GOLFERS DRIVING CHANGE FOR CORAL REEFS IN KENYA

Ahead of the 2023 Magical Kenya Ladies Open, three golfers headed down to Kuruwitu to join the Oceans Alive Trust and visit a marine sanctuary.  

Vipingo Ridge and the LET have teamed up with conservation group Oceans Alive Trust and Kuruwitu Conservation and Welfare CBO to create a partnership which links success on the spectacular Vipingo Ridge PGA championship course with Oceans Alive’s success in restoring coral in the nearby marine protected area.

Sweden’s Johanna Gustavsson, Germany’s Alexandra Försterling and Kenya’s Naomi Wafula, who are all teeing it up this week, spent time with the team at Oceans Alive Trust on Tuesday.

The marine sanctuary, which is just a short distance from Vipingo Ridge, is a protected area which is home to beautiful corals and also amazing wildlife such as octopus.

Coral is so important because 25% of the marine life lives in coral reefs and from there, they go on to give and support life for the other 75% of marine life.  

The LET’s ‘Celebrating the Green presented by Dow’ initiative aims to recognise and promote great sustainable work being done by the Ladies European Tour community, such as this project in Kenya, while Dow is also the LET’s Official Sustainability Resource in conjunction with the LPGA Tour.

During their time at the sanctuary, the trio were involved in taking fragments of juvenile corals and planting them on plugs on coral tables which allows them to grow in a conducive environment.

Each marine eco-system is different thus needs to have actions which are tailored to it. Areas which have been destroyed previously are now being given a second chance.

“We don’t see a lot of the coral reefs in Sweden, but I know how important it is for the planet,” said Gustavsson. “They’re bringing it back to life and that’s what we need.”

Försterling added: “The work they are doing here is incredible and I think it’s really important to preserve the fish life.”

The winner of the 2023 Magical Kenya Ladies Open will have a whole coral table created and name after them. Once mature, these coral seedlings will be planted out into the wild to make an important contribution to marine conservation. A personal win which translates into a win for the marine environment.