A tree planted in the wrong month, in the wrong place, of the wrong species, is a photograph. A tree alive at three years is a result.
Nurseries first
Seedlings raised locally survive better than seedlings trucked in. They are adapted to the conditions, they spend less time in transit, and the people who raised them have a stake in what happens next.
We support two nurseries in Rwampara and one at Biharwe, run by local groups. We supply seed, polythene, training and a guaranteed purchase; the group supplies the labour and keeps the surplus to sell. This costs more per seedling than buying in bulk and produces better outcomes and a local business.
What we plant and where
| Species | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Bamboo | Riverbank, front line | Roots aggressively, binds soil faster than anything else available |
| Markhamia lutea | Bank and farm boundary | Indigenous, deep-rooted, useful timber, tolerates seasonal wet |
| Ficus natalensis | Bank and homestead | Indigenous, culturally valued, excellent soil stabiliser |
| Fruit species | Household plots behind the buffer | Direct return to the family giving up ground |
| Eucalyptus | Nowhere near water | Draws the water table down. We stopped in 2023 and will not resume. |
Agroforestry, not afforestation
The goal is not to convert farmland to forest. Households here need to eat, and a programme that reduces their production will be reversed the moment we stop watching.
Agroforestry puts trees into a working farm: along boundaries, in scattered stands, as shade for coffee, as fodder. Done properly it raises farm productivity rather than lowering it, which is why it survives without enforcement.
A seedling costs about 3,000 shillings
Raised in the nursery, transported, planted in the wet season, and checked at six and twelve months. Not the price of a seedling — the cost of getting one to a year old.