LAKE VICTORIA SUNSET BIRDERS, Kisumu, Kenya
Lake Victoria Sunset Birders (LVSB) is an affiliate site conservation group of Nature Kenya- A Birdlife International Partner in Kenya, responsible for the conservation of Dunga Swamp, which is one of the 60 Important Bird Areas (IBA) in Kenya. LVSB was founded in 1997 and works towards the conservation of Dunga Wetland. The group undertakes the following activities in its conservation work of Dunga swamp:-

• School and community outreach programmes through education and conservation action
• Afforestation and reafforestation initiatives
• Biodiversity research and monitoring of Dunga Swamp
• Ecotourism, bird watching and counts
• Waste management
• Capacity building through training community based groups
• Ecosan promotion through sensitization and  construction

Since 2002 the group has been running an environmental education programme in primary schools within Kisumu District, carrying out monitoring of Dunga Swamp through incorporating the local community for sustainability and capacity building of grassroots conservation groups. Rufford Small Grants Conservation Programme, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), African Bird Club (ABC) and IDEA WILD FUND have supported the group on these projects.

The group is also in the process of establishing and reactivating other site conservation groups in other Lake Victoria Wetlands/ Important Bird Areas namely Yala, Kusa, and Kuguta and Sio port in collaboration with nature Kenya.

Activities being implemented

• Educating and training the Dunga community on sustainable utilization, imperative to Dunga Swamp and conservation of the swamp so as to enhance the capacity of Village Environmental Committees in spearheading sustainable utilization and conservation of Dunga Swamp
• Construction of  ecosan toilets demonstration centre

Contact person
Elija Obadha
Project Coordinator
Lake Victoria Sunset Birders
P.O. Box 4201, Kisumu, KENYA
Email: lakevictoriasunsetbirders@yahoo.co.uk