The mission of this project in collaboration with the Friends of Usambara Society (FoU) is to plant 9,000,000 native trees to preserve the biodiversity of the Usambara Mountains through reforestation and reversing the serious degradation of native ecosystems.
Preserving biodiversity in the Usambara Mountains and reversing the significant deforestation trend in that area of Tanzania is the main objective of this project. The need for materials for construction, agricultural activity, and illegal mining, added to the rapid population growth, are the main causes of the serious deforestation in the Eastern Arc Mountains.
The east of the Usambara mountains is considered one of the 25 most important areas on the planet in terms of biodiversity and at this time due to anthropogenic causes, there is a significant acceleration of its degradation. It is imperative to act now to reverse this situation through reforestation and the implementation of agroforestry as a method of preservation and obtaining resources for local communities and farmers.
In nurseries established and managed by the Friends of Usambara Society (FoU), there is an excess of millions of seedlings ready to be planted in their final destination, the Usambara mountains, but we need your help and collaboration to carry it out. FoU does an outstanding job bringing together local communities for seedling generation and nursery maintenance.
Green School Program:
FoU implements this program in 20 schools to promote education in teachers and children about the importance of caring for and restoring forests for future generations. The vision of the program is to educate and prepare children in everything related to the preservation of the environment, not only in theoretical teaching in schools but also in-field activities through integration in tasks such as those developed in the nurseries and in the plantation itself.
Project goals:
Main native species:
Albizia gummifera, Markhamia lutea, Moringa olifera, Newtonia buchananii, Podocarpus usambarensis, Senna spectabilis, Syzygium cumini, Albizia schimperiana, Grevillea robusta, Persea americana, Banana suckers, Plum.
Project Team:
The FoU team for this reforestation project is made up of 63 nursery maintenance personnel, 20 botanical specialists for quality control, and a network of communities and farmers involved in planting tasks.
