Cycling 680 Kilometres for Environmental Conservation

By Iminza Keboge
Published August 13, 2019

Cycling from Ngong Hills to the Indian Ocean in support for healthier seas. Ngong Hills, located some 24 kilometres out of the central business district of Nairobi not only provide navigation aid to aeroplanes landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport iand Wilson Airport in
Nairobi, but isalso a major source of water flowing into the Indian Ocean some 700 kilometres away.

Out of its importance for plane safety and ocean economy, Ngong Hills shall be the starting point for what is touted as being the longest marathon, a never done before on the African continent, epic new safari rally – a 680km off road cycle on August 25, 2019.

Ngong Hills, that sits some 25 kilometres out of Nairobi CBD, not only provide navigation aid to aeroplanes landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Machakos and Wilson Airport in Nairobi, but are also a major source of water flowing into the Indian Ocean some 700 kilometres away.

The seven-day event shall be ‘in aid of forestation, clean rivers, biodiversity, climate change, marine life preservation and ultimately our own survival,’
Seas4Life Trust that is organising the event dubbed Cycle4Seas that shall start in Kajiado and end in Watamu on August 31, 2019 says.

Julie Church, marine safari guide, marine conservationist, blue economy consultant and co-founder of Ocean Sole and Seas4Life Trust Saying Cycle4Seas is suitable for intermediate riders, Seas4Life Trust says the event ‘mirrors the way land and sea are inextricably linked in strong and
stunning ways. For example, birds feed on sea fish then nest in native forests inland, dropping their nitrogen rich guano to feed the forest floor and soil.
Trees, through their respiration create rain, which washes this nitrogen into the rivers that flow back to the oceans and feed the zooplankton on which manta
rays and whales feed’.

Seas4Life Trust, that has partnered with Oceans Alive, an organisation that won the UNDP Equator prize for bringing back to life the bleached coral reefs of
Kuruwitu in Vipingo, says more than half the proceeds from the epic bicycle safari rally ‘will go toward championing for plastic and pollution free seas,
regeneration of ocean ecosystems and enabling communities who depend on marine life to become conservationists through sustainable development’.
‘Kenya is in the vanguard for environmental solutions. The banning of plastic bags, the internationally famous FlipFlopi boat, halting of the coal plant in
Lamu, as the regeneration of the coral reefs of Kuruwitu & Vipingo has shown that public campaigns and expertise are a tour de force’, Seas4Life Trust says.

“The Mbagathi river leads into the Athi, becoming the Galana and entering the ocean just north of Malindi as the Sabaki. The sources of these rivers are the
forests in the Aberdares and Ngong hills. They used to bring clean and uncontaminated water to the sea, feeding the people, wildlife and other ecosystems
en-route. They are now heavily polluted with unwanted minerals, plastics, steel and much, much more.” says Julie Church, marine safari guide, marine
conservationist, blue economy consultant and co-founder of Ocean Sole and Seas4Life Trust.