Coral gardeners

Blue Thumbs: Tending Watamu’s Coral Garden

Underwater gardeners are growing resilient coral reefs in Kenya. It’s not altogether different from terrestrial gardening: in an underwater nursery, divers cultivate coral fragments on plugs, allowing them to grow large enough for ‘planting’. Rather than using fertilizer or soil, they mash together an epoxy glue that holds underwater and transplant the coral plugs to degraded reefs with nails and screws.  

The gardeners return frequently to track the coral’s survival, growth and health, tending to them with care. While weeding out excess algae, fish swarm around, enjoying a feast of invertebrates dusted up by the gardening activities. Much like their efforts to reforest degraded woodlands, A Rocha Kenya is restoring a vibrant reef ecosystem in Watamu Marine National Park.  

Planted coral

Watamu is one of the world’s oldest marine parks, established in 1968. Since then, this 10 km² area has been protected by the Kenya Wildlife Service against human threats like fishing and unsustainable coastal development. However, the park’s coral reefs still face the threat of increasing thermal stress and coral bleaching.  

A vital reef turned skeletal 

Historically, Watamu’s coral reef was magnificent with diverse corals of vibrant colours that housed a myriad of fish and other marine life. Research on these corals has been ongoing for over 40 years, so we have a strong understanding of how they have degraded over time. The reef was once considered healthy, boasting 40-50% coral cover. However, a devastating global bleaching event in 1997-1998 drastically changed the landscape. The reef turned completely white, and coral cover dropped to a mere 10% between 1998 and 1999.  

Corals are not inert, colourful rocks: they are animals, closely related to jellyfish and anemones. Corals have a symbiotic relationship with the tiny microalgae that live inside their clear tissue and give the corals their stunning colours. Coral protects and gives essential nutrients to the microalgae. In return, the algae produce sugars through photosynthesis that feed the coral.  

Rising sea temperatures have caused this vital relationship to break down. When waters warm to a stressful temperature, algae becomes toxic to the coral animal, and the coral expels it to survive the heatwave. This leaves the coral bleached and vulnerable, its white skeleton showing through the transparent tissue. Eventually, the corals may die, and the hundreds of thousands of marine animals they support will suffer, as well.  

Watamu’s coral reef has never been the same since the bleaching event in the ‘90s. Corals have recovered somewhat, but continued and more frequent bleaching events have ravaged corals in Watamu and around the world. A devastating bleaching event in 2024 may have had an even worse impact on the reef. Before the 1990s, bleaching was a small, localized occurrence in response to ocean pollution after a storm. Mass bleaching events are becoming a regular occurrence, but they are a modern phenomenon.

Partially bleached coral
Fully bleached coral

Learning from corals’ resilience 

Every six months since a bleaching event in 2020, A Rocha Kenya revisits over 600 tagged corals in 70 permanent plots in the marine park to see how the corals are growing. They also assess if there are bleaching-resistant colonies and if baby corals (recruits) have settled in the plots. Repeated bleaching has caused the coral cover to decline from 35% in 2020 to 11% by April 2025. Nevertheless, A Rocha observed many corals that survived, pointing to signs that some corals may be developing increased thermal tolerance. 

While corals can recover from bleaching, this depends on the thermal adaptation and regrowth of corals outpacing the rate of rising sea temperatures. Reef recovery is further constrained by low coral recruitment and the overgrowth of dense macroalgae, which outcompete coral for space and light. Thankfully, corals that survive bleaching often exhibit increased thermal resistance, making them more likely to survive future events. 

This sign of hope catalyzed A Rocha Kenya to implement the first Kenyan coral gardening project in a protected area. After years of observing and documenting the reef, A Rocha began a restoration pilot in Watamu in April 2024, in partnership with Coral Reef Care and the Kenya Wildlife Service. Propagating and planting these thermally resistant colonies back onto the reef could help overcome the issue of low recruitment and speed up the recovery of Watamu’s reefs. 

Coral gardeners planting in Watamu Marine Park

The coral gardening process takes place in three stages: 

  1. Collecting coral fragments. The collected fragments are either Corals of Opportunity, (COOs) – naturally broken fragments found in the ocean from various coral types – or fragments from Thermal Resistant Colonies (TRCs), colonies that have naturally adapted to withstand higher temperatures without bleaching or suffering mortality. 
  2. Coral ‘gardening’ and transplantation to the reef. Collected fragments are taken to underwater nurseries. COOs are glued onto plugs or zip-tied to nursery tables for stabilization while TRCs from outside the park are placed in nurseries to monitor growth before transplantation. Local TRCs are directly transplanted to reefs after collection. Once the corals in the nurseries have grown to a suitable size, they are carefully transplanted back onto degraded reef areas. 
  3. Monitoring and maintenance. TRCs are often prioritized for planting in areas most affected by bleaching. The transplanted corals are regularly monitored to track their survival, growth and health. This includes checking for signs of disease, predation or bleaching. The team also weeds the substrate and the nurseries regularly to ensure the baby corals have the space and light they require to thrive. 

