Project
Kenya Reforestation Project
Over 90% of Kenya has been deforested. The dangerous combination of logging, charcoal burning and illegal settling will only accelerate forest loss.
In Kenya, the reforestation project works in the 5,000-hectare protected Kijabe Forest. Situated about 1.5 hours from Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, the forest grows on the steep edges of the Great Rift Valley. Once home to herds of buffalo, leopards, and elephants, this forest is an essential home and corridor for wildlife. They use this area to move between the Rift Valley’s dry floor and the Kenyan highlands’ protected, lush forests.
Moreover, this forest is one of Kenya’s five nationally-significant water towers, which channels water to the surrounding communities and country. However, over the past 15 years, the forest has been cleared for charcoal and timber, reducing the number of permanent rivers flowing from eight to one. This also led to to unreliable rains, catastrophic landslides, and damage to important infrastructure.
Therefore, this initiative involves partners with a local forest trust, the Kijabe Forest Trust, regional and national government institutions, and the surrounding agricultural and pastoral communities to restore this crucial forest.
Milihoi/Kichwa cha Nyoka Planting Site
Coordinates: 2°18’0.56”S, 40°43’54.55”E
Site Description
The name “Kichwa Cha Nyoka” directly translates to “head of the snake”. This site is located within the greater Milihoi channel, which has mangrove estuaries that are vital to the area’s ecologically diverse bird and marine life.
Specifically, the Milihoi channel is within Lamu county, a region that faces a number of challenges, including insufficient social services, very little freshwater, underdeveloped infrastructure, and food insecurity. However, the channel is near Lamu Town, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site that has an incredibly rich history. In fact, it dates back to the 12th century when the surrounding areas (including this project site) had a history of trade with countries as far away as India.
Interestingly, the local artisans still make dhows (traditional sailing vessels) by hand.
Historically, mangroves have been an important part of the local economy, providing resources for dhow construction, export for the tanning industry (ash and bark), and building materials. Although mangrove harvesting was banned in 1997, harvesting continued despite the ban.
Only recently, legal harvesting has been reinstated (as of 2019). This site is a mosaic of heavily degraded areas in need of enrichment planting and healthy mangrove forests. Actually the deforested section is equal to 159 hectares and another 1,000 hectares are in need of enrichment planting and protection.
