ITF Impact Report 2016

IMPACT REPORT 2 0 1 6 UK

2

2

I

MAL

2

1 GAL

E SEN

1

1

KINA BURASO F NA

GHA

N

OO MER

CA

3

4

YA

NDA

KEN

UGA

1 AWI

MAL

Our Mission International Tree Foundation works with communities in Africa and the UK to carry out sustainable community forestry projects which protect, regenerate and cultivate trees and forests, to conserve habitats rich in biodiversity and to enhance human and environmental well-being.

Our Impact in 2016 UK

2

= Number of ITF projects

Strategic Aims

 EDUCATION Foster an understanding of the amenity, ecological and economic value of trees

 LIVELIHOODS Enable communities to develop and restore sustainable and productive landscapes through tree cultivation

2 1

MALI

2

SENEGAL

1

BURKINA FASO

GHANA

1

CAMEROON

4

3

UGANDA

KENYA

1





ENVIRONMENT

CAPACITY BUILDING

Increase tree cover, promote reforestation and appropriate tree cultivation

Build capacity in community organisations to advocate, share knowledge and implement communitybased forestry and agroforestry

MALAWI

Introduction

295,850 Trees

17 Projects 11,855 Direct beneficiaries

15 Community partners

No one has perhaps had such a positive impact on raising global awareness of the critical importance of trees and forests than our founder, Richard St. Barbe Baker. He spent many of his 92 years travelling to all corners of our precious planet to support and encourage communities to protect and restore forest landscapes.

It seems fitting that in our 92nd year we should launch our most ambitious campaign to date with the aim of celebrating our centenary in 2024 by planting 20 Million Trees for Kenya’s Forests.

One of the aims of such a long term campaign is to enable us to assess the cumulative beneficial impact that trees bring on so many different levels, be it biodiversity, water catchment, livelihood improvements or carbon sequestration. In our increasingly fast-paced helter skelter world we can also learn much from trees and their gentle and sustained interconnections with the web of life.

We were also delighted to be part of the new Fruit-full Communities initiative which is supporting young people living in YMCA sheltered housing in England to grow orchards and to interact and share experiences with young people growing fruit trees in African countries.

2016 also marked the 80th anniversary of our Trees journal which has provided a space for much visionary thinking about social forestry, a strong voice against the continuing deforestation ravaging the Earth, a place for new writing by novelists such as Ethel Mannin and Jean Giono and somewhere to share a love for the beauty and majesty of trees.

This report focusses on the impact that has been achieved by the established programmes and projects that we are supporting in the UK and 8 African countries. All of these achievements,

big and small, have been led by inspiring people undaunted by the significant and growing challenges of land degradation and climate shocks. It is an authentic account from the grassroots with all of the images that you see taken by the community organisations themselves.

Andy Egan Chief Executive Officer

Impact Report Key Number of trees Number of direct beneficiaries

 Livelihoods  Capacity Building  Education  Environment 3

Africa Drylands Programme brings greenery to Senegalese villages Bachir Bassouna is 48 and lives in Sandoumana village, Senegal.

In December 2015, Sandoumana was one of 8 villages to become involved in tree planting, agroforestry and natural resource management, through local organisation AVED Colibantan.

Bachir was one of 238 people trained in tree nursery establishment and operations. “The project allowed us to mobilise many villagers around environmental conservation” says Bachir. “Our children will be the ones to reap the fruits in a few years, so I’m glad they have been involved in the activities”.

“ The project allowed us to mobilise

many villagers around environmental conservation”

Working from the ground up The project, funded through ITF’s Africa Drylands Programme, aimed to address the problems of environmental degradation, rural poverty and malnutrition. These problems have led to a high rate of rural exodus from the region. AVED Colibantan aimed to involve local communities in natural resource management to reverse the effects of environmental degradation.

“Our projects succeed because we work from the ground up” says Kalipha Athie, President of AVED. “We are small-scale farmers, gardeners, rural women and men and everything 4

we do is dependent on the environment. The poverty and the difficulties we have faced for decades all originate in the consequences of environmental degradation. Whether it be deforestation or food insecurity, these are issues our community faces on a daily basis”.

