Tree Planting Project in Malawi, Africa

TREE PLANTING PROJECT IN NKHATA BAY DISTRICT, MALAWI, AFRICA

•	The Start of the Tree Planting Project
•	Progress on the Tree Planting Project

Trees in Malawi are being cut down at an alarming rate. An area of forest the size of a football pitch is cut down every 10 minutes. This tree planting project is centred in Nkhata Bay District, Malawi, Africa, an area of 4,000 sq.km which is about the size of Kent.

Since 2006, we have helped 176 community tree nurseries to plant over three million trees, and we estimate that 3,000 people have worked on this project. However, we have had to reduce this project due to a reduction in funding and now support 100 community tree nurseries where we are concentrating on improving quality in the nurseries and the planted areas (please see our Step-by-step Guide). We are planting a combination of indigenous, exotic, and fruit trees. The main aims of the project are:

•	to provide sustainable timber in woodlots for firewood, building, etc.;
•	to restore degraded land by planting indigenous trees;
•	to provide additional food using fruit trees and nitrogen-fixing trees; and
•	to help conserve existing forests.

In addition to tree planting, we are also involved in environmental awareness training and conservation.

We need to raise funds for...

•	Reforestation and tree planting project


Ayipa-Alimoyo community tree nursery	Chipwayira community tree nursery	Chipwayira community tree nursery	Chiwowa community tree nursery	Chinjaya community tree nursery

The Start of the Tree Planting Project
For years, people in Malawi have been cutting down the trees without a tree planting programme, but they are fully aware that this is not sustainable. Tree planting in Malawi, Africa, needs to be part of an ongoing way of life. So, in 2006, RIPPLE Africa opened 75 community tree nurseries in Nkhata Bay District, an area of 4,000 sq.km. RIPPLE Africa provided the equipment, seeds and tubes, and the communities supplied the labour. Each tree nursery normally comprises 25 people with a committee that is responsible for the ongoing success of the tree planting programme. The communities have taken their tree planting project very seriously and have been justifiably proud of their successes during the year.


Chinjaya community tree nursery	Kawiya Youth Club tree nursery	Kayuni community tree nursery	Mpalawezi community tree nursery	Mtenje community tree nursery

We started with an awareness programme, and Chiefs and communities applied to RIPPLE Africa to be part of the tree planting project. We work closely with the District Forestry Office, and RIPPLE Africa and the Forest Guards help the communities to set up their tree nurseries, and provid ongoing training and support. It has been a win-win situation. The Forest Guards are keen to help as they are normally short of resources, and this tree planting programme has heightened awareness in their areas. Providing a sustainable supply of wood for the future will dramatically reduce the need to encroach into protected forests for firewood and timber. People are beginning to value trees, both as a resource that can be sustainably used for firewood, timber and food, but they also realise that trees are needed to protect and benefit their environment..


Mthethe tree seedling	Muvwalamani community tree nursery	A typical community tree nursery set up	Tree planting: an mbawa tree seedling	Pundu Youth Club tree nursery

Progress on the Tree Planting Project
Our tree planting programme has developed very quickly since it was started in 2006 and, with the small resources that we have had, the RIPPLE Africa staff and the communities have achieved amazing results. The tree planting programme has been very successful since the first year, and a total of over three million tree seedlings have now been raised in 176 tree nurseries. It is also estimated that about 3,000 people have worked on this project, although we have now reduced the number of tree nurseries to 100 since 2009 and are concentrating on improved management of the nurseries and planted areas.

In the first year, many of the trees were planted in a variety of areas, and it was difficult to monitor and manage these trees. Since then, through the guidance of our coordinators, we have encouraged communities to plant the majority of the trees in a few selected areas. This will mean that monitoring and caring for the trees will be easier. It is important to make sure that communities look after their trees for at least the first two years after planting out by clearing the grass from around each tree, preventing bush burning, and preventing goats and cattle from roaming freely in these areas. Also, by protecting these areas, trees that have previously been cut down will be given the chance to grow again. This secondary growth will provide diversity and, because the trees will have established roots, they will grow more quickly and more successfully than the newly planted trees.


RIPPLE Africa staff promoting the “Care for the Trees of Malawi” campaign	One of the 137 RIPPLE Africa tree nurseries	David Banda, a forest guard, with one of the community tree nursery members	Recently planted trees at Kachere Primary School — growing quickly!

The emphasis of the project is now changing so that, in addition to supporting the nurseries to raise tree seedlings as before, the communities receive much more awareness training and monitoring. There have certainly been failures in the past where trees have been planted and then, in the dry season, bush fires have killed a number of them, but we are hopeful that we are now getting the message across to the communities.

Our coordinators, who are employed on the tree planting programme, all live locally and are working hard to achieve the goals set by RIPPLE Africa.

The tree planting programme is a very ambitious project, but we have been really impressed with the enthusiasm and dedication that the communities have shown and, although some of the nurseries have been less successful than others, the majority have been outstanding.

Company Registration No. 04823686 • UK Registered Charity No. 1103256

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