The main topics covered in the training were:
- Biodiversity inventory and monitoring
- Avian and pollination ecology
- Bird survey techniques
- Ecological monitoring in mountain stream habitats
- Community engagement
- Scientific writing and publication
All trainees successfully completed the course and were awarded a certificate of participation and a copy of the 100 Common Birds of Tanzania. They gave positive feedback on the course:
'Our presentations, led by our facilitators (Dr. Jasson John and Edwin Kamugisha), covered the importance of streams and how they directly contribute to village daily life; the challenges in stream conservation; conservation strategies that villagers implement to protect streams; and how to identify bioindicators in streams - notably macroinvertebrates such as the Amani Flatwing, whirligig beetle and birds like kingfishers and wagtails.
It was very interesting to see farmers’ activeness in the stream ecology and conservation topic. The communities shared their experiences and recommended a continuous program for capacity building to the Village Natural Resources Committees on natural resources governance, protection and management.' Sarah Marambo
Sampling macroinvertebrates with a kick net
'One of my major achievements was to engage local communities on understanding how macro invertebrates are good bioindicators of stream health and how they are used in assessing the water quality. We described how aquatic macro invertebrates are sensitive to pollution, citing examples of Amani Flatwing, dragonflies, mayflies and crabs. Generally, aquatic macro invertebrates are good bioindicators of streams health, and therefore should be protected like other big mammals.
I am proud to have introduced a conservation slogan to the communities living at Amani; “AMANI YETU, TUHIFADHI VIJITO NA MITO” which means “Our Amani, Let’s conserve Streams and Rivers.” I believe, this slogan will inspire and motivate the communities to protect streams and rivers for their own benefits as well as for the future generations.' Boniface James
Boniface James presenting the stream conservation motto to participants
Another of the trainees, Leticia Bamanyi, wrote an engaging story about her experience in the training on ecological monitoring of mountain streams (see below).
Leticia Bamanyi receiving her course certificate from Dr Jasson John
MY BIG SUPRISE
I always thought that if a river looked clear, it was clean. It seemed so obvious, seeing all the beautiful, clear rivers around our home. But then, during a special training In BiMO my instructor, Mr Mweyo, gave me a small net. He pointed to the Zigi and Mbomole River, which flows right through Muheza. "This river," he said with a smile, "has a secret. And the tiny creatures in it will tell you what it is." What I found crawling and wiggling in that water completely changed my mind. It showed me a hidden world that speaks volumes about how healthy our water really is.
This special training was about understanding our environment better, even though it wasn't a regular class. We were learning to check how clean our local rivers were. Mr Mweyo explained that, the real story came from "macros." These are tiny living things like bugs and worms that you can see with your own eyes. They spend their lives, or at least part of it, in the water. We learned about different kinds: some like little insects with long tails (mayflies), others like tiny armoured creatures (caddisflies), and even simple worms and snails. At first, I just thought they were a bit strange, not important clues about the river's health.
DISCOVERING THE HIDDEN WORLD
Our first trip to the Zigi River was an exciting day, even if it meant getting a bit wet! The river water felt cool as we waded in. We learned how to use a "kick net." This meant shuffling our feet on the riverbed upstream of our net. This would stir up the bottom, making the little creatures float into our net. Every time we pulled the net out of the water, it felt like opening a gift. At the beginning, my net just looked like it was full of wet leaves and bits of mud.
Back on the riverbank, we used plastic trays filled with river water and small tweezers. Our job was to carefully pick out every tiny creature from the leaves and small rocks. "Every little piece of plant can be a hiding spot," Mr Mweyo would tell us. Slowly, I started to find them: a tiny bug darting away under a leaf, a small snail clinging to a stem, or a little red worm wiggling its body. The really interesting part was figuring out what each one was. We had special picture guides. It was like solving a puzzle to know if a certain insect meant the Zigi's and Mbomole water was clean, or if finding only worms meant there was a problem. It truly felt like I was learning the Zigi and Mbomole River's secret language.
My biggest discovery was realizing that these small creatures are like the river's own report card. They tell us if the water is healthy or not. I learned that different kinds of macros have different "tastes" for water. Some, like the mayflies and stoneflies, can only live in very clean water with lots of fresh air. Others, like certain worms and tiny flies, are very tough and can live even in dirty water. So, if we found many different kinds of bugs, especially the "picky" ones, it was a good sign for the Zigi and Mbomole. But if we only found the "tough" ones, it meant something was wrong. This biological check was so powerful because it showed us the river's health over a longer time.
WHY THESE TINY LIVES MATTER?
This amazing lesson about tiny river bugs is super important for how we protect our fresh water here in Usambara, and all over Tanzania. By looking at these macroinvertebrates, people like me can understand how healthy a river is without needing expensive tools all the time. Their health is actually our health. If these tiny creatures are doing well, it means we have clean drinking water, healthy fish for our food, and good water for our farms. Now, every time I see the Zigi and Mbomole River, it's not just water flowing by; it's a living system sending signals, if only you know how to listen to its smallest residents.
FINALLY, I GOT THIS AND AM PROUD OF IT AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST
This training with the Zigi River has made me even more curious and determined to help protect our environment. It makes me think: What other hidden clues are out there in nature? How can we teach more people this simple but strong way to check water? I now understand that taking care of our environment starts with understanding the little things. My goal is to keep learning, to use what I know to help keep our rivers clean, and to share the secret language of the Zigi and Mbomole River—a language that talks about clean water, healthy nature, and a good future for us all. So, next time you are near a river, remember the tiny world beneath the surface, busy working and telling a story about the water that gives us life.
THANK YOU, NATURE TANZANIA, AND BIMO
THANKS FOR ALL
I LOVE YOU