7435

Bringing communities together For many of the communities involved in the project, the process of collecting seeds, sowing and raising the seedlings and finally planting them out was completely new. By December 2016, they had gained a new independence through the establishment of tree nurseries, and were working in cooperation with neighbouring villages to trade in tree species and help each other with the planting.

“We still have a long way to go to protect our natural heritage, and before our communities fully understand the issues we face”, says Bachir.

Nonetheless, the project has made some real achievements.

7,435 mainly indigenous trees and fruit trees were planted. Sites for planting included on farmland, along village streets, in homes and at village training centres and communal areas.

“ Our projects succeed because we work from the ground up”

238 Achievements:

8 Villages involved Tree nurseries

8 active 238

People trained (80% women)

Mission Statements (%)

Mangoes Slow Deforestation in the Rwenzori Mountains

“ The project has helped us gain financial independence and reduce hunger” Joy Musoki, Beneficiary

25,000

The picturesque, steep slopes of the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda are home to the Alpha Women’s Empowerment Initiative (AWEI). This group of local women run a variety of programmes in Kasese district to improve healthcare, education, livelihoods and environmental conservation.

The Rwenzori Mountains are renowned for their botanical interest and rich biodiversity and were made a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994. But population pressure and poverty are putting the forest at risk.

Poverty pushing deforestation Increasingly, local communities are cutting more trees to make ends meet. “Felling indigenous trees has become a serious issue” says Margret Masika, Chairperson of AWEI. “Trees are cut and sold as firewood and timber. The income is used to buy food and other commodities, for day to day survival.”

Faced by this dilemma, AWEI engaged in community consultations in early 2015. A project was designed to provide an alternative source of income from grafted mango trees, and to increase tree cover on the farms surrounding the National Park. The grafted trees should mature quickly, and bear fruits in

200 Achievements: 2 to 3 years, when they will also provide a source of nutritious food for the families.

By February 2016, over 18,400 trees were surviving on the land of 200 vulnerable households, those who were directly engaged in felling trees from the forest. This transformation led to demand for a similar intervention in neighbouring counties.

In October 2016, AWEI received a second grant through ITF’s Sustainable Community Forestry Programme. Widening the catchment area, AWEI are working with a further 500 people.

They are also improving the grafting skills of tree nursery attendants, and creating a further 3 tree nurseries, bringing the total to 7.

3

Local committees formed

4

Tree nurseries established

20

People trained in nursery management

Mission Statements (%)

As demand soars, AWEI hopes to supply affordable seedlings to the local communities. Income from sales will be invested in sustaining AWEI’s conservation efforts.

5

Restoring Kenya’s Indigenous Forests

In the villages to the East of Mount Kenya, people are acutely aware of the need for trees. Despite the fact that they live in what appears to be a woody landscape, not far from Mount Kenya Forest, they say there are not enough trees.

Rural communities depend on trees throughout their lives.

Trees provide timber for construction and firewood for cooking. Trees provide food for the family and fodder for animals. Trees improve soil quality, shade crops from the equatorial sun, and their fruits and nuts can be sold for profit.

Kenya is home to many beautiful forests, but in fact, the country has a low tree count per person. Deforestation was rampant in the 1970s and 80s, reducing substantially the land surface covered in natural forest.

6

Away from the forests, the landscape is dry and often harsh.

Kenya’s entire population depend on the water that flows from the five largest forests, known as Water Towers for the important role they play in producing fresh water and replenishing rivers and lakes.

20 Million Trees for Kenya’s Forests In 2015, we launched our Centenary Campaign: 20 Million Trees for Kenya’s Forests. The Campaign aims to plant a total of 20 million trees in and around Kenya’s five Water Tower forests by 2024, ITF’s centenary year. Working with community-based organisations already established on the ground, the Campaign will restore degraded areas of

natural forest, as well as increasing tree cover on farms through agroforestry.

