Participants during agroforestry techniques trainings.

Mau Forest over the years has experienced massive deforestation through various illegal activities ranging from; forest cultivation where by huge pieces of forests lands were curved from the forest and given to community members to cultivate, also during that time, rampant charcoal burning, timber harvesting and fuel wood collection further led to more deforestation thus affecting this important forest and changing the whole ecosystem.

This effects of deforestation led to many problems such as; change in seasons occurrence where by there was failure of long rains in the area, decrease in water volumes especially for most rivers originating from Mau forests one of them being Mara River, reduction of the Kenyan forest cover to below 2% internationally required standard and threat to loss of economical assets of US$ 300 million in terms of tourism, energy sector and agriculture.

Trees for the Future and Agroforestry Organization is determined to change all this by facilitating establishment of tree nurseries to raise indigenous tree seedlings which will provide seedlings for reforestation of Mau forest by planting of 30,000 tree seedlings inside the forest with community members, training community members on application of agroforestry techniques on their farms to reduce impacts of deforestation and environmental conservation awareness which will lead more community participation in reforestation.

It’s expected that by planting 30,000 trees on Mau Forest, the Kenya forest cover which has been rated as below 2% the internationally required standard will be increased. More farmers will apply various agroforestry techniques on their farms from knowledge acquired through trainings and more community members will take keen interest in conservation from environmental conservation awareness workshops.

On the side of climate change, there will be reduction of carbon from atmosphere since trees sequence carbon from the atmosphere, scientifically a good tree reduces 23 kilograms of carbon from the atmosphere in one year and by planting 30,000 trees, around 690,000 kilograms of carbon will be removed from the atmosphere yearly. The water volumes from many rivers originating from Mau Forest will be increased especially Mara River which has seen decrease in water volume thus affecting migration of wildebeest and threat to habitat of many animals and birds.