Nurturing an adaptive coral garden 

In 2025, A Rocha Kenya and their partners planted 1,565 corals within Watamu Marine National Park as part of the ongoing coral restoration efforts. Additionally, the marine team is introducing heat resistant corals from outside Watamu to increase genetic diversity and restore some of the species that have disappeared from the park. Following El Niño-related stress, resilient coral species (including Stylophora subseriata and Porites cylindrica) sourced from Kuruwitu were introduced and are currently under close monitoring to assess their adaptation and growth. An additional 116 broken coral fragments were collected from nearby Uyombo. 

Monitoring remains continuous and adaptive. Survival rates, bleaching responses and growth patterns guide restoration decisions, with interventions designed as structured experiments to identify coral species and genotypes capable of withstanding increasing thermal stress and changing ocean conditions.  

The coral garden is a community effort, engaging tourists, volunteers and local boat operators in hands-on marine conservation of a beloved ecosystem. In 2025, A Rocha Kenya organized 58 boat trips, totaling over 470 diver-hours. Collaboration with key partners – including Kenya Wildlife Service, Bahari Hai Conservation, Turtle Bay Dive Centre, and Coral Reef Care – is central to the project’s success.

Since March 2026, Kenya Wildlife Service has expanded the restoration initiative by bringing in additional partners, including IUCN Kenya, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute and others. This collaboration aims to scale up reef restoration using a range of techniques, such as underwater sculptures, reef stars and artificial reef blocks. These efforts are also intended to create an alternative tourism site, helping to reduce visitor pressure on the natural coral reefs. 

Why work so hard to protect these corals? Coral reefs are some of the most diverse and valuable ecosystems on Earth. They support more species per unit area than any other marine environment, including about 4,000 species of fish, 800 species of hard corals and thousands of other species. Scientists estimate there may be millions of undiscovered species of organisms living in and around reefs. This biodiversity is considered key to finding new medicines for the 21st century. A Rocha also believes that coral reefs have value independent of any use to humans and should be protected regardless, as creatures loved by God. 

The future of our coral reefs depends on their ability to regrow faster than the heat rises. In a time of compounding crises from climate change to biodiversity loss, we are embracing creative solutions to protect life on Earth. 

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Small, Strange and Sacred: Why A Rocha Protects Under-Appreciated Species

All species are worthy of attention, love and protection. But less charismatic creatures–like the Mole Crabs swarming along Florida, USA’s sandy beaches or the crickets flitting around the dry meadows of Switzerland–are often overlooked by the public, and even by scientists. Around the world, A Rocha organizations enthusiastically study under-appreciated species as an opportunity to express our values and implement strategic conservation projects.  

When deciding how to approach a project, A Rocha uses the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species to understand the conservation status of the species that are present and whether or not they are at risk of extinction. However, many species are still listed as ‘Data Deficient’, meaning the creature hasn’t been studied thoroughly enough to receive an official ranking. These species are an opportunity for A Rocha to provide valuable conservation data and fill in the gaps where our partners and other organizations are not currently focused.  

Many of these under-studied creatures could play vital roles in their ecosystems, but we don’t have enough data to understand them, let alone advocate for their protection. Their decline or extinction could have unpredictable and grave consequences for ecosystems that are already struggling.  

We often value creatures for their usefulness: for ourselves or for the wider ecosystem. But deeper than that, we care for overlooked species because God created them and loves them. A Rocha International’s Director of Theology, Rev. Dr. Dave Bookless describes this as ‘theo-eco-centrism’:

‘Animals and indeed the whole of wild nature are inherently valuable in the sense of being valued by God regardless of their significance for humanity.’

In Genesis, ‘God delights in creating and providing for all creatures.’ Humans, made in God’s image, are then commanded to assist in the ‘flourishing of the whole good creation.’ (‘Why should wild nature be preserved?’ by Rev. Dave Bookless)  

Mole Crabs on Florida’s ‘Space Coast’, USA 

The Atlantic Mole Crab Emerita talpoida [cover image] is a tiny and unassuming crustacean studied by A Rocha USA. Also known as ‘sand fleas’ by Florida locals, they are far from being a pest. Mole Crabs are foundational to the sandy ecosystem, acting as an essential food source for shorebirds and fish. Because of this, local fishers use them as bait.  