The first phase focusses on Mount Kenya, where ITF was founded in 1922, before registering in the UK two years later. Reforestation has already started with our partner Mount Kenya Environmental Conservation (MKEC).

Mount Kenya Forest Restoration MKEC have mobilised over 500 community members to participate in the project. Twelve community tree nurseries are raising native species of trees for reforestation, as well as agroforestry species to plant on farms.

These groups meet once a week to plant new seedlings, trim stray roots and prepare the young trees for planting. Group members are mainly women, and these weekly meetings also provide them with a chance to talk through problems at home, share advice and sing!

Hundreds of thousands of seedlings are in the pipeline, some of which they sell, providing the nurseries with some funds to buy new tools and materials.

Looking ahead The first year of the Campaign has been a real success, with the help of funding from generous supporters and partners. 2017 will see the scaling up of the Programme, bringing on board further local tree planting organisations and the expansion of the project from Mount Kenya to other forests.

69,700

Achievements so far In late 2016, MKEC coordinated the planting of 50,000 native trees within the boundaries of Mount Kenya Forest.

Tree species were chosen with the help of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, an advisory partner in the Campaign. With the aim of restoring the forest to its natural state, surveys were undertaken to establish the correct species and planting methods.

A further 18,500 trees were planted on the farms of 502 community members. Species were chosen for their benefits to the farmer, including improving soil quality, producing fodder for animals and fruits to sell.

562 Achievements:

My 20 Trees and Me: Growing Up Together!

12 6 7

Community tree nurseries involved Schools participating Advisory group members

Mission Statements (%)

Mount Kenya was also the first area to run the schools programme My 20 Trees and Me: Growing Up Together! This initiative aims to nurture an understanding of the importance of trees in the younger generation. Children from 6 local primary schools have planted 1,200 trees on school grounds, and are responsible for looking after them until they mature.

7

Regenerating Mali’s Drylands, Naturally

127,866

(since 2014)

On 25th September 2016, 8 Malian villages were visited by the panel of the annual Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration Competition. Natural regeneration is a low-cost method of growing trees, by protecting seedlings that sprout naturally.

This year’s winner was Boukari Dikko from Diamweli village, who came first out of 73 applicants. Boukari has protected 456 young trees on his 7 hectare farm.

8,022

(since 2014)

Achievements:

The competition has been held since the start of Trees 4 Livelihoods (T4L), a four year programme run by Sahel Eco and ITF, with support from the Big Lottery Fund. It gives farmers the chance to showcase the benefits of increased tree cover and water conservation techniques gained through the project, as well as to encourage others to adopt these methods.

T4L has been successful in increasing the conservation of 18 valued species of native trees in 29 villages in Central Mali. This will have a positive impact on lives in this arid landscape, where trees protect against desertification, improve soil fertility and structure and produce marketable products to support livelihoods.

The economic value of conserving trees Working with farmers, women’s groups, internally displaced people and local government, T4L is proving the environmental and economic benefits of tree conservation to local communities.

Farmers who protect trees on their land and practice other water 8

Increase in crop yields

62%

437 increased

Women

conservation techniques, have seen crop yields increase by 62%.

139 hectares of degraded land have been allocated to vulnerable families and restored to productive farmland. 33 women’s groups have received training on processing fruits and other valuable products from native trees, and are now selling them locally.

Competitions and exchange visits are bringing more people on board, and encouraging communities to consider their trees as long-term assets. Thus the natural tree cover of the harsh Sahel landscape in the Mopti region is being restored, crop production has increased significantly and 63% of women have increased their income from a range of tree products.

income

8,022

People trained since 2014

Mission Statements (%)

Young People create orchards in 10 YMCAs On a cold grey November day, YMCA North Staffordshire was bustling with activity. Residents had come out to transform the grounds into an urban orchard.

Africa. A Global Exchange group allows participants at YMCAs to connect to ITF’s partners in Africa via social media, where they share images and encouragement.

They were just a few of the 196 young people involved in designing and creating an orchard in 10 YMCAs across England through the Fruit-full Communities project. The project is led by Learning through Landscapes, in partnership with International Tree Foundation, The Orchard Project and YMCAs. It is funded by the Big Lottery Fund through the Our Bright Future initiative.

