HALLER PARK

This site deserves its own little story. In 1959, Dr. Rene Haller, a naturalist and agronomist by training, was hired by the Bamburi Cement Company to produce food for the cement plant's employees. In 1970, he persuaded management to extend his mandate to rehabilitate the cement quarries along the Mombasa coastline, which had been abandoned by years of mining. The challenge is daunting, as the soil has become as barren as the surface of the moon, leaving nothing to grow. Dr Haller studied and experimented with no less than 26 species of trees. Only the filao, an indigenous Australian species, very resistant, grows in these difficult conditions. But it was also necessary to introduce micro-organisms essential to the vitality of these trees, as well as "red-legged" millipedes, which feed on the filao leaves, transforming these leaves into pine needles that fall to the ground as humus. This first fertile layer will allow the return of vegetation. Dr. Haller succeeded in transforming a large part of the 7 km² Bamburi site, composed of arid and dusty landscapes, into an ecological haven. More than a million trees were planted, and after ten years, a more diverse vegetation grew, native species were introduced, attracting many insects, reptiles, birds and butterflies. The site, renamed The Haller Park, is now a sanctuary for more than thirty endangered species on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list. In 1991, Dr. Haller created The Baobab Trust and works closely with local communities. The goal is to promote and develop sustainable ecosystems through education, training and community initiatives. The quarries now blend with lakes, wetlands and savannah grasslands to form a large nature park with walking and cycling trails. The park remains over time a real "living laboratory" for students interested in biology, botany, etc. In concrete terms today, for visitors, it is above all a beautiful walk or bike ride; more or less dynamic routes are proposed. From 3.5 km to 10 km, the paths go through the vegetation and one can observe birds, reptiles and butterflies in profusion.