Kenya - Africa
Over 90% of Kenya has been deforested and 42% of the population live below the poverty line.Through our partnerships we can help tackle poverty and deliver climate, biodiversity and local-level benefits to communities.
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Kenya is famous for its diverse wildlife and wide range of forest types that have long supported its communities. However, in recent decades these forests have experienced extreme environmental degradation through human activities such as logging and charcoal burning.
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Mangroves are some of the most powerful trees on our planet, an acre of mangroves can store 5 to 10 times more carbon that an acre of rainforest, therefore, planting and conserving these amazing forests is essential to the wellbeing of our planet and people.
The reforestation site is 2,630 hectares, with a capacity of 10,000 trees per hectare with a total planting capacity of 6,500,000.
REFORESTATION - Site Name: The Marereni and Kurawa Mangroves
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The Importance of Reforestation in Kenya
Tree Species Planted
Rhizophora Mucronata is a slow-growing, evergreen tree growing up to 27 metres tall, with a bole 50 - 70 cm in diameter. The tree produces numerous stilt roots from the base. One seed is developed per fruit and starts to germinate when the fruit is still attached or hanging on the tree. The root (radicle) gradually protrudes from the fruit, at first like a green cigar, then grows into a rod-like structure. In this species such a seedling root (hypocotyl) with a rough and warty surface may attain a considerable length (sometimes over 100 cm), the largest and longest in the genus.
Bruguiera Gymnorhiza has the largest leaves, flowers, propagules and lenticels of all Bruguiera species. The name Large-Leafed Orange Mangrove comes from the orange flowers and the large leaves that can reach up to 25cm in length. They grow about 20 to 25 degrees north and south of the equator in an area with subtropical to tropical climates. These conditions enable this evergreen tree to produce leaves and shoots during the whole year. The leaves have an elliptic shape, the upper side is smooth and dark green, the bottom is waxy and light green. Occasionally three or four leaves are formed simultaneously.
Ceriops Tagal is a medium-sized tree growing to a height of 25 metres (80 ft) with a trunk diameter of up to 45 cm (18 in). The growth habit is columnar or multi-stemmed and the tree develops large buttress roots. The radiating anchor roots are sometimes exposed and may loop up in places. The bark is silvery-grey to orangeish-brown, smooth with occasional pustular lenticels.
Kenya Reforestation Updates
Located on the eastern coast of Africa, the Marereni and Kurawa planting site is a degraded mangrove forest north of Malindi Town. The local people face limited freshwater, poor road connectivity, and insufficient education facilities.
Large-scale mangrove deforestation in this region results from land clearance for salt production, fuelwood, charcoal, and prawns. As a result, wild fisheries are in decline, and soil erosion threatens coastlines. A consistent income tied to sustainable land-use practices will significantly improve the overall wellbeing of this community.
Our reforestation partner hires local people to reforest their region by planting mangrove trees while stimulating economic growth, breaking the cycle of poverty, and empowering the community whilst building economic resilience.
Mangroves are incredible for so many reasons, stemming from their ability to grow and thrive on the boundary of ocean and land.
The trees’ unique adaptations to salinity make wherever they grow a vital haven for wildlife and an important resource for the hundreds of millions of people living near these ecosystems. Their importance to people and wildlife could not be any clearer as ever-growing impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss threaten our planet.
Mangrove species do not require nurseries. At 3-5 years of age, mangroves begin to produce and drop their own propagules (seeds), which can be used to give rise to a new tree. These propagules may be collected from existing trees or from trees previously planted. Mangroves are planted year-round in Kenya.
Mangroves are tropical marine forests with huge potential. They protect coastlines from erosion and storm surge, tsunamis and provide food and shelter for a diverse array of wildlife, and nursery habitats for commercially important fish and shellfish.
An estimated two thirds of the fish that are eaten in Kenya spend part of their lives in the mangroves which act as their breeding and nursery grounds.
Mangrove soils are highly effective carbon sinks. They are among the most carbon-rich tropical ecosystems globally and can contain more carbon per square metre than tropical rainforests. On average, they store around 1,000 tons of carbon per hectare in their biomass and underlying soil.
Avicennia Marina, also known as gray mangrove or white mangrove, is a shrub or tree belonging to the Acanthaceae family. They are generally 10–14 m long and have light gray or whitish bark with stiff, brittle, thin flakes. Their leaves are thick, glossy, and bright green on the upper side and gray or silvery white with small hairs on the lower side.
Thank you for helping to support Trees4Travels' first mangrove reforestation project in Kenya, on the east coast of Africa. Trees4Travel and its partners were grateful for the opportunity to be able to learn about the important role of reforestation in Kenya and to have been able to help the indigenous communities restore their land. We have now completed our agreed reforestation commitment on this site. The local communities and government will continue to manage the land and protect the trees planted, so that not too far in the future, beautiful abundant forests and biodiversity can once again thrive and return to this place .