Fruit-full Communities is bringing vulnerable young people together to think about a more sustainable future, locally as well as globally. In 2017, 17 more YMCAs will be coming on board, reaching even more young people and accelerating change!

Fruit-full Communities aims to tackle a lack of social cohesion, create opportunities for young people, and address climate change and environmental degradation.

Over the course of 2016, YMCA residents have been involved in the entire process of planning and planting their orchards, creating a sense of ownership. The project has made a real difference to the lives of some residents. One participant from High Wycombe remarked “I’ve been living here for a year and a half and hadn’t met anyone until today!”

Global Exchange of ideas

200 276 Achievements:

10 Orchards created 40

50

Regular volunteers engaged from the community YMCA staff involved

Mission Statements (%)

For almost a century, International Tree Foundation has brought people together globally to protect and conserve the environment. Fruit-full Communities encourages the exchange of ideas and experiences between young people in the UK and

9

Community Stewardship of Natural Resources In Northern Malawi there are few trees. For years, local communities have cleared areas to practice shifting cultivation and cut trees to make charcoal. In one of the poorest countries in the world, the effects have made life incredibly difficult. Added to this, drought has hardened conditions for farming communities.

The Nkhata Bay Natural Way is a four year programme that aims to improve the resilience of vulnerable households. A partnership between Temwa Malawi, ITF and Deki, with funding from the Big Lottery Fund and the JJ Charitable Trust, it is designed to be locally-governed, drawing on community generated solutions.

Chimwemwe’s Story

73,544 1,000 Achievements:

36 Villages involved

Lead farmers 86 trained

36

10

Tree nurseries established

Chimwemwe Mhango is a 42 year old farmer, married with five children. Chimwemwe worries about the problems his community has faced in recent years, and the future effects of climate change.

Motivated to improve conditions, Chimwemwe joined the local Village Natural Resource Management Committee (VNRMC). He works to raise awareness and mobilise his community around tree planting, sustainable agriculture and environmental conservation.

“ At first, I had little knowledge about the

importance of planting trees alongside crops but since I received training from Temwa, I am practising agroforestry on my land.”

“I became a Community Extension Volunteer to help restore our community forest, since most of the trees have been cut and destroyed. Currently, my focus is on agroforestry farming.

At first, I had little knowledge about the importance of planting trees alongside crops but since I received training from Temwa, I am practising agroforestry on my land. I now know the benefits, such as improved soil fertility and reduced run off. And of course, trees in general bring rainfall. I have also learnt new farming techniques, like the use of basin beds and compost production.”

1,000 farmers have been involved since the project began in summer 2015. “I have seen that about 50% of the farmers are now making compost and use it instead of chemical fertilisers.

Some are now using agroforestry, which I’ve never seen practiced here before. These methods increase crop productivity without pesticides.”

Chimwemwe believes that when people work together, they can make a positive change. “Development requires many hands to come together, especially for tree planting and conservation.”

Mission Statements (%)

Thank you for helping us to achieve our mission We are immensely grateful to each individual supporter who has helped us to achieve our mission in 2016. 86% of our income was spent on charitable activities in the 2016 financial year.

With special thanks to

Plans for the future In 2017, we will scale-up our 20 Million Trees for Kenya’s Forests Campaign both around Mount Kenya Forest and in other highland areas.

Following an overwhelming response to our latest Call for Proposals to the Sustainable Community Forestry Programme in autumn 2016, several new projects will begin in early 2017. We approved 50 proposals and prioritised 23 of these for funding.

Andrew Tatham

In the UK we plan to add a new course on “Healthy Food, People and Planet” to the Tree Power schools programme, as well as expanding the Fruit-full Communities programme to 20 new YMCAs. 11

TREES CHANGE LIVES, thank you for your support Together, we planted 295,850 trees in 2016

For more details about International Tree Foundation www.internationaltreefoundation.org

email: info@internationaltreefoundation.org

Find us on

Reg. Charity no. 1106269