It was these fishers who indicated to A Rocha USA that the local Mole Crab population was in decline. The reason is unknown, and they have not yet been assessed for their global conservation status. A Rocha’sconservation interns set to work designing a project to understand the Mole Crab’s spatial and temporal abundance along Florida’s Space Coast.  

Volunteer students from Waynesburg University joined the search for Mole Crabs in the tumultuous ‘swash zone’ where waves wash over the beach. The conservation interns later presented their findings at a local symposium and developed communication materials about both the scientific aspects of their research and the theological experience of connecting with a small yet beloved creature. By owning this project from start to finish, they brought many people together in a journey of appreciation for an under-studied species. 

Grasshoppers and crickets in the Swiss dry meadows 

Through regular habitat maintenance and species inventories, A Rocha Switzerland sparks excitement for the lesser-known insects of the dry meadows. Many people appreciate butterflies, but it’s much rarer to find outings dedicated to observing crickets and grasshoppers—these are generally reserved for a select few enthusiasts. 

Yet these less charismatic species are fascinating in many ways when you take a closer look: they produce a repertoire of sounds just as extraordinary as birds’, allowing you to identify certain species by ear even though they look exactly alike. They undergo numerous molts before reaching adulthood, facing dangers at every stage.  

To reproduce, crickets and grasshoppers deliberately search for the perfect habitat, which has either vegetation or soil loose enough to lay eggs, but neither too dry nor too wet; plenty of hiding places; and food—whether plant-based or even carnivorous—to suit their needs. Some species found in dry grasslands have such specific ecological needs that they serve as indicators of whether the habitat is in good condition and able to support other creatures. 

Grasshoppers and crickets enable reliable ecological monitoring, especially since their ecology is well understood in Switzerland and they play a key role in the food chain. For example, the endangered Italian Grasshopper Calliptamus italicus requires areas devoid of vegetation; this species can therefore be supported with minimal effort through periodic brush clearing and the creation of clearings. Though it may seem a bit plain at first glance, when it jumps, its red wings unfold magnificently! It is a species just as important and interesting as a butterfly when you take a closer look.

Ruspolia nitidula by Gabriela Joray

The moths of Portugal 

Moths, the nocturnal cousins of butterflies, play a vital role in keeping ecosystems in balance. Around 2,800 species have already been identified in Portugal, and that number is expected to grow in the coming years as moth trapping and identification stations continue to spread across the country. 

Beyond being a key food source for countless animals, moths are excellent pollinators of a wide variety of plants. Many species fly and feed during the day, and some of those plants are part of our everyday diet, making moths quiet but essential contributors to our food security. 

Scientists also study moths to assess the impact of climate change and other environmental pressures on habitat health, as they are outstanding bioindicators of ecosystem quality. 

Unfortunately, many people still associate moths with bad omens, and in some parts of Portugal they are even called ‘witches’. Others avoid them out of fear that they’ll damage clothing, when in fact fewer than 1% of species do, and even fewer today given that most of our clothes are synthetic. 

A Rocha Portugal has been studying moths without interruption since the 1990s — trapping, identifying and recording them to better understand and protect them. Moths are also a key part of A Rocha Portugal’s ‘Discovering Pollinators’ project, which runs every year with schools across the Barlavento Algarvio region. 

Catocala mariana by Isabel Cunha Soares

Historical project: Beach Boys in Kenya 

The intertidal rock pools at Kenya’s Watamu Marine National Park often go overlooked in favour of the stunning coral reefs, which attract the attention of scientists, locals and tourists. In 2013, Bob Sluka was working on marine projects in Kenya. Accompanied by his family of young children, the Slukas spent more time exploring rock pools than diving in the reefs, and they encountered a surprising array of marine species there.  

Few, if any, locals were studying biodiversity in Watamu’s intertidal rock pools, so A Rocha Kenya filled in the gap with a new species monitoring project. There, they discovered the incredibly rare Crisp Pillow Coral Anomastraea irregularis. The team had been searching for this coral in the ocean’s reefs, but finally found them in this unlikely place. This coral is classified as Vulnerable, but it is often overlooked compared to other vulnerable species in Watamu.  

These encounters in the rock pools led to a project that engaged a relatively overlooked group of people: the local ‘Beach Boys’ who would informally approach tourists just outside the park to give them tours of the rock pools. Often, however, the information they shared was inaccurate, or they would inadvertently harm wildlife by picking up and moving interesting creatures to different pools. A Rocha Kenya stepped in to offer the Beach Boys scientific training, engage them in conservation work and provide them with a certificate to help improve their livelihood.  

By surveying overlooked species and investing in the local community, A Rocha Kenya holistically protected a vital habitat. A Rocha continues this tradition worldwide, offering love and rigorous scientific attention to neglected species as an act of worship to the God who made them and declared the whole of creation ‘very good.’ 

