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Forest Protection

We work with the local communities that dwell around the forests, and other stakeholders to ensure protection of the forests. Community participation in forest management requires the involvement of people that live in close proximity to the forest. Local communities are often highly dependent on forest resources and therefore have a strong interest in its protection and conservation. Furthermore, communities directly feel the impact of forest damage and can play a crucial role in disrupting action that may threaten forests.

 

Our Forest protection programs and activities include:

  • Community education and awareness raising : the aim of this is to make the community be aware of the need to protect and conserve Mt. Kenya forest
  • Forest fires management: Improving standards of forest fire management could improve local livelihoods, biodiversity, and the supply of other environmental services from forests. Most of wild fires are caused by people. Wildfires damage wildlife habitats, forest resources and watersheds that provide forest products and drinking water for millions of people. To reduce incidences and intensity of forest fires, we shall employ various participatory approaches including: training local conservation groups and resource users on forest fires management, carrying out studies to better understand forest fires and their effective management develop participatory forest fire action plans, carry out research on the effects of wildfires on the ecosystem and the community.
  • Restoration of degraded/ deforested habitats and water catchment areas: this we do through community based tree planting activities. There are large forest areas that remain bear and heavily degraded after deforestation. We not only plant trees but also manage them to ensure they grow successfully.
  • Eco Schools Program: Many schools neighboring Mt. Kenya depend on forest products mainly for fuel and construction. Eco Schools Program increases environmental conservation awareness to pupils, students, teachers, parents and the community through hands on activities. Through the Eco schools program we encourage children/students to establish tree nurseries and plant trees in their schools and take care of them, keep their environment clean, be concerned of their own health and wellbeing, conserve water and energy in the school and take those environmental conservation norms to their homes and the local community. A school that meets set Eco Schools environmental conservation standards may qualify for one or more of our various environmental conservation awards including a certificate, trophy, or an Eco Schools flag and more.

 

  • Establishment of Tree Nurseries: We also establish community and school tree nurseries that supply seedlings for the agro-forestry and Eco schools programs. Tree nurseries also provide income for community.
  • Capacity Building: For the community and other stakeholders to play a meaningful role in forest protection, it is important that individuals are provided with the skills, motivation and knowledge that are required for its success. We build capacity to local communities, forest stakeholders and schools on forest management.
  • Carbon Credit Program: The objective of this program is to motivate local people to participate in forest conservation and protection through the “Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation” (REDD) program. We link community conservation groups and individuals with companies that sell carbon credits to commercial and individual customers who are interested in lowering their carbon footprint. The program will offer credits (incentives) for the reforestation of already degraded forest land and forestation of rural areas. 
  •  Community based Forest Protection: We help create community institutions to protect the forest through monitoring and reporting forest crimes.
  • Promoting Community Benefits: Local communities accrue some benefits from forest resources. Tangible benefits are needed in order to attract full community commitment towards forest protection. We seek to enlist community benefits from a wide range of opportunities that include:
  • Authority to harvest mature plantations for commercial purposes
  • Equitable distribution of revenue collected from forestry sales
  • Bee keeping in forest and marketing of the associated products such as honey, wax etc
  • Carbon crediting programs where local community is allowed to sell trapped carbon in the forest 
  • Forest based tourism-ecotourism and education tourism
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