School Children Stand at the Forefront: Join Kenya’s Environment Ministry in a Tree Planting Initiative

The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry has launched a tree-planting initiative in schools across Kenya. This program focuses on establishing nurseries to grow both regular and fruit tree seedlings. The goal is to teach children the importance of tree planting and its role in environmental conservation while boosting their livelihoods through the sale of seedlings.

During a recent tree planting event at Wareng’ High School in Eldoret, Environment Cabinet Secretary Dr. Deborah Mulongo Barasa highlighted the importance of fostering a culture of tree growing among students. She emphasized that this initiative supports the national target of planting 15 billion trees by 2032. This ambitious goal aims to restore degraded land, enhance water conservation, and increase biodiversity.

Dr. Barasa noted that fruit trees can significantly impact food security and assist in generating income, as they can be sold for timber and medicinal uses. With partnerships from organizations like the Chandaria Foundation and the KCB Foundation, the initiative is expected to gain momentum.

Innovations like aerial seeding are also part of this effort to increase tree coverage. This method helps overcome challenges like human encroachment and animal invasions that threaten young trees. Additionally, Dr. Barasa reiterated the importance of passing down knowledge of tree growing to the next generation to ensure lasting environmental sustainability.

The CS expressed pride in the students’ hard work. The school has constructed a nursery with over 50,000 seedlings thanks to support from the Chandaria Foundation. Plans are in place to receive another 100,000 coffee seedlings and 50,000 indigenous trees from the Kenya Forest Service.

A significant focus of the initiative is to help schools generate income through the sale of seedlings, which can support students from less privileged backgrounds. Dr. Barasa encouraged private sectors and community members to purchase seedlings from schools, fostering a cycle of support for education.

Currently, around 800 million trees have been planted, approaching the 1 billion mark. However, Dr. Barasa pointed out that public resistance to tree planting exists, emphasizing the need for education and community involvement to raise awareness about its importance.

Kenya’s tree cover stands at only 12%, which is low compared to other countries. Without improvement, land degradation poses a risk to ecosystems and could lead to even greater environmental challenges.

Charlene Ruto, CEO of Smart Mechanized Agriculture & Climate Action for Humanity & Sustainability (SMACHS) Foundation, stressed the importance of involving youth in environmental conservation as a means of income generation. She highlighted success stories from schools like Lenana, where students produced 500,000 seedlings with the help of partners.

Ruto believes that tree growing is a long-term investment, providing a sustainable source of income that can assist in paying school fees for vulnerable students. She encourages young people to take leadership roles in their communities, starting with initiatives like tree nurseries.

By equipping the youth with skills in climate-smart agriculture, organizations like SMACHS aim to tackle pressing issues related to food security and environmental challenges.

In this collective effort, the vision is clear: nurturing a greener future begins with the younger generation and their commitment to tree planting and environmental stewardship. For deeper insights into the government’s aims and strategies for tree planting, check out the Kenya Forest Service.

Source link