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A way home: breaking barriers for Canadian salmon

For over 30 years, salmon trying to swim up Jacobsen Creek, a tributary of the Tatalu in South Surrey, Canada, were met with a two-meter high culvert, blocking passage to the creek and affecting the creek’s ecological balance.  

To help bring the salmon back to the creek, A Rocha Canada’s Conservation Science team came up with a plan to reconnect the creek with a fishway, designed to follow the creek’s natural meander. Planning and construction were carefully timed to minimize risk to the fish and their habitat, and fish in the area were safely caught and moved to other parts of the creek, before temporarily redirecting the water flow around the work site. 

Construction of the fishway, which raised the streambed to the height of the culvert, was completed in 2023, with additional plantings and adjustments in 2024 and 2025.  

By the third season, returning Chinook and Coho salmon were actively spotted spawning upstream – a promising sign of ecological recovery. 

“Humans have done a lot of things that have degraded salmon populations, but this project is an example of how humans can also help watersheds heal. It is exciting and encouraging to see salmon back in the ecosystem upstream of this barrier after at least 30 years of absence,” said Paul Simonin, Director of Conservation Science at A Rocha Canada. 

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Map of the Tatalu watershed, with the Jacobsen Creek tributary highlighted in yellow

This project, funded by the Pacific Salmon Foundation, with additional support from Fisheries and Oceans Canada Salmonid Enhancement program, British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, and Investment Agriculture Foundation, is more than just one creek. It is part of a broader effort to restore salmon habitat and strengthen the Tatalu watershed as a whole.  A healthy, salmon-bearing ecosystem will nourish the surrounding forest through marine-derived nutrients, sustain wildlife such as bears, eagles, and otters, and support the cultural and economic wellbeing of communities and Indigenous Nations connected to the watershed. 

Watch the video and read more about the project here. 

Jacobsen Creek Fishway

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Community, teamwork and cultural exchange at A Rocha Czech Republic

There is a line from a sitcom, The Office, that captures something deeply true about working together. Tim Canterbury, known for his elaborate pranks and quiet wisdom, reflects: ‘The people you work with are people you were just thrown together with. I mean, you don’t know them, it wasn’t your choice. And yet you spend more time with them than you do with your friends or your family.’ 

At first, it can feel strange being placed alongside people by circumstance, learning to navigate personalities, rhythms and responsibilities. Yet over time, those shared hours often become something more: friendships are formed, trust is built and ordinary work can transform into meaningful community. This is especially true in a global organization like A Rocha, where cultural diversity adds another layer of richness. People from different countries, backgrounds and traditions come together, each bringing unique perspectives, stories and ways of seeing the world. What begins as simply working alongside one another can become a beautiful exchange of cultures, ideas and experiences. 

Spring, too, is a season of transformation. As warm sunlight returns, flowers bloom and fields turn green, reminding us renewal often begins quietly, with small acts of care and preparation. At A Rocha Czech Republic’s centre at Krupárna, spring is the perfect time to make room to plant, to restore and to grow. 

ARI team photo

The annual gathering of the A Rocha International team – held near Krupárna this year – offered more than a meeting. It became an opportunity to live out Tim Canterbury’s observation in the best possible way. Welcomed by directors Pavel and Radka Světlík and team with warm drinks and sweet treats, the team eased into the day while bird ringing quietly captivated those who stopped to watch. 

Soon, the real work began. Small groups scattered across the grounds, each taking on different tasks. Some planted potatoes beside the bee hives, preparing for future harvests. Others chopped wood and transported heavy loads using wheelbarrows, stacking the logs for the months ahead. Conversations flowed between people from different parts of the world, with laughter and shared effort bridging language and cultural differences. Every task, however simple, became part of a shared purpose. 

Children played happily in the nearby shade, cheering on the adults and filling the space with laughter. As teams completed their tasks, A Rocha Czech prepared a barbeque around a bonfire, crackling at the centre. Pavel expertly demonstrated the art of roasting sausages and cheese over the flames and most of us, even first-timers, managed to cook ours into something pleasantly edible.  

As evening settled and conversations lingered in the warmth of the fire, the day ended with what may have been its most important work: building connection. Perhaps Tim Canterbury was right: we are often simply thrown together with the people with whom we work. But in moments like these – working side by side, learning from one another and celebrating the renewal of spring – they can become much more than colleagues. They can become a community, rooted not only in shared work, but in the beauty of diversity and belonging. 

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The birds our teachers: John Stott Birding Day 2026

‘It was Jesus Christ himself in the Sermon on the Mount who told us to be birdwatchers,’ John Stott exclaimed in his ‘orni-theological’ treatise, The Birds Our Teachers. A dear friend of A Rocha from its earliest days, John Stott (1921-2011) was at the forefront of bringing creation care to the attention of the global Church. Each year, A Rocha International is pleased to host a day of birding in his honour. Corresponding with Global Big Day, the John Stott Memorial Birding Day supports citizen science efforts to conserve birds worldwide. 

