JAHAWI BERTOLLI on Remembering Kenya’s Coasts /194

Kenya’s diverse ecosystems include vast mangroves, estuaries, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and sandy beaches. Yet so often, we only ever think of Kenya as a picturesque representation of what “Africa” looks like in the Western imagination; open savannas, great migrations of territorial creatures, piercing golden sunsets...In this week’s episode, we are joined by Jahawi Bertolli who takes us underwater to learn about the endless worlds that exist beyond Kenya’s shoreline. These coastal ecosystems not only contribute to great biological diversity, but they are the birthing place of tremendous seafaring culture, coastal folklore, and social communities. As such, they too are navigating changing seascapes brought on by warming waters, overexploitation, and pollution. Jahawi shares with us how this part of the ocean is faring, the importance of community-based conservation, traditional ecological knowledge in East Africa, and how storytelling can be a conduit for rekindling intergenerational custodianship. Jahawi Bertolli is a National Geographic Explorer, filmmaker, photographer, and music producer from Kenya specializing in wildlife and the underwater world. His current focus is on telling African wildlife stories from the perspectives of the local communities, highlighting African storytelling. Music by Jahawi Bertolli. Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.