Opening ceremony of the Taita Research Station of the University of Helsinki, May 21. 2012
Opening ceremony of the Taita Research Station will be held on May 21., 2012, 4 pm at the Great Hall of the University of Helsinki, Aleksanterinkatu 5. The aim is to present the activities of the station to the researchers, alumni, media and cooperation partners. The ceremony will be opened by rector Thomas Wilhelmsson and the keynote speakers are minister Heidi Hautala from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and Prof. Agnes Mwang’ombe from the University of Nairobi.
Programme
Thomas Wilhelmsson, rector of the University of Helsinki
Heidi Hautala, minister of development, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
Petri Pellikka, director of the Taita Research Station, Prof. of geoinformatics: Background and research activities in the Taita Hills
Jouko Rikkinen, chairman of the advisory board, Prof. of botany: Strategy of the Taita Research Station
Agnes Mwang ´ombe, Prof. of plant pathology, University of Nairobi: Perspective from University of Nairobi and inhabitants of the Taita Hills
Ilpo Ahlholm, rector of Kauniainen high school: Taita Hills as an excursion target for Finnish schools
Nina Himberg, coordinator of development studies: Researcher’s perspective and Taita Research Station as a part of HUGS (Helsinki University Global South Network)
The programme is finished by 17.40 after which there are refreshments.
Please sign up to the function at:
https://alumniverkosto.helsinki.fi/Portal/Public/Event/Apply.aspx?EventID=180
Taita Hills are located in south-eastern Kenya as a part of Eastern Arc mountain chain, which is a one of the World´s biodiversity hotspots. Rising from the Tsavo plains from 600 m a.s.l. up to 2200 m a.s.l. and having mountain rain forests patches at the mountain tops acting as water towers feeding the lowlands, the Taita Hills may be considerd as a miniatyre of Kenya. The forests as well as the agricultural land suffer from degradation due to population pressure due to the complexity of natural resource management.
The biogeographical setting of the Taita Hills have attracted scientists from various disciplines since late 1980′s. One can find a diverse range of ecosystems and livelihoods in Taita, both high in the hills and on the lowlands. These include indigenous and plantation forests, sacred groves, agroforestry, rangelands, sisal plantations, national parks and reserves as well as urbanized areas.
Taita Research Station of the University of Helsinki.
Taita Hills is of primary interest among geographers, ecologists, foresters, agronomists and social scientists studying the land use and land cover changes, biodiversity, water resources, climate – land cover feedback mechanisms, rural development and environmental conservation.
The University of Helsinki established Taita Research Station in the Taita Hills in 2011.
The landscapes of the Taita Hills are featured by forests, intensive agricultural lands and rock outcrops. View from Ngangao hilltop towards Mbololo.