On the fourth annual John Stott Birding Day, teams in 12 countries logged 754 species. That’s roughly 7% of all the bird species in the world, an impressive tally for a relatively low number of countries! From Malaysia, to South Africa, Canada and Australia, 103 birders contributed to this global citizen science effort.  

Special congratulations to the winners of the John Stott Birding Day bird race: the Gardner-Webb ASA chapter! In upstate South Carolina, USA, the Gardner-Webb ASA chapter observed a team record of 116 species. The dedicated group of three woke up at dawn and went back out after dark to record an array of owls, woodpeckers, vireos and many more.  

Keep reading to see the winners of our photo competition! 

Several A Rocha organizations joined this year, including three A Rocha Canada teams in three provinces. On a misty Ontario morning, A Rocha Canada watched Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) bank over the pond and listened to the beautiful call of the Red Breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus). They were also blessed with the first Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) sighting of the spring! In Manitoba, one group gathered in the city and another at A Rocha Canada’s Boreal Ecology Centre. Despite the cold weather, these brave groups spotted 47 species, including the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis), American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) and Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus). 

Altogether, A Rocha Kenya had an impressive tally. Splitting into three teams across Watamu, they recorded more than 200 bird species! Among the highlights was spotting five Amur Falcons (Falco amurensis), a migratory species that breeds in China. Another notable sighting was the White-browed Sparrow-Weaver (Plocepasser mahali), a species commonly seen in other parts of Kenya but only rarely recorded along the coast. 

Leanne Wicks of Songlark Studio joined the bird race for the first time from her newly built bird hide in New South Wales, Australia. ‘The Ornithon’ is furnished with a pew from a closed local church, a fitting spot to ‘look at the birds’, as Jesus instructed his followers.  

The United States was well represented, with birding teams from coast to coast and even in Hawai’i. The YWAM Creation Care team in Kona went from the mountain to the sea to spot the birds of Hawai’i Island. The naturalized Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) and the stunning, scarlet-coloured I’iwi (Drepanis coccinea) made an appearance, but the most remarkable sighting was of a critically endangered Palila (Loxioides bailleui), which can only be found on a single slope of the Mauna Kea volcano.

To spot one of Hawai’i’s honey creeper species like the I’iwi and the Palila is incredibly special. At least half of the roughly 140 bird species native to Hawaiʻi have gone extinct. Sightings of the seven honey creeper species remaining on Hawaiʻi Island are rare. Allan described to us his annual search for these precious birds:  

One of our favourite traditions – often reserved for the John Stott Memorial Birding Day – is driving across Saddle Road between our island’s two great volcanoes and hiking out across lava fields into remote kīpuka forests. These are ancient islands of native forest left untouched while lava flows surrounded them centuries ago. 

Entering one of these forests can feel almost otherworldly – something between Narnia and Lothlórien. You move from barren lava into deep moss beneath a ʻōhiʻa and Koa tree canopy, alive with birdsong. If you wait quietly enough, the honeycreepers often come to you. 

The ʻIʻiwi in particular is unforgettable: brilliant scarlet plumage that almost disappears among the red lehua blossoms of the ʻōhiʻa trees they feed upon, along with a long, curved bill exquisitely adapted to native flowers. 

Over on the West Coast, Autumn and her one-year-old daughter Lydia went out for a day of urban birding in Pasadena, California. The birds led them to interesting sightings: following an Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus), they spotted a magnificent granary in a distant palm tree. Woodpeckers store their acorns here, moving them every few days to hide them from opportunistic squirrels. Of course, they also encountered several of the legendary Yellow-headed Amazons (Amazona oratrix), an exotic parrot species which has been eliminated from much of its home range due to poaching. A thriving (and rather loud) population can be heard across Pasadena. 

Enormous thanks to everyone who competed in the bird race, shared beautiful images in the photo competition, and joined us in celebrating John Stott and the birds he loved so much. We will see you next year!  

‘So let’s resolve to do all we can to protect and preserve our unique God-given environment, and so continue to enjoy its God-given “’bio-diversity’, not least its fascinating birds.’ – John Stott, The Birds Our Teachers 

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An historic step forward for creation care

Developed by United Bible Societies (UBS), Scripture Union International (SUI), and the British and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS) – in partnership with and facilitated by A Rocha International – Creation Care: A Biblical Mandate is a landmark statement affirming that environmental stewardship is deeply rooted in Scripture. 

