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Culture of Shimoni


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Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), in cooperation with privately owned tour dhow operators, try to work together on maintaining and caring for the dolphins that are sighted often within the Wasini Channel, the park, and reserve.

Sign at the Shimoni jetty indicating the standards and protocols in order to prevent harm or disruption to the natural processes and behavior of local marine wildlife.

Apart from the Kenya Wildlife Service, there are several community based organizations in Shimoni that make an effort to raise awareness about maintaining and fostering the health of the coral reef, forest & marine wildlife.

The Shimoni forest is a coastal forest which features jagged, jumbled fossilized coral substrate that is naturally found in the soil. Often referred to as 'coral rag.' It is often mined for building construction projects in and around the village.

Most homes in Shimoni are built with mined coral from around the area

Over the past ten years, 70% of the Shimoni forest has been depleted through human activity exploiting its resources. As a result, Friends of Shimoni Forest (FSF) is a conservation organization that works to save the Shimoni Forest from deforestation and land encroachment. FSF raises funds through leading Eco-Trail tours and their gift shop.

Mangrove trees cover the shores along Shimoni and nearby coastal towns

SEA is also a conservation organization that focuses upon improving the ways in which the community utilizes materials. Currently, SEA has been developing eco-friendly alternatives to charcoal. Charcoal pits are quite common to see in the Shimoni forest; villagers and outside laborers travel to the interior of the forest in order to cut down trees for charcoal. This behavior is an ever-present threat to the forest. In an effort to reduce deforestation, SEA works to create alternative charcoal. Using materials such as coconut shells and paper, SEA creates eco-friendly equivalents to
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