Underground Explorers

The aim of the project is to identify and preserve the mycorrhizae in the stretch of the natural forest remnants in the Great Lake Victoria Basin (GLVB) of Kenya, resulting from mismanagement of the environment, change in land use and misuse of environmental resources. Uncontrolled tree felling to give way to land for farming and establishment of new homesteads as population increases; trees for fuelwood, building construction, and religious activities have resulted in reduced forest cover. This study will collect samples from sacred Ramogi and Abiero Hill Forests, the only two remnant forests in Siaya County, one of the three counties in the GLVB. The community will be involved with the field work to ensure they appreciate that soil is alive and thus the importance of conserving below ground diversity. They will be trained on the role of mycorrhizae in the soils and their contribution to soil health.