This milestone anchored a momentous month in Indonesia, where A Rocha International’s Kuki Rokhum and Dave Bookless joined three major conferences. Their presence reflected a rapidly growing conviction across international ministries: caring for God’s creation is not separate from Christian mission, but an integral part of it. 

Shaped heavily by the concerns of a younger generation, the new mandate challenges the global Church to integrate creation care into everyday discipleship, teaching and mission. At the UBS Fellowship Event in Indonesia, where over 240 leaders celebrated 80 years of Bible partnership, young ambassadors explicitly challenged the movement to safeguard the future of God’s world. To help ministries respond, Kuki and Dave spearheaded an international workshop to unpack the statement and establish frameworks for global collaboration. 

The momentum continued at the Patmos Global Summit on Bible engagement, where delegates from various mission agencies and Christian organizations examined global research on how different cultures engage with Scripture today. Immediately following, a regional creation care gathering in Papua – hosted by Yappenda, a member of the Friends of A Rocha Network – drew 35 participants from local churches, theological institutes and NGOs. Attendees shared practical, local success stories spanning conservation, environmental education and sustainable agriculture. 

Real-world partnerships are already proving the power of this shared biblical foundation. Participants highlighted initiatives like Ekologia – a partnership between the Portuguese Bible Society and A Rocha Portugal that inspires schools and communities through environmental education – and a student climate change essay competition in Eswatini that attracted more than 8,000 entries. 

Together, these gatherings offer profound reasons for hope. By uniting organizations that collectively reach millions of believers, Creation Care: A Biblical Mandate provides the strategic foundation needed to bring environmental stewardship further into the mainstream of global Christian practice. 

Please pray for the partnerships and friendships that emerged from these gatherings, for wisdom as new opportunities develop, and for churches and Christian organizations around the world seeking to live out this biblical mandate. 

 

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The birds that connect our world

From Europe to Ghana and back

This tiny bird barely weighs more than a teaspoon of sugar, yet it connects Ghana with Europe. In the quiet wetlands of Salo in Ghana’s Keta Lagoon, a Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus was caught and banded by Timothée Schwartz, Scientific Director for A Rocha France. Seven months later, in September 2025, that same Eurasian Reed Warbler was recaptured in Sourbrodt, Belgium by ornithologist Emile Degros. This one-year-old warbler traveled nearly 5,000 km, connecting the wetlands of Ghana and the marshes of Europe in an awe-inspiring journey.

‘The recapture of this bird on European soil is a powerful symbol of the invisible threads that tie our ecosystems together.’ – Prosper Kwame Antwi, Programmes Manager, A Rocha Ghana

This Reed Warbler was captured during collaborative field surveys between A Rocha Ghana and A Rocha France as part of the ProBioDev project. Standing for ‘Promoting Biodiversity Conservation for Development’, the project represents an international effort to protect one of Ghana’s most important migratory bird stopover sites, the Keta Lagoon Ramsar Site.

Creatures of the Keta Lagoon Wetland

Keta Lagoon provides for local communities in abundant ways: it’s used for fishing for food and income, cutting reeds for thatch and weaving, harvesting salt, and irrigating crops. However, some of these activities have degraded the lagoon’s essential habitats. A Rocha Ghana is helping locals encounter the lagoon in a new way and engage with it sustainably.  

Imagine looking out on the beaches where Leatherback Dermochelys coriacea, Green Chelonia mydas and Olive Ridley Lepidochelys olivacea Turtles come to breed. Amongst the mangrove trees, you may spot a swamp-dwelling antelope, the West African Sitatunga Tragelaphus spekii. The vulnerable West African Manatee Trichechus senegalensis swims around the mangrove’s underwater roots, alongside juvenile Flat Sardines Sardinella mardrensis, ancient-looking Needle Fish Strongylura senegalensis and a variety of shrimps.   

And of course, there are the birds. Recognized internationally as a Ramsar Site, Keta Lagoon regularly welcomes over 100,000 birds at a time. It is a vital refuge for countless residents and migratory species journeying from Europe. This includes the Vulnerable Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola, the Near-Threatened Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata and a whole revelry of other, more common species.  

Jewel-like Malachite Kingfishers Corythornis cristatus sport a blue and black crown. A chuckling ‘coo-coo coo ru’ indicates the presence of Laughing Doves Spilopelia senegalensis. Western Reef-Herons Egretta gularis stalk the shores alongside a variety of sandpipers, godwits and plovers.  

Amidst this brilliant swirl of feathered creatures, our famed Eurasian Reed Warbler blends into the densely packed reedbeds, foraging for insects. Even if it’s hard to spot, the warbler’s jerky, melodic call and striking chirp give away its presence. Around March, it will begin its nocturnal migration back to Europe to breed. 

