Restoration of Mount Kenya landscape

We’re planting trees that restore Mount Kenya’s biodiverse landscape and supporting communities to build sustainable livelihoods that improve their wellbeing.

A unique biodiversity hotspot

In Central Kenya, lies Mt Kenya, an important social, cultural and unique biodiversity hotpot filled with diverse plant and wildlife species. It is also a key refuge and habitat for Kenya’s second largest population of elephants.

Mt Kenya plays a critical role in collecting and storing rainfall. This rain flows into streams and rivers which in turn feed Kenya’s longest river, the Tana. The Tana sustains the lives of millions of Kenyans.

But for decades, the Mt Kenya landscape has experienced massive deforestation as a result of illegal logging of timber and charcoal burning to name a few. For local communities living in and around the Mt Kenya landscape, the effects of climate change are already being felt.

Irregular rainfall patterns are dwindling the harvests of smallholder farmers, affecting their income and their livelihoods as well as their families.

But there is still hope

This year, we’re planting trees that rehabilitate this landscape and improve livelihoods together with local Community Forest Associations (CFAs) and people in the surrounding communities .

We are planting native threatened tree species to restore and protect Lower Imenti, one of the threatened forests found within the Mt. Kenya landscape.

We are also working with smallholder farmers and planting agroforestry trees within their farms for improved soil health and food security.

Land preparation

One of the major challenges facing this project, is the presence of Lantana camara, an invasive exotic bush that prevents the regrowth of indigenous trees. In order for us to plant trees in this region, a long and arduous process of clearing the bush first takes place.

Reforestation of Mt. Kenya will protect against further land degradation and also prevent the spread of the invasive Lantana camara bush.

We are extremely grateful to TreeSisters for funding this project. And we look forward to sharing exciting updates and stories once Kenya’s second tree planting season begins later in the year.

James, our CEO, explores a planting site where the invasive Lantana bush was recently removed to make room for indigenous trees.

Donate today

Support communities on the front lines of the climate crisis to plant trees, restore ecosystems and improve their livelihoods.