Dear Kuria,

Many thanks for your email and your enthusiasm to get something sorted out with regards to ringing permits. It is good to hear that you had a positive meeting with the KWS officers you met with regarding this issue. However before it goes any further, I would just like to hasten to point out the following:

1) that whilst things have taken longer than would be preferred, there have been substantial moves made to reach this goal of a high quality ringing certification scheme in order to protect our birds & to benefit East African ringers.

2) you mention the "dire need to urgently form an association... to oversee the day-to-day bird-ringing operations". This, of course already exists and has been in existence since the early 1960's in the form of the Ringing Scheme of eastern Africa operating very functionally & well under the East African Natural History Society (note not NatureKenya alone). Graeme Backhurst has handled this very efficiently & the Director, KWS is fully aware and supportive of the ringing activities esp such as the annual migrant project in Tsavo West NP. There is therefore no need for new associations to be formed. 

3) The ringing certification issue has been & is currently being extensively discussed & planned for in the Bird Committee of the EANHS together with the Head of Zoology (Ornithology) NMK with whom the ringing activities are closely carried out. It is not a straightforward issue & needs to be taken ahead following correct protocols for it to succeed & be properly recognised internationally.

4) A proposed ringing certification scheme has already been drawn up in full detail and circulated to relevant ornithologists for comment being based on extremely well organised & experienced schemes elsewhere in the world (noteably the British Trust for Ornithology & the Australian Bird & Bat Banding Scheme). This draft proposal is available to anyone who may be interested and once all comments have been received was soon to be presented to KWS for discussion and approval.

I would therefore encourage you to bring your ideas and offer your assistance to the Bird Committee so as to move this process along. This will then allow you to build on what has already gone ahead & channel your enthusiasm & vision in a constructive way - I, for one, would be very happy to receive some active assistance in this process.

Since you are joining me at the Ngulia migrant ringing project in Tsavo West (referred to above) this coming week, we will therefore have plenty of time to discuss this further and make plans.

Yours sincerely

Colin

--------------------------------
Colin Jackson
Director, 
A Rocha Kenya 
& Research Associate, NMK

E: colin.jackson@arocha.org
T: 0722-842366
W: www.arocha.org

-----Original Message-----
Sent: 07/11/07 09:27
Subject: Official Formation Of The Kenyan Bird Ringing Organization/Body

Dear friends, birders and bird-ringers:
   
  Much greetings and I hope this finds all of you very well!
   
  Apologies for the joint email, and perhaps cross-posting, though, this seems to be the only media to reach all of you in a rather expeditious manner