| With shores fringed with papyrus and yellow-barked | | | | grower alone produced a million rose stems for |
| acacias, and freshwater that supports protected | | | | Valentine's Day in 2005! |
| hippo populations, fish eagles and a blossoming | | | | However, the success of the agricultural and |
| horticultural industry, Lake Naivasha's beauty is as | | | | horticultural industry is threatening the very survival |
| undeniable as its importance to the region. | | | | of the source of their creation, as pesticides and |
| A vast range of plains animals and a plethora of | | | | fertilizers are seeping into the lake and reeking havoc |
| birdlife have long called the verdant shoreline home, | | | | with the ecosystem. Irrigation has further destabilized |
| as have the Maasai, who considered it prime grazing | | | | erratic water levels, which had seen the lake almost |
| land. Unfortunately for the Maasai, the splendor of | | | | dry up in the late 1890's before rebounding to cover |
| the surroundings wasn't lost on early settlers either | | | | almost 1000sq km in the early 20th century. The lake |
| and it was one of the first areas they settled, | | | | is currently receding again, and now only spreads |
| eventually becoming the favourite haunt of Lord | | | | over 170sq km. |
| Delamere and the decadent Happy Valley set in the | | | | The lake's ecology has been interfered with on a |
| 1930's. | | | | number of other occasions, notably with the |
| Amazingly between 1937 and 1950 the lake was | | | | introduction of foreign fish (for sports and |
| Kenya's main airport, with BOAC's Empire and Solent | | | | commercial fisheries), cray fish, the South American |
| flying boats landing here after their four-day journey | | | | coypu (an aquatic rodent that initially escaped from a |
| from Southampton. Lake Naivasha is still one of the | | | | fur farm) and various aquatic plants, including the |
| largest settler and expat communities in Kenya, and | | | | dreaded water hyacinth. |
| can have a resort-like feel to it in high season, when | | | | For these reasons Naivasha has been the focus of |
| it essentially becomes Kenya's St Tropez. | | | | conservation efforts and in 1995, after years of |
| Not only does Lake Naivasha's fresh water bestow it | | | | lobbying from the lake Naivasha Riparian Association |
| with a unique ecosystem in comparison with the vast | | | | (LRNA),the lake was designated a Ramsar site, |
| majority of Rift Valley lakes, which are highly alkaline, | | | | officially recognizing it as a wetland of international |
| but it also means that the lake can be used for | | | | importance. Besides educating the locals dependent |
| irrigation purposes. While the surrounding countryside | | | | on the lake about the environmental issues involved, |
| has historically been a major production area for beef | | | | the LNRA, Elsamere Conservation Center and other |
| cattle and fresh fruit and vegetables, today the | | | | organisations work to establish a code of conduct |
| flower industry rules the roost. | | | | among the local growers that will maintain the lake's |
| Shade houses have proliferated in the hills recently, | | | | biodiversity. The results are promising, but much |
| and Lake Naivasha is now the centre of Kenya's | | | | work remains to be done. |
| US$360 million flower industry. Astoundingly, flowers | | | | Its worth visiting the Lake Naivasha Riparian offices |
| that are picked here in the morning can be at | | | | and Elsamere if only to support their work in |
| Europe's flower auctions the same day. One flower | | | | Naivasha. |