Tree Talk, May 2009

Obey the laws on parks and forest reserves

3 Tree Talk, May 2009

Cooperate with game guards, do not poach.

Respect national parks Murchison Falls National Park is one of Uganda's glories. North of the Nile, it lies in Amuru, Oyam and Apac districts. The park brings many tourists. Besides the lodge at Paraa, the lodge at Chobe is being rebuilt. This is good for the north. Maybe one day Pakuba Lodge will also be renovated. The 1979 war almost totally wiped out its elephants, giraffe and hippos. Buffalo decreased from 26,000 to just 1000! The animals are slowly recovering but it is absolutely forbidden to poach.

In 2007 there were only 269 giraffe in Uganda. Of these endangered animals, 249 are found in Murchison Falls National Park and only 20 in Kidepo, Karamoja.

Poaching leads to extinction. The last rhino in Uganda was seen in 1980s. Wild animals and parks are very valuable.

When animals are a problem

The big waterfall in Murchison Falls National Park. Parks are very precious. Communities can only use them if they sign a Resource Use Agreement with Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

Poaching = danger + poverty have killed many animals. One day we were ambushed by game rangers. We were ten. One of us was killed.

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ome communities that live around Murchsion Falls National Park have a problem with animals. Animals got used to leaving the park when people were in camps. Elephants have been frightening people who have returned home in Koch Goma. However, it is illegal to kill wild animals. You can spend between three months and seven years in prison and charged up to 7 million Ush. So what should you do? For any wildlife problem, urgently call Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). Park authorities are aware that animals can be a problem. To prevent big animals such as elephants and buffalo leaving the park, UWA has dug a 13km trench along park boundaries. A total of 250 beehives have also been placed to stop animals from reaching gardens. To scare ELEPHANTS away, collect their dung, mix it with red pepper, and dry it in blocks. Burn the blocks along your garden when elephants come. Or mix red pepper with oil and smear it on the ropes you tie around your garden. This has successfully scared away elephants from communities around Kibaale National Park in Western Uganda. You can also try blowing whistles.

Poaching did not bring in school fees as I thought. You lack food in the home because you spend too much time in the bush. Some poachers fall sick and die there. I would sell game meat. I do not know what game meat money has done for me.

In 1970 Murchison Falls National Park had 15,000 elephants. But they were massacred in the war against Idi Amin and by 1980 there were only 800 left. Armed men kept killing them and by 1990 there were only 250. Now elephants have increased slightly to about 520. This is good for Uganda. But Murchison does not yet have enough elephants. BUFFALO can be bad tempered, especially if you disturb them at their favourite water hole. Make loud noises to drive them back into the park. Many buffalo are now used to humans and behave like cattle. MONKEYS can be very destructive to crops. But equally you are not allowed to kill them without permission. UWA has declared Vervet monkeys in

the north to be vermin or dangerous pests. District vermin guards are now authorised to reduce them to a manageable number. Do not kill wild animals which have got used to people. They are usually not a threat. But if any turn dangerous, inform the nearest authority. When animals disturb you, in East Madi, call 077-2-524129. Around Murchison Falls National Park: • Para: O77-2-746287 • Community Warden: 077-2-955116 Rest of Uganda, call: 041-4355000/0712890424

Poaching may look like easy money but it finishes the animals and can finish you too. Leo Odong is the Chairman of the Ex-poachers Association, in Amuru. He says: "Poaching is not developmental. I started poaching when I was 18. I

Park authorities have tried to give us alternative work. Some poachers received a goat or oxen. My wish is to get a cow for milk." If you are a poacher, surrender to the nearest park authorities. They will help you develop a safe project. Over 3000 poachers have come in.

Think about game ranching Even if you have wildlife on your land, you are not allowed to kill it. That may surprise you but, in fact, all hunting is banned in Uganda, unless you have permission. This may seem harsh for people in the north as they have traditionally hunted and enjoy game meat. UWA is encouraging communities to raise wild

animals like warthog to eat and sell. That is called game ranching. Ask UWA for advice on how to do this. Anyeeri have been finished by hunting in most of Uganda. In the east, such as Mbale, only grandparents remember anyeeri. Do not believe that animals cannot finish. They can! Try raising anyeeri like small livestock.

When you go home...

Leave good trees, control fires

now and regret later. Keep a variety of trees on your land for your family needs.

Clear your land by slashing bushes. Burning your land is a poor method. It causes soil erosion.

You need Yaa (shea) for smearing and cooking. In Lira it is against the law to cut this valuable tree. Are you allowed to cut Yaa where you live? Moo yaa will give you a better income in the long-term than the money you get just once from turning the tree into charcoal.

Shea trees produce nutritious fruit and oil. Most people in northern Uganda are now in their homes. During the time people were in IDP camps, the trees grew big. So it is now tempting to cut many trees to make money from firewood and charcoal. But wait! You need to plan first. You may cut

Uncontrolled burning can land you in prison. Fires have killed many children in the north this year. Raise animals like goats and chickens for protein instead of burning the bush to drive out wild animals to eat.

Remember to keep Tugu, Oyelo and Chwaa (Tamarind) for eating. They are rich in vitamins. Leave Mvule, Latoligo and Tido for shade, beauty, wind break and timber.Keep trees for medicine. Keep many trees like Odugu on your land for firewood. Walking far for fire wood weakens mothers and makes children perform poorly at school. It also puts girls and mothers at risk of rape! If you have 100 trees on your land, keep 60.

Yaa is slow growing so do not cut it recklessly. You may end up with no source of oil.

Charcoal gives you short-term money but long-term problems, like lack of rain and desertification. Do not allow people to intimidate you into cutting your trees to make charcoal. It is not worth it!

Collect seed locally, grow trees at schools, prisons, home

Denis Sidonyi, Tree Talk forester in Adjumani, prepares locally collected Neem seed. Neem resists termites.

W

ith this TREE TALK, we are sending seed for Sambya (Markhamia lutea) to all the schools in Gulu, Kitgum, Pader, Moyo, Adjumani, Oyam and Apac.

Although Oyam and Apac are in lango, they border the park so we have included them. This indigenous tree with yellow flowers is good for woodlots. Plant it 3m x 3m to get 466 trees per acre. In three years you will get tall poles for building or firewood. It regrows when cut. Every school needs a woodlot. You can see good Sambya woodlots at Dure PS in Pader, Kitgum Demonstration PS, and Laliya PS in Gulu.

Top: Gulu Tree Talk nursery with local species. Bottom: pupils off load seedlings at Padibe Boys PS. Tree Talk is working in 360 schools and 45 community groups in the north.

Teacher Tonny Olanya counts seedlings in a classroom at Labayango PS, Kitgum. They must be stored inside until planting because the communities steal them when they are left out.

You can contact Tree Talk on • SP Amunau 078-2-312428, L Edea 077-2-994618 in Gulu • J Oryem 077-4-336907, J Okurut 078-2-754736 in Amuru • J Otim 077-4-046873, I Chelangat 077-3-027586 in Kitgum. • R Kepo 077-2-692622 in Adjumani. • S Dribia 077-2-199194, E Awupal 078-2385867 in Moyo

The women above walk ten km into Agoro Agu hills for firewood. Tree Talk is helping them to grow personal woodlots.

This issue was produced by STF 4 Acacia Ave, Kololo PO Box 22366, Kampala Tel. 0312-262030/1 under the WILD projeect,, funded by USAID and led by Wildlife Conservation Society.