‘This tiny traveller is more than just a scientific record,’ reflects Prosper, after the Eurasian Reed Warbler was recaptured in Belgium. ‘It’s a message of hope that by protecting wetlands and wildlife, we’re nurturing the bonds that unite our world.’

Local restoration with a global impact

The incredible routes taken by migratory birds act as invisible threads that stitch our world together. Sensitive to changes in climate, habitat and pollution, they bear the brunt of the harm humans have done to our environment. At the same time, restoring a site like Keta Lagoon has a global impact, supporting life far beyond Ghana’s borders.   

Despite its importance for biodiversity, the Keta Lagoon wetland faces many threats. Between 10 and 30 percent of residents in the surrounding districts live in poverty, relying heavily on fishing, agriculture, and mangrove harvesting. However, there is a lack of community awareness of the importance of the site for nature and people. The wetland has been overexploited for its resources and polluted by agrochemicals, fertilizers and household waste. 

Climate change is also a grave risk to the Keta Lagoon site and the surrounding communities due to sea level rise and storms of increasing frequency and intensity. Coastal vegetation, especially mangrove forests, is one of the most effective defenses against floods and storms, but they are being harvested unsustainably.  

Compounding these environmental stressors is the lack of updated information on bird species and the habitats and sites most important for them, with limited bird monitoring taking place. A Rocha’s ProBioDev project was created to protect the lagoon for the many people and species that depend on it – in Ghana and beyond. 

Through funding from the IUCN French Committee, A Rocha Ghana and A Rocha France are joining forces to combine scientific research, community empowerment and habitat restoration in the Keta Lagoon Ramsar Site. Over two years, the ProBioDev project aims to: 

  • Conduct a comprehensive inventory of bird species and update habitat maps 
  • Train local community members to monitor and protect bird populations 
  • Promote eco-friendly livelihoods such as birdwatching tourism 
  • Support mangrove restoration and ecological farming to enhance food security and climate resilience 

In October 2025, A Rocha France conducted a second field mission in Ghana. Scientific Director Timothée Schwartz was accompanied by Charlotte Leon, A Rocha France’s nature manager at Les Courmettes environmental centre, and Andrew Newton, an ornithologist and long-time friend of A Rocha. After conducting an inventory of Keta Lagoon’s bird species several months prior (when they ringed the famed Eurasian Reed Warbler), the A Rocha France contingent returned to complete the inventories and train local teams in bird identification and monitoring. 

A Rocha France led four bird ringing sessions, which brought together the many groups collaborating to protect the lagoon, including A Rocha Ghana, rangers from the Wildlife Division responsible for managing the Ramsar site, and rangers from the nearby Avu Lagoon site. Timothée led two training sessions on waterbird counting and identification, as well as data entry and analysis. With a new system for cataloguing data, local monitoring efforts will have an even greater impact on understanding and conserving this critical site.  

On World Migratory Bird Day, the wider community was welcomed into the mission to conserve the lagoon. A Rocha hosted over 150 children, as well as the mayor and representatives of the local congressman, for a day of discovering and celebrating migratory birds. A friendly bird competition was followed by speeches and presentations on the concept of bird migration, the threats facing migratory birds and solutions for taking action. Finally, the group was brought out to the lagoon to observe the remarkable water birds living just steps from the school that hosted the event. 

While a love for migratory birds is at the centre of the ProBioDev project, protecting them means conserving the habitats on which they depend and building systems where human communities thrive, as well. A Rocha Ghana is raising awareness among local communities of the importance of wetlands for biodiversity, livelihoods, food security and climate resilience. They are training locals, especially women and youth, in mangrove restoration and sustainable harvesting, while also training subsistence farmers in climate adaptation techniques that benefit biodiversity and ecosystems. By developing partnerships with local agencies, A Rocha Ghana is ensuring that the project has strong local buy-in and its benefits extend far into the future.

By protecting migratory birds, we are protecting the planet. 

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Seeding fertile ground: A Rocha’s Global Conservation Fund

A Rocha’s Global Conservation Fund supports conservation work around the world, including reconciliation work in Uganda, a new marine programme in India, and sustainable livelihoods in Peru. A second round is now underway to pilot innovative approaches such as ‘tiny forests’ in the UK, evaluating long-term conservation scholarships in Kenya, and developing outdoor church initiatives in the Netherlands. In this recording, A Rocha International’s Nick Warren and Kuki Rokhum share the vision, successes, and challenges behind this growing global initiative.

