Chege wa Kariuki

Chege is interested almost in anything from a tiny jumping spider to the extra large african elephant, though his main passion lies in the fascinating world of birds in East Africa. An environmentalist educated at the Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute, Naivasha and mostly working as a field ornithologist and a bird guide while validating the bird records on the Kenya Birdfinder; an internet-based bird observations data collection system run by the Nature Kenya and Department of Ornithology, National Museums of Kenya. Trained as a safari guide complimented by a certificate in Fundamentals of Ornithology (a course that he now takes part in teaching), while he is a Bronze Level of the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association.

His fundamental knowledge and enthusiasm in birding was triggered by Fleur Ng'weno, who has led the Wednesday Morning Birdwalks organized by Nature Kenya (formerly East African Natural History Society) since 1971.

Often you find Chege assisting or leading these walks. A member of the Bird Committee of the Nature Kenya. Actively involved in bird ringing/banding and has been working as a field assistant on ornithological research projects in many parts of the country. From this he has gained crucial knowledge and understanding of his native birdlife both in hands and in the field.

He is also a museums guide with the National Museums of Kenya and has gained a lot of knowledge in ethnography, geology, prehistory and herpetology which keeps his interests growing and growing.

Though not a birder by birth but by making, his birdlist has grown to well over 940 bird species in Kenya alone since his introduction to birdwatching in 1999. He has the expertise to professionally lead your next birdwatching safari in East Africa. Since his main interest centers on bird tourism and conservation in East Africa, he is highly involved in training of the national and local guides not forgetting teaching local communities in making of the fireless cookers.

The David Sheldrick wildlife trust and care For The Wild Kenya and the AK Taylor Foundation in a community based conservation project in the Maasai Mara National Reservewhose wildlife, roads and paths are on his fingertips. He has also given conservation lectures and looking after orphaned elephants and rhinos at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust - Nairobi, and has also worked with Youth For Conservation for a number of years in various national parks and game reserves across the country

His love of being in the wild, thorough knowledge of wildlife and keen interest on the Mara ecosystem makes him an ideal company for any specialized tour especially wildlife photography.

As part of his scientific training, he has conducted research in the effects of deforestation in tropical mammals and birds, studies of coral reef fish and anemones, and various surveys of mammals and birds in dry and temperate areas. He conducted his PhD research with on acacia plants and insects at Mpala Research Centre, Laikipia, in Kenya

JC is an expert botanist, who got easily hooked in to birding after meeting Chege (then working for Prof. Steve Emlen of Cornell University, USA) and other members of the Ornithology Department, National Museums of Kenya. Since 2004 he has complemented his botanical skills and knowledge by traveling to different parts of the world watching for bird species in several habitat types such as temperate forests in Europe, wetlands and rainforests in Mexico and Central America, deserts and savannahs in USA, Oman and of course Kenya. He has climbed the slopes of Mount Kenya above 4000m in search of Lobelias among other taxa.

He joined BEA as our chief botanist to help develop botanical expeditions, and he is one of the lecturers and organizer of our educational field trips organized for universities students. Given his scientific background, his love for Kenya and his commitment to promote environmental education, conservation and sustainable management; JC will bring to your safaris information and guidance about the ecological complexity and fragility of the environment, ensuring that at the end of your safari you take with you the knowledge to help conserving the ecosystems you have visited.
His hobbies are bird watching, photography and hiking, and he speaks English, Spanish, basic French and German.

Wams has contributed significantly to Kenyan ornithology through field-based research projects. He’s received bird conservation awards e.g. 3 Rufford Small Grants, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary raptor research and conservation grant; African Birding Club’s expedition award, and the British Ornithologist’s Union research grant. The latter findings made Lake Ol' Bolossat qualify as Kenya’s 61st Important Bird Area.

He’s worked with Prof. Stephen Emlen of Cornell University, USA and Dr. Leon Bennun of BirdLife International.

A family man and professional bird ringer, his hobbies and interests include photography, filming and athletics. Speaks English, Swahili and Gikuyu. He is a non-endless fountain of knowledge in birds ecology, physical geography, history of Kenya and general ecology. He’ll share all this with you during your trip, making it a time well spent with a consummate of the guides you’ve always wanted to have, and full of splendid memories!

Martin Odino

Martin Odino was born and brought up in Kenya, having spent much of his earlier childhood at the coastal region of the country. He has since lived in many other parts of the republic but mostly in Western and Rift Valley Provinces.

As a child he unsuccessfully tried to be a foster mother to a juvenile Crow-a victim of a night storm. The wind had ruined the nest of this baby bird and its parents only for the it to fall off the nest on to the ground where Martin picked it the next morning. He did not know two things then which are presently clear to him: This baby bird was a crow, and this was the beginning of a career in Ornithology!

Martin has a BSc degree in Zoology from Moi University. For two and a half years, he has been affiliated to the National Museums of Kenya engaging in all activities in the Ornithology Section.

The Bird walks jointly organized by Nature Kenya and the Ornithology section have been his learning classes. He has in addition been trained in tour guiding with focus on bird guiding. Moreover, he has been engaging on personal and small group bird walks which have sharpened his skills more. He for instance engages on ‘wild roaming’ in remote places in search of shy birds. This tactic maximizes on opportunities to expand more and more on his list of birds sighted. this

Martin has a great passion for birds of prey. He has a couple of nests of birds of prey which he keeps an eye on, including the migrant from southern Africa region, the Wahlberg’s Eagle. It would be fun being shown by him these birds of prey, whose numbers are generally on the decline and which he advocates for through survey research mostly on the chemicals that harm them. But this is just a component of his excellent bird knowledge of the entire class of Aves.

Martin has sufficient knowledge of other wildlife as well in addition to knowing about exciting physical features characteristic of Kenya. Further, he is fluent in English, Kiswahili and Luhya. He also has some average comprehension and/or speaks a number of other local languages such as Kalenjin. Generally you would be treated with enjoyment to your satisfaction.

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