Haller Park in Mombasa, Kenya
From wasteland to paradise, this is the story of how with time, dedication and local support a sanctuary for orphaned and lost wildlife was recreated from the ravages of an old quarry - the Haller Park, Mombasa.
Originally it was called the Bamburi Nature Trail, but has recently been renamed Haller Park in honour of Dr. Rene Haller in recognition for his work made in conjunction with Bamburi Portland Cement Company for transforming their abandoned quarry into the ecological wilderness it is today.
The Bamburi Portland Cement Company opened a limestone quarry just outside Mombasa in 1954. By 1971, the quarry had left an ugly gaping hole on the scenery of Mombasa, which concerned the management of the company. They decided then to try an experiment to reclaim the land and restore it back into an ecological wilderness. In 1983, the now commercially exhausted quarry, still left a scar on the landscape and the experiment continued.
Findings found that the coastal limestone quarry, formed by ancient corals, is not a good substrate for growing new plants. Another problem encountered, was the water table. Being coastal, the water table is tidal, making the water very brackish. Finding plants that can survive poor soil and salty water was a challenge. Dr Haller, after spending many hours on the dusty floor of the quarry, found only a few ferns growing there. The first task then, was to find pioneer plants that could withstand the limestone desert, brackish water and poor soil. They must also be able to survive the harsh African sun.
Twenty-six varieties of saplings were planted. Only three survived. Between 1971 and 1974, they planted some 12,000 tree saplings. After ten months of steady growth, some of the trees were looking decidedly unhealthy. After studying healthy trees in another environment, Dr. Haller found a solution - soil nitrates and microorganisms were missing from the near sterile soil. He inoculated the soil, fixed the atmospheric nitrogen, and the trees started to look healthier.
They transplanted young tree saplings from government forests into the quarry. To avoid monoculture planting different types of trees were needed but consideration or their best use needed to be take into account too; timber for construction, poles or fence posts and for charcoal production later. Some 25 different kinds of trees, so far, have been planted and tested; eucalyptus, neem, algaroba, pinus, baobab, coconut, date palms, banana and mango trees to name a few.
Dr Rene meticulously observed nature’s reactions and immediately applied appropriate measures that helped the reforestation process. Some of the trees are evergreen and shed their needles. These needles were difficult to break down, by the microorganisms, due to their high tannin content. Which caused the establishment of new growth to be slow too as the humus was not adequate.
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