Consumers Urged to Buy 'Good Wood' Carvings
July 8th, 1998

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Kenyan woodcarver displays his wares.
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London - The conservation organisation WWF today urged tourists and
importers to buy 'good wood' carvings from Kenya in order to reduce
pressure on over-exploited tree species. The call was made at an
international meeting of the People and Plants initiative, a joint programme
by WWF, UNESCO and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew to address the
global threats facing plants and trees.
Researchers have found that nearly all tree species used for carvings
have now been severely depleted in the wild, threatening the future of
one of Kenya's most successful cottage industries. By buying 'good
wood' species such as neem (Azadirachta indica),
jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosiifolis) and mango (Mangifera indica), which
is taken from well managed sources, tourists and importers can help
protect Kenya's forests and ensure the survival of a woodcarving
industry which employs 60,000 carvers and supports over 300,000
people.
Begun by a Kenyan who learned the art of woodcarving while serving in
the British Army during the First World War, the woodcarving industry
now has an export value of US$20 million, with the majority of carvings
sent to Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan. Many of the
700,000 tourists that visit Kenya each year also buy the carvings,
providing a valuable source of income for the local communities.
The two main woodcarving centres at Mombasa and Malindi use 20,800
wild 'muhugu' mahogany (Brachlaena huillensis) trees each year, felled
from some of the last remaining forests on the Kenyan coast. These
forests are arks for some of Kenya's most endangered birds, mammals
and reptiles, many of which are now at risk due to over-exploitation for
the woodcarving trade. Species threatened include the golden-rumped
elephant-shrew, the Sokoke scops owl and the blue tree lizard. A study
by the East African Natural History Society found that 4200 elephant
shrews lose their homes each year due to felling for the trade.

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Hundreds of carvings on display in a shop in Kenya
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The People and Plants initiative, with the financial support of Britain's
Department for International Development (DfID) and the National Lottery
Charities Board (NCLB) has been promoting the use of 'good wood'
species. As part of this campaign WWF is now asking tourists and
importers to play their part.
For further information, please contact Ed Matthew - WWF-UK
Media Officer : Tel - +44 1483 412 379 or Mobile - +44 468 867 274.
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