Stella Sofasi

The project team is pleased to report that from 13th-17th July 2009, the team visited 12 villages which surround Nyika National Park. Further, the project team also sensitised government and non-state actor officials in the Departments of Forestry, National Parks and Wildlife, Agriculture and Fisheries, including local NGOs and CBOs in Rumphi and Karonga districts. The aim of the visits was to sensitise local communities, government officials and non-state actors on invasive alien species (IAPs) and their impacts on indigenous plant and wildlife diversity.

One of the milestones that were achieved during the exercise was that a total of 520 people acquired and assimilated the knowledge about IAPs and the impacts that they cause on our indigenous biodiversity. There were also informed about their modes of introduction and spread.

We are pleased to report that another systematic vegetation survey to assess invasive alien plants (IAPs) was carried out from 24th August to 4th September 2009 and also from 28th September to 9th October 2009. The vegetation surveys were carried out in various vegetation communities.

The results have revealed that in Nyika National Park, there are still other IAPs that were not recorded during the previous survey. The new IAPs that have been recently assessed include water hyacinth, water lettuce and Azolla nilotica and these occur in water bodies in the park. Other IAPs that has been added to the already documented list include Lantana camera. The findings are major milestones in the fight against the occurrence, spread and distribution of these species in the park as areas to targeted for eradication and restoration will be well known and hence can be cost effective.

From 19th to 29th October 2009 and also from 9th to 18th November 2009, the project team conducted environmental talks and public lectures to local communities living on the Nyika National Park and surrounding areas. In addition, one TV and two radio roundtable programmes were developed and aired. The whole aim is to make the general public aware of the potential negative impacts of invasive alien plants on the biodiversity and the economy of the country.

A total of 320 people attended the public talks and lectures and almost 10 million people have acquired the message through the local radio and TV. It is important to mention that in the mean time 75% of the total population in the country have learned how the plants are being spread and how they can be contained. This will help to safeguard our natural resources.

In December 2009, eight sensitisation meetings were held in 10 villages bordering Nyika National Park.

The main aim was to lobby and advocate the importance of joining hands in fighting against the occurrence and spread of invasive alien plant species in Nyika National Park which have serious negative impacts on wildlife and flora which are engines for socio-economic development in the country through eco-tourism and provision of medicinal plant and animal products. One of the achievements of meetings was that 30 local communities, including five park personnel (24 men and 11 women) volunteered to take part in the study eradication of invasive species.

These communities were thereafter trained on how best they can effectively remove invasive plant species from all colonised areas in the park.

The trained community members have started removing some of the invasive plant species such as bracken fern from Nyika National Park. In the meantime about 5 ha of the total land area covered by invasive alien plant species have been cleared of these plants. In addition, 10 meetings have been conducted in villages and offices of some stakeholders around NPP.

The main aim of the meetings was to sensitise and lobby community members the importance of forming Task Force Committees (TFCs) whose objective is to foster monitoring and future eradication of resurfacing and new species of invasive alien plants in the cleared areas. A total of 306 community members have been sensitised and 75% have expressed willingness to take part in the monitoring exercise.

From 28th-29th May 2009, the team undertook a field reconnaissance survey to the project site. The aim of the survey was to make other project team members aware of the project site and see the ecology of national park.

Then from 1st-12th June 2009, the project team visited the project site again. The main of this visit was to carry out systematic vegetation surveys in various plant communities to identify all invasive alien plants that occur in Nyika National Park. The initial survey has revealed that Pteridium aquilinum (bracken fern, Rubus ellepticus, Pinus patula are responsible for massive loss of indigenous biodiversity in Nyika National Park. It is believed that more invasive alien plants will be discovered as the survey continues.

Work on clearing of invasive alien plants (IAPs) in Nyika National Park is still going on. In the meantime, the trained community members are busy clearing notorious IAPs such as bracken fern and Gmelina arborea using hoes, axes, saw, panga knives and slashers. We are pleased to report that as of February 28th 2010 about 10 ha infested with IAPs have been cleared. This is one of the greatest landmarks of this project as natural habitats will be restored and wildlife flora and fauna will also be restored through restocking and natural regeneration in case of flora.

Members of my project team are pleased to report that 20 permanent biodiversity monitoring plots (quadrats) have been constructed in Nyika National Park. Ten plots have been constructed in areas that were previously infested with Invasive Alien Plants (IAPs) and another 10 have been constructed in areas which have intact plant cover.

The plots will significantly help monitor future occurrences of IAPs in areas that are cleared of these invasive plants so that further action to eliminate them should be undertaken. The plots will also help monitor indigenous plants and animals that can resurface naturally in these plots. This will help to know if natural plant regeneration and animal restocking is taking place in disturbed areas. In addition, plots constructed in areas with intact vegetation cover will help researchers monitor if is there is forest degradation taking place in Nyika National Park.

The project team is pleased to report that more invasive alien plant species such as pine trees have been removed from all infested areas of Nyika National Park. The clearing of the remaining invasive alien plants was done from 4th-14th May 2010. Further, about 15,000 indigenous plant species have been planted in areas cleared areas of the park. This exercise will help rehabilitate and restore all areas of the park that were infested by invasive alien plants. It is strongly believed that the restoration of the degraded areas will help bring back the population of unique species of wildlife that ran away to other remote areas of the park due to infestation of their natural habitats by the invasive alien plant species.

Members of my project team are pleased to report that 1, 500 local communities are trained in tree nursery establishment and management. As a result, 20 tree nurseries have been established around 10 villages that border Nyika National Park. A total of 50, 000 seedlings have been raised in these nurseries. We are pleased to report that 20 ha of Nyika National Park that were colonised by IAS have been planted with indigenous tree species. This programme will help restore all areas that were infested with IAS to almost their natural habitats. The restored habitats will consequently help attract displaced wildlife and promote regeneration of other indigenous plant species from the seed bank which could not germinate due to presence of invasive alien species that were suppressing them by altering microclimate of the area.

Read more about the activities undertaken and findings of this project in the final report below.