Oloolua Nature Trail #3: Fine Forest
This is the 3rd in a series of caches hidden along this fine hidden gem of a forest trail.
See GC44KCB Oloolua Nature Trail #1: The Waterfall for an introduction to the trail, how to get there, trail map and information on opening times and fees. See the gallery for a trail map.
. . . further along the trail close to the river, there is a 33m long cave (see photo in gallery) reputed to have once been home to Mau Mau freedom fighters during the colonial period of Kenya’s History. A papyrus swamp further down the river offers a further glimpse into the rich biodiversity of this indigenous forest. From here on, the trail climbs out of the river valley, occasionally bursting upon glades bathed in bright sunlight before diving back under the canopy of the cool forest cover . . .
Tropical dry forests: forests in Kenya have been largely lost, with only 2% currently remaining. Nairobi City and its environs overlaps the transition from savanna to forest. The Oloolua forest is characterized as a Brachylaena (Compositae) - Croton (Euphorbiaceae) forest, a type of tropical highland dry forest which is unique occuring only in eastern Africa. 
It has stands of Olea africana
(African Wild Olive - see here and photo upper left), Croton dichogamus (Rocky ground croton - see here for medicinal uses including treatment of male impotence, and photo upper right), Brachylaena hutchinsii (Silver 
Oak) - see here and here and line drawing left (Kenya's main source of fuel till the 1830s) and Calodendrum capense (eg. Cape or Wild Chestnut) - see here and photo lower right
. The Kenya government is trying to preserve forests in the country and also to restore native forests. However, the constantly increasing demand for fuelwood and charcoal puts huge pressure on the remaining forest areas and effective control of illegal logging is an enormous challenge.
To reach the cache:
After climbing the wooden steps out of eastern end of the bamboo grove where the Bamboo Grove cache is hidden, follow the trail as it climbs out of the river valley then look for a smaller trail heading left into the forest at S01 21.787 E 036 42.926 which takes you to cache location.
The cache, a small black-taped cylindrical tablet pot, is hidden under some twigs and bark pieces in an obvious waist height hole in a tree about 1m off the trail. Although GPSr reception here was only 6-7m accuracy the hide location should be pretty obvious. As usual keep your eye out for muggles, although they will be less frequent on this side trail, and ensure that you replace the cache properly concealed as found - thanks!
Permission to place the cache was kindly given by the Institute of Primate Research and the guides at the gate know about it.