are virtually not expensive or technologically sophisticated capital requirements.

FACILITIES

The farm is located on thirty five acres of piece of land and accommodation facilities offered on an eco-lodge located near and run by the farm, alternative accommodation offered through cultural exchange programme where participants spend their stay with selected families.

TRANSPORT

A four-wheel vehicle stationed on the farm will be always available for activities outside the farm (i.e.) getting supplies, teaching services, a weekend game parks, reserves and general know Kenya tour.

ADMISSION

Applications are being considered now. Your application should include copies of certificates, time of the attachment, abstract of your interest, and 3 references. Further information can be obtained from the address below. Send your application to: