In December last year stakeholders gathered to review conservation activities aimed at safeguarding Zanzibar’s many sacred groves known as ‘Misitu ya Jadi’ in Swahili.  One of the main lessons drawn is that although relatively small in size and modest in stature they are extremely important for culture, history, archeology, geology, nature conservation and environmental services.  They also play an important role in the fabric of Zanzibar’s life especially at the village level, thus their role is significantly “larger than their size”.  Cultural and economic changes mean, however, that they are being degraded, damaged and even destroyed outright.

Work over the past year and a half has included a biological survey of 10 sacred forests in 6 villages of the southern region of Zanzibar Island, a social survey of their guardians and communities, the holding of a stakeholders planning workshop for 43 people drawn from different stakeholders and the development of management plans for two of the sacred forests.  Also accomplished has been the making of two community films and the collection of Swahili language oral histories in both film and written transcripts. English translations have been also made.

Guardianship of the Sacred Groves from Sacred Natural Sites on Vimeo.

Stakeholder workshop guided by forest guardians: On the 14th December 2012, the key organisations came together to review these activities and reflect on what the next steps might look like.  Importantly the guardians of the forests themselves guide this process and they have been actively involved in the programme and planning for the future.  One participant Musa Hassan Mwambe, Guardian of the Marembwe Sacred Forest, located in Makanduchi village said; “We guardians are pleased with the collaboration and would like to meet with more guardians and discuss forming a network or perhaps an association”.   Other activities during the week were meetings, focus group discussions and field visits.  The workshop included the forest guardians, key government departments, supporting civil society organisations, while in the villages important discussions were held with other guardians, local community members and tourism operators.

Challenges of Sacred Groves from Sacred Natural Sites on Vimeo.

20,000 years of human use: Socially the forests are often linked to the historic establishment of particular villages, or related to the origins of particular families and the ancestors are respected by visits to the groves to hold prayers and make offerings. In some cases annual gatherings include ‘ngoma’ which are dances with specific drum rhythms. Often the sacred site itself is a limestone cave frequently with a spring, well or pool, formed within ancient raised coral reef rock.  Recent archeological evidence has shown a much older human connection with evidence of occupation as long ago as 20,000 years.

Technically known as a ‘karst system’ the caves can go for miles and much of the island is riddled with such systems often supporting important water lens.  The water provides fresh water for dry season community use and in some cases have become the main village water supply.   Kast caves have their own specialist wildlife and are home to bats and unique cave creatures that have yet to be explored.  Thus while the cave or geological feature is usually the cultural focus and forest provides the ‘clothing’ offering cool and shady conditions.  Within local protocols it is prohibited to cut trees or hunt animals in the groves and so they have been, at least until recently, a safe haven for wildlife.

Rich in wildlife: Biological survey work that has confirmed that the forests are far richer in biodiversity than the surrounding forest and agricultural lands, much of which is becoming increasingly degraded.  They provide refuges for local animals such as the endemic Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkey and two species of Elephant Shrew.  They are also rich in plants with the 10 forests that together total less that 10 hectares in extent support over 70 plant species, many of which are becoming increasingly rare.  10 species have been noted that cannot be identified locally.  Given that Zanzibar is part of one of the most important global hotspots for nature the biological riches of the forests may not be so surprising.

What is perhaps more surprising that despite their importance the sacred forests have remained hidden and often over looked.  The do not figure widely in conservation or other government policies and the forests are easy to miss.  Villagers tend not to talk about them much, even amongst themselves, and new residents can live right next to them for years without knowing their significance.  Given Zanzibar’s tourist boom the island has a large number of new residents from many places in the world who are unfamiliar with this aspect of Zanzibar culture and life.

“We guardians are pleased with the collaboration and would like to meet with more guardians to discuss forming a network or perhaps an association” Musa Hassan Mwambe, Guardian of Marembwe Sacred Forest, Makanduchi village, southern, Zanzibar.

Biodiversity hotspot under threat: Places of high animal and plant variety are also termed ‘hotspots’ because they are critically threatened.  Zanzibar is no different and rapid economic development, tourism expansion population growth has put significant demands on the social and ecological systems.  Cultural changes mean that some, particularly the younger generations, are losing interest in culture and religion, demand for land for tourism development has dramatically risen, while the need for construction materials has developed into a hunger!  This hunger combined with the real poverty of many rural inhabitants has left most of the areas forests no more than a low scrub.  This has meant that attention has turned to sacred forests for timber, poles and firewood and the taboos that have stood the test of time are breaking down, large trees are being felled and poles from them sold to Zanzibar town.  Hundreds if not thousands of years of history are being extinguished for a few Tanzanian shillings to no meaningful gain in comparison to the diverse cultural and biological riches that are being lost.  Often the cutting is being carried out by the youth of the same families whose elders despair at their loss of control and the changing culture around them.

Sacred Groves starting to count:  Now, however, is perhaps the time is ripe for a better understood of the ‘Misitu ya Jadi’ and them start to count.  In fact starting to count them has been the first step.  This work has been led by the local non-government organisation ZAZOSO the Zanzibar Zoological Society.  A team of ZAZOSO biologists and foresters has been working with the site guardians to map and record the locations, boundaries, social values and biology of the 10 sites.  It is important that the guardians not only give their permission for this but guide the process so that the local regulations and norms are followed.  All the data will be returned to the guardians in a form that is useful to them and they guide how it can be stored and used.

Community Films:  Another Zanzibar non-government organisation Mwambao Community Coastal Network (http://www.mwambao.or.tz) has taken a lead on the social development component training guardians and other community members in film making.  This has used a specific technique call ‘Participatory Video (PV)’ that means in around 10 days 12 community members can plan and film two community videos – an impressive feat for those that in most cases have never held a video camera before.  See also news item: https://sacrednaturalsites.org/resources/news/page/4/

Strategy Workshop:  The key workshop recommendations are as follows:

• The guardians to meet and considering forming a network to communicate together and take coordinated measures to safeguard their sites,
• To continue listing and survey work to better understand the sacred forests,
• To develop an awareness and communications programme at both village and national level especially working with the youth and policy makers,
• To develop a sacred forest conservation strategy,
• Take steps to reverse the shrinking of the forests by promoting forest restoration at their edges.
• Improve policy and legal measures to protect sacred forests.

The Zanzibar Forest Department has been providing oversight and support to the activities, as has the Tourism Department and the Department of Archives – in recognition of the historic and cultural values.  Technical advice and fund raising has been provided by the Sacred Natural Sites Initiative a member of the IUCN Specialist Group on the Cultural and Spiritual Values of Protected Areas.  The work has been funded by the Christensen Fund, (USA) the New England Biolabs Foundation, (USA) and Terralingua (USA and Canada).

For more information contact info@sacrednaturalsites.org