Conserving Mkingu Nature Reserve for Cultural Tourism

By Harriet Kiama

Mkingu Nature Reserve office in South Nguru Mountains, Morogoro Region is ready to start Cultural Tourism in August, this year, according to Conservator Mr Abeid Kindo.

The aim of introducing Cultural Tourism, to go hand in hand with ecological tourism is to expand the sector's potential; add income generating activities among the locals, as well as increase participation of the local community in preserving the environment.

"Cultural Tourism will enable the locals to expose their traditional life through dances, food, handcrafts and many others. Some amount of the money will remain in the villages for development activities," says Mr Kindo.

Already, one cultural tourism officer is working on establishing more opportunities for cultural tourism and building a link between the local community and the tourists. Besides, Mkingu Nature Reserve office is working to improve ecological tourism. Already a camp site has been built at Mafuta village.

Another camp at Maskati village will be shifted inside the forest, with the purpose of giving tourists real nature experience. Two local tour guides have been employed, says Mr Kindo. The office is also strengthening nature trails used by tourists and the reserve's boundaries.

There are five nature trails, namely Mndera-Kisimaguru, Kisimaguru-Kinda, Mhonda-Mafuta, Kombora-Maskati and Kinda-Maskati. Meanwhile, number of tourists who visit the reserve has been increasing year after year. A group of 75 foreign tourists paid a visit to the reserve in last week.

However, he admits that there is a challenge by unfaithful tourist companies who bring tourists in the reserve without involving his office. This was due to shortage of staff and lack of reliable transport vehicles for patrol. The office needs a total of 14 staff, at the moment there are only five of them.

There are also cases where some unfaithful people have been entering the forest and steal. Giving example he says few weeks back, a man stole dozens of rare birds in the forest.

The reserve is the largest forest remaining in the South Nguru Mountains with a total of 23,384 hectares and among five largest nature reserves in the country.

It was established in year 2009 and is being managed by Tanzania Forest Services (TFS) under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. It has been divided into four blocks which are Mhonda, Kwadoli, Hembeti and Maskati which are managed by Range officers.

The mountains have dramatic view point from where one can enjoy the sight of beautiful landscapes covered with exotic types of plants and vegetation of which 25 per cent are endemic.

There are also 215 species of amazingly beautiful birds including a rare Moreau's sunbird and Banded green sunbird and other unique types of birds which are classified as near endemic including Green -headed oriole, Forest batis, Spot -throat and Fulleborn's black boubou.

A rare black and white Colubus monkey and unique seven types of vertebrate animals are also among the living creatures found in this reserve.

There are also types of several unique types of amphibian and reptile species found in reserve. It is here in the Reserve that the highest peak of all Eastern Arc Mountains, the Maskati Peak is located measuring at 2,140 meters.

Another distinguished fact about the reserve is that its big rivers which are Divue, Chazi, Mlangali, Diwale and Ubiri are flowing from the peak of the mountains.

Normally of the rivers have small streams which get wider as they come down the mountains, but it is not so with these rivers which maintains their sizes from the up the mountains.

Lusingiso and Ubiri waterfalls measuring 200 meters are among the steepest waterfalls in the Eastern Arc Mountains. There is spectacular scenery where the two rivers of Chazi and Mlangali meet. Few meters from here there is a beautiful beach which is used for picnics.

There are also early man's caves and the foot prints. Environment conservation within the reserve is very important in ensuring that the forest is maintaining its beauty and nature, as well as ensuring that all living organisms inside the reserve including plants, birds and animals are well protected.

Ms Sia Kimaro, Range Officer for Mafuta Block says there is a challenge from the villagers who have been invading the forest for farming activities since the land inside the forest is very fertile in all times of the year.

"To fight the problem, we have been conducting awareness programmes on environment conservation to villagers in 26 villages which surround the reserve and involve them in conservation activities," she says.

She mentions that, environment awareness sessions are being conducted in collaboration with other organisations through village meetings.

By-laws on the use of forest products are also being prepared through these meetings. Much more, the villagers have been supplied with trees to plant in their areas for their own use as one way of making them not to depend from trees from the reserve alone.

She further says that the office has the program of motivating pupils from local primary schools to pay visits to the reserve where they have the chance to see and learn more on environment conservation, nature and remains of historical sites.

For his part, TFS Eastern Zone Manager Mr Bakari Mohammed mentions that plans are underway to improve tourism at the reserve, which will include increasing advertisement, improving infrastructures and services at the camps.

He also takes time to emphasise that communities need to be well educated in protection of nature reserves, which he says are very important in many ways.

"Nature reserves like Mkingu, contain hundreds of trees and plants, used in making medicine, helping in regulating weather and attract rainfall.

They are important sources of water which is also used for producing electricity. In addition, nature reserves are also habitat to thousands of living organisms," he says.

With the increasing rate in environment destruction in our forests whereby thousands of hectares are lost each year, nature reserves are important in preserving vegetation and living organisms which will be used by the coming generation, he concludes.