Accumulated sediments contain plant macro and microfossils; lakes, swamp and bog sediments trap evidence from the surrounding environments for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. The plant microfossils provide evidence of historical changes in the surrounding environment. These sediments are the indicators studied in palynology which is concerned with the structure and formation of the pollen grains Pollen analysis can […]
Project Overview – Resilience in East African Landscapes (REAL)
Project summary The strong temporal dynamics of the East African landscape and natural-resource distributions have always encouraged people to innovate and adapt to changing conditions. However, the realities of current social and environmental changes are occurring at unprecedented rates and amplitudes. Increasing population growth, changes in patterns of land tenure, industrialization, weak systems of governance, […]
Survey of Kenya visit
The Survey of Kenya, with headquarters in Nairobi, was involved in field mapping alongside the Directorate of Overseas Surveys and Directorate of Colonial Surveys during British colonial rule and remains the main centre of geospatial information in Kenya. The Survey maintains the air photography, maps, cadastrals and geospatial data of Kenya and is an important […]
Obsidian tools
Obsidian is a volcanic extrusive rock with a glassy texture that is very hard and dense. The volcanic glass is usually black in colour, but it can also be dark green and brown. In rare cases trace elements of mineral crystals can cause obsidian to reflect light in various colours, or even the colour spectrum […]
Cartography and Map Resources
Free Maps Political map of East Africa. By Nick Deere (KITE) Mapping in Kenya Institutional Structure: Ministry: Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development Department of Surveys Legal: Survey Act (cap 299) This department implements the Government’s policy of sustainable exploitation of land and its natural resources. It is composed of five divisions namely; Geodetic […]
CLOSED Call for applicants: REAL project PhD at the University of York
Marie Curie Early Stage Researcher Department Environment Based at University of York – Heslington Campus Hours of work Full-time Contract status Fixed term Salary £37,822 – £40,687 a year Apply by 30/05/2014 Role Description [Job post LINK] The KITE research group in the Environment Department, University of York, has a research position in Environmental Modelling […]
Nyabuiyabui Swamp fieldwork
Nyabuiyabui swamp field work was carried out between 10-12/04/2014 by Colin Courtney Mustaphi, Esther Githumbi who were accompanied by Rebecca Muthoni (Intern at National Museums of Kenya) and Joseph Mutua (BIEA). Nyabuiyabui Swamp is located in Mau forest, Kiptunga block and permission to carry out the field work was granted by the KFS. It […]
Amboseli fieldwork
Assorted REALers accompanied Esther and Colin on their fieldwork trip to the Amboseli region. Two swamps were targeted for analysis, resulting in some beautiful cores and a ton of fun, all under the watchful eye of Mount Kilimanjaro. Further activities included mapping the sediment depth, taking pictures with the trusted Quad “Don’t land me in […]
Workshop on archival sources
From March 24 to 25, 2014, Dr. David Anderson and Dr. Benoit Hazard led a workshop on accessing and critically analysing archival sources and historical research methods at the British Institute in Eastern Africa and the Kenya National Archives. The workshop introduced archival sources and historical research methods to scholars with limited experience in historical research. The workshop […]
Workshop in Palaeoenvironmental Approaches
This week some of the REAL members came together with researchers of the National Museums of Kenya to participate in a workshop in palaeoenvironmental approaches organised by Stephen Rucina, Rob Marchant, and Colin Courtney Mustaphi. The workshop was held at the National Museums in Nairobi. Some of the REAL members enjoying the sun Colin talked […]
New home for the York Institute of Tropical Ecology (KITE)
Within the new building for the Environment Department, Bioarchaeology, and the Stockholm Environment Institute, at the University of York. The building will be completed in 2015.
Accessing historical air photographs of Kenya
Most of the Colony of Kenya was photographed in the late 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and used to compile the Kenyan topographic maps (scale 1:50 000; Series Y731). These maps show the locations of the air photographs and a copy of the photos are held by the Rhodes House of the Bodleian Libraries at the […]