Practical challenges in conservation of the Rau Forest

As well as our target to plant one million indigenous trees in the Rau Forest reserve by the year 2030 Rau Eco Cultural Tourism is also working with the community to find a sustainable balance in the use of the forest. If you come on one of our tours you will see that our work is not just about planting trees but we also work extensively with the local population, particularly with youth groups and schools to teach them about the value of a sustainable forest to all

Local communities rely on the forest for firewood, charcoal and timber. Firewood and charcoal are the main source of energy for cooking and other domestic activities, timber is the principal construction material for housebuilding and for furniture. Tanzania has a very young population and the pressures of population growth are felt in all aspects of daily life. Areas are needed for cultivation and human settlement but this needs to be sustainable. To realise the promise of the future we must not lose sight of the reality of the present. At Rau Eco we are committed to exploring sustainable solutions for both the forest and the local community.

Our mass environmental education campaigns such as the Root and Shoot clubs we run with in local schools and our ‘GIVE BACK TO NATURE’ project help to raise environmental awareness within the local communities and teach people about the importance of the forest and the flora and fauna found in it. Rau Eco Cultural Tourism depends on our Eco tours to generate revenue used in conservation of the Rau Forest Reserve.

www.rauecoculturaltourism.org

How do these programs work? How does RAU Eco contribute? Why not volunteer with us and find out more about our important work. Please email us at rauecotours@gmail.com or come along to one of our events and get involved.

Conservation of the endangered Oxystigma Msoo tree in Kilimanjaro, East Africa’

The Rau Forest Reserve on the southern slopes of Kilimanjaro is home to many species of trees and animals. It is one of the few remaining homes of the Oxystigma Msoo tree. This species whose range once covered southern Kenya as well as Northern Tanzania has suffered from heavy exploitation and is now found in very few areas. Oxystigma Msoo has been included on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) redlist since 1998.

The team at Rau Eco Cultural Tourism is working hard to ensure that the important work of conserving the rare species of the Rau Forest Reserve continues.  Our target is to plant one million indigenous trees in the reserve by the year 2030. We fund this important conservation work through the revenues generated by our Ecological and Cultural Tourism activities. So far we have raised enough funds to plant 3000 endangered Oxystigma Msoo trees at the edge of Rau Forest. Much of the planting is done by local schoolchildren under the supervision of our experienced guides. Our tourists are also able to get directly involved in this work and join with the local community in our important tree planting projects. Or if you just want to experience the beauty of this rare tree then please join us in the knowledge that your support will help maintain this beauty for future generations.

If you would like to join us on one of Eco tours or volunteer with us or find out more about our important work then email us at rauecotours@gmail.com or come along to one of our events and get involved.Conservation project in Kilimanjaro, East Africa

Planting trees for the future on Mount Kilimanjaro

Declining biodiversity is a huge global issue and northern Tanzania is no exception. One of the important parts of our work at Rau Eco and Cultural Tourism is to plant more trees in Rau Forest Reserve nestled on the lower slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro. Our Eco tourism projects are focused on the conservation of the flora and fauna of the Rau Forest. We have aligned our objectives with United Nations policies relating to climate change and sustainable development and are continually developing high quality, sustainable products and services that help us conserve local tree and bee populations.

Our target is to plant one million indigenous trees by the year 2030. We know that we cannot achieve this target on our own so we encourage young people and anyone else who is interested to come and join in with our tree nursery project. With support from the Tanzania Forest Service Agency (Northern Zone Office, Moshi) who provide the tree nursery tubes, Rau Eco Tourism works with local and international volunteers to plant six thousand indigenous trees around the edge of Rau Forest Reserve and ten thousands indigenous trees in our tree nursery project. We also run Root and Shoot clubs with local schools such as Langoni Primary School, Mji Mpya, Majengo and Karanga Secondary Schools. In these clubs not only are school children empowered to improve their local environment but our forest guides are able to pass on their specialist knowledge to a new generation. Our GIVE BACK TO NATURE project works with these Root and Shoot clubs in local schools and to raise environmental awareness within the communities around the Rau Forest Reserve here in Moshi.

www.rauecoculturaltourism.org

If you want to volunteer with us or find out more about our important work then email us at rauecotours@gmail.com or come along to one of our events and get involved

‎Fascinating Fact‬! Have you ever seen a bustard in the wild?

Know the difference between honeybees, bumblebees,

Know the difference between honeybees, bumblebees, and other wild bees? Pictured below is a bumblebee (Bombus sp.) next to a honeybee (Apis mellifera) and a solitary mason bee (Osmia sp.). Bumblebees are particularly plump and fuzzy. Only carpenter bees (Xylocopa spp.) are similar in size, but these bees have a partially bare, shiny abdomen, whereas bumblebees tend to be uniformly covered with dense hairs. Help us assess all bumblebees:
Source;




  IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

MOUNT MERU WINS HOSPITALITY EXCELLENCE AWARD

The world’s largest travel site TripAdvisor has awarded 2014 Certificate of Excellence to Mount Meru in Arusha National Park which emerged a winner.
This prestigious award is based on the quality of reviews and opinions submitted by various travellers around the world to TripAdvisor over the past year. The award also signifies that Mount Meru has consistently earned outstanding feedback from TripAdvisor travellers.
TripAdvisor enables travellers around the world to plan and book the perfect trips. It offers advice from millions of travellers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools that check hundreds of websites to find the best tourist attractions.

About Mount Meru

At 4,565 metres (15,000 ft) Meru is one of Africa's volcanic giants, the third highest free-standing mountain on the continent and a hugely rewarding climb. Meru once stood at high as neighboring Kilimanjaro but a massive eruption a few thousand years ago blew out the center and the eastern flank leaving a giant horseshoe shape with a crater in the middle commanding dramatic views in all directions.
Issued by:
Corporate Communications Department
Tanzania National Parks
10th June, 2015
dg@tanzaniaparks.com
www.tanzaniaparks.com

Serengeti Voted Africa's Best Safari Park by Industry Experts and Safari-Goers

A study of more than 3,000 reviews from safari adventurists and industry experts from Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and other guidebooks all agree: Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is the best in all of Africa.
SafariBookings.com, an online marketplace for African safaris, set out to put to rest the question of which park was best for African safaris. Serengeti National Park in Tanzania came out on top, which was no surprise to safari enthusiasts. The study reports, after analyzing 3,008 reviews by both safari travelers and top experts in the field, that Serengeti was the clear winner.
A total of 2,234 reviews were contributed by safari tourists from 63 countries. The remaining 774 park reviews were written by renowned experts, including guidebook authors associated with Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Frommer’s, Bradt and Footprint.
The study revealed the Serengeti received an overall rating of 4.91 out of 5 stars. This was the highest score amongst all parks, and thus the Serengeti was crowned Africa's Best Safari Park.
To add weight to this outcome, safari tourists who visited multiple parks rated the Serengeti an astonishing 16% higher than any other park. The industry experts also rated Serengeti highest. Their reviews tend to be more critical, as they can compare Serengeti to a host of parks they've visited in various countries. Regardless, Serengeti came out on top, justifying its first place ranking all the more.

When asked why Serengeti is such a desired safari destination, several repetitive themes emerged: the annual Great Migration (hosting over 2.5 million wildebeest and zebra), top wildlife viewing year-round and endless grass plains that feel like authentic Africa. Also contributing to the choice was Serengeti’s distinction as one of the best places to see most predators including lions, and thousands of wildebeest cross crocodile infested rivers. In addition, visits to the park can be easily combined with other top-class parks of Tanzania.
Source: https://www.safaribookings.com/blog/260/