Heroes in the forest

By Valerie Odhiambo

It can be easy to forget the range of ways forests touch our everyday lives. From cleaning the air we breathe, to providing the food we eat, and the medicines we take when we are ill. Critically, the forests carry one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on land, home to over 80% of terrestrial species of animals, insects and plants.

Forests play a critical role in life on our planet. And yet, just like oxygen, we risk taking them for granted until they are gone. But a community of like-minded people are coming together to advocate for the conservation of the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, home of endangered species including the Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew, Aders’ Duiker, and Sokoke Scops Owl.

If you’ve been to coastal Kenya, you’ve probably seen the gorgeous landscape. What you will definitely not miss, especially if you are in Malindi (Coastal Kenya), is the beautiful Arabuko-Sokoke.

Arabuko-Sokoke Forest is the last large, protected fragment of East African Coastal forest, and home to four endangered mammals, including an estimated 200 elephants and six endangered birds. When you speak to historians, they will tell you that the forest stretched to Mozambique, but due to population and land distribution, the forest became fragmented. The Arabuko-Sokoke Forest is a 420km² remnant of the coastal forest that stretched from Somalia to Mozambique. It is home to species that are found nowhere else on earth, including four endemic butterfly species and 50 plant species. According to UNESCO, it ranks as the second most important Biosphere Reserve in Africa for the conservation of birds.

Arabuko-Sokoke is also the second most important forest in Africa for bird conservation after the Congo rainforest, and is easily accessible from Malindi, Watamu and Kilifi.

For years, the forest has faced many challenges. The threats include illegal logging, habitat degradation, mineral and oil exploration, among other issues.

Then came in the Friends of Arabuko Sokoke, who are playing a pivotal role in protecting this special forest and undertaking vital conservation activities on the ground.

Building on these efforts, Friends of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest work in partnership with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) to operate law enforcement teams that provide essential protection for the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest ecosystem, which is threatened by chronic habitat destruction and bushmeat poaching.

In 2024, the Group received $12,500 from the MBZ Fund for the Rapid Response Protection for the Endangered Golden-rumped Sengi in Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. It is thanks to this Fund that I was able to see the faces behind the protection.

Faces behind the conservation of Arabuko Sokoke

I love hiking, and the forest has always been a haven for adventurous spirits like me. But when the opportunity came to see the work being done on the ground by Friends of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, my hiking streak met a different kind of challenge. From the outside, Arabuko-Sokoke looks sheltered and undisturbed. But stepping into its thick cover with the rangers revealed another story—one where human activity leaves a mark, and where dedicated people work tirelessly to protect it.

That’s how I met Joseph Kanundu, a law enforcement officer with Friends of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. Joseph embodies what community-driven conservation looks like.

A graduate of the Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute with a diploma in environmental management, he began as a volunteer before rising through roles as a research assistant, community resource facilitator, and scout. Today, he leads the organisation’s law enforcement operations, including all aspects of scout deployment.

Joseph joined Friends of Arabuko-Sokoke as a community scout in 2017, later becoming a team leader supervising four scouts. By 2020, he was promoted to Community Liaison Officer, where he worked with both communities and forest protection teams, supervising 10 scouts. That same year, he was elevated to Law Enforcement Officer, after undergoing specialized training in conservancy management. The training covered bushcraft, fieldcraft, prosecutions, physical fitness, and other key law enforcement skills.

Today, Joseph supervises 23 community rangers. His main role is to ensure the forest is protected from illegal activities. He also manages the SMART monitoring tool, where scouts collect field data using mobile devices.

“This work is demanding, but I love it. Being from this community, I could not imagine seeing the forest disappear. Despite the challenges, we are making progress.”

While speaking with Joseph, we reflected on a persistent misconception: that conservation is a white people’s problem. “Personally, when I was growing up, I also thought it was something external. But with time and experience, I came to realize that conservation is not a foreign concept. Africa is rich in biodiversity, and conserving it is an African responsibility. Yes, international partners support us, but conservation must first be owned by us—by Kenyans, by Africans. I have seen how passionate local people can be about conservation. So, I strongly believe conservation is an African thing, not just a foreign agenda.”

When I asked about endangered species, Joseph’s answer was clear; it’s about the risk of losing them forever. Protecting wildlife and plants safeguards biodiversity, but also secures the forest’s value for future generations.

Take the golden-rumped elephant shrew, for example. It is one of Africa’s “Small Five” and is found only in Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and parts of Dakatcha woodland. If it goes extinct, the unique ecological value of this forest will be lost.

The same applies to plants. Species such as the Brachystegia spiciformis (locally known as Mnangapule) are endangered and form vital habitats for birds like the Sokoke Scops Owl, another rare species restricted to Arabuko-Sokoke, Dakatcha woodlands, and parts of Tanzania. Losing these species means losing the ecological balance and global significance of this forest.

“Losing these species,” Joseph explains, “would mean losing the ecological balance and global significance of this forest. That’s why conservation is essential—because every species, whether animal or plant, plays an important role.”

Heroes in the forest

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