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From Conflict to Coexistence in Uganda’s Forest Communities

For Uganda’s forest-edge communities, West Bugwe forest is a source of life, but it can also be a hostile and fearsome place. Although the forest canopy used to be a lush oasis, much of the native tree cover has been destroyed, replaced by the invasive Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) and dense, cumbersome shrubbery. The equatorial sun beats down on a raucous cawing of Black-and-white-casqued Hornbills (Bycanistes subcylindricus) and the chattering of Red-tailed Monkeys (Cercopithecus ascanius). Cicadas drone, while the Red-capped Robin-chat (Cossypha natalensis) whistles a rich song full of mimicry. Groups of children and women laugh and shout to each other while collecting firewood, their voices quieting when they encounter a stranger.  

On days like this, too many people have been killed by venomous snakes or harassed by aggressive primates, among other dangerous or fatal wildlife encounters. Meanwhile, the National Forest Authority has been tasked with protecting the forest from illegal activities, but many community members feel disconnected from their efforts. To break this cycle of fear and conflict, A Rocha Uganda is bringing everyone to the table to share the forest in peace. 

Green Bush Viper in West Bugwe Forest, Uganda

Life in the Forest 
 After surveying the forest’s wildlife, A Rocha Uganda identified 14 snake species across the landscape. 64 percent of these were venomous, including the Green Bush Viper (Atheris squamigera), whose leaf-textured scales help it blend into the forest’s understory. An encounter with these snakes at home or in the forest can be incredibly dangerous: A Rocha found a complete absence of antivenom at local health facilities, as well as delayed interventions and limited community awareness of how to safely respond to snake encounters.   

Surveys also confirmed the presence of four primate species, including the nationally vulnerable De Brazza’s Monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus). Its presence indicates that the reserve is still able to support species with specialized ecological requirements. This underscores the importance of conserving the few mature forest sections that remain. De Brazza’s Monkey prefers dense, riverine forest habitats and is generally elusive. Nevertheless, community members have reported regular conflict, including almost daily crop-raids by monkeys and especially the more brazen Olive Baboons (Papio anubis). 

Promoting Co-existence 

Protecting West Bugwe begins with education and empowerment. A Rocha Uganda brought the National Forest Authority, Collaborative Forest Management groups (CFMs), forest guards, churches and students together for a forest conservation workshop. There, leaders were equipped with the skills to identify species, understand forest ecology, and promote coexistence between humans and wildlife.  

This was followed by surveys of the wider community to understand better how and why conflict with wildlife happens. It often takes the form of crop raiding, snake bites, livestock predation and safety concerns for women and children. Using these responses and other Ugandan models, A Rocha hosted wildlife coexistence workshops in local schools, churches, trading centres and CFM groups.

Olive Baboon in West Bugwe Forest

These interventions have already begun to transform people’s relationships with the forest’s wildlife. One CFM member explained, ‘Before the training, we feared snakes and would kill them immediately. Now I know which ones are dangerous and what to do safely.’ Community members have a greater understanding of the vital ecological roles of snakes and primates, and they are equipped with non-lethal strategies to avoid conflict.  

Gathering ‘headloads’ of firewood from West Bugwe Forest

Conflict isn’t just limited to wildlife. Historically, the National Forest Authority (NFA) has contended with illegal activity in the forest, especially around restoration areas. A Rocha Uganda’s interventions have improved relationships: people have begun attending local meetings and engaging with the Forest Authority in and around the forest. As active routes into the forest close, compromises are found. For example, thanks to A Rocha Uganda’s mediation, the NFA now allows community members to enter the forest one day a week to collect a ‘headload’ of firewood: the amount they can physically carry on their heads.  

Restoring the forest for people and wildlife 

A Rocha Uganda has also been allocated 50 hectares of the forest to restore, and they are bringing the community alongside this work. While the forest canopy appears intact, much of it has been ravaged by invasive species like Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) and Lantana Camara. A Rocha’s restoration is taking two forms: reforestation of native tree species and liberation of native seedlings that are already established by intervening to encourage their growth.  

Sustainable livelihoods are an essential component of West Bugwe’s long-term conservation: A Rocha Uganda is equipping local households with techniques like beekeeping, Farming God’s Way, agro-forestry, and building smokeless stoves. All of these activities reduce pressure on the forest while enriching communities’ connections with the natural environment.  

These interventions are proving to be a good witness of A Rocha’s Christian faith. A local church in Habuleke has observed an increase in membership as the community sees its relevance due to the accrued benefits from forest honey production livelihood.  

Peter Ejakait showing his success with Farming God’s Way

In another town, Hamuli, Peter Ejakait is a leader of the Collaborative Forest Management group and a practitioner of Farming God’s Way. This includes three basic principles – zero-tillage, mulching and rotation of crops – which mimic natural forest ecosystems. Since switching to this form of conservation agriculture, Peter has increased his agricultural yield immensely. Through education and community-based conservation, properties like Peter’s and the forest itself are growing into an oasis. West Bugwe is becoming a place where both humans and wildlife can thrive.