Youth Speaker entry #66: Julius Mbatia (Kenya)

Adopt a tree is aiming at planting 50,000 trees in Kenya, and is geared towards community capacity development to promote tree planting for sustainable livelihoods and a conserved environment. Informed by this, the following approaches are proposed to getting you involved and offer the needed momentum and leadership:

Green Schools approach: This is where trees are planted in primary and high schools guided by the concept ‘one child adopting a tree’ in a bid to conserve the environment and instill in students green values. Green schools will establish green zones within their vicinity. A green zone is an area of land on which trees are planted. Tree planting is a practical way of introducing and integrating Environmental Education in schools. Other value adding activities under the Green Schools Approach would include:

• Capacity development: Adopt a tree in collaboration with forestry agencies mainly government based shall provide training on different tree species, tree nursery development and sustainable forest management. In addition, climate change education shall be provided. Green schools’ students and lead teachers undertaking the courses shall be awarded and will be declared climate change champions.
• Income generation opportunities: Green schools will have an opportunity to take part in green business initiatives through tree nursery projects. Adopt a tree aims at mainstreaming carbon trading to institutions hence the overall ambition is to ensure that carbon credits are earned for all the developed green zones in Kenya

Community members approach: This approach seeks to involve community members in the activity. Adopt a tree targets to engage community groups such as youth groups, women groups and the differently enabled groups in the tree planting initiatives. This approach envisages initiating conservation tree planting in degraded zones or hotspots in Kenya. Examples of the hotspots are degraded ecosystems such as forests, hilltops, river lines, and springs. In addition, adopt a tree aims at promoting establishment of green zones within community members plots of land and as well promote on-farm tree planting.

The following are other value adding activities under this approach include:

• Income generation opportunities: Community groups will have an opportunity to establish green business initiatives such as tree nurseries.
• In addition, sustainable forestry undertaken by communities will promote income generation.

Adopt a tree aims at mainstreaming carbon trading to local level hence the overall ambition is to ensure that carbon credits are earned for all the tree planting and conservation initiatives in Kenya.

Text, photo and video are submitted by Julius Mbatia (Kenya) – mbatiajulius(at)gmail.com

The content, structure and grammar is at the discretion of the author only.

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This post is published as an application by the author, to speak as a youth representative at the World Forestry Congress. Have a look at the other entries too!

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