Environmental Impact
Our portfolio of nature-based projects aims to protect and restore critical habitats, preserve native species diversity, improve ecosystem function, and safeguard threatened and endangered species.
๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐: ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐. There are 867 terrestrial ecoregions, classified into 14 different biomes such as forests, grasslands, or deserts. Ecoregions represent the original distribution of distinct assemblages of species and communities. Source: Olson Et. Al (2001).โน
Restoring Nature
All 14 global biomes are under pressure from over utilization, degradation and climate change.8 In 2023, our projects were working to protect and restore landscapes in two biomes across the globe.
Lake Victoria Agroforestry Project
Trees for the Future (TREES) is working with farmers to transform single crop farmland to vibrant, diverse agroforestry systems called Forest Gardens in western Kenya.
In the Lake Victoria watershed in western Kenya, the majority of natural forest and wetlands have been converted to agricultural land use. Smallholder farmers plant primarily maize and beans, which results in limited farm productivity and expansion of agriculture into surrounding natural areas.10
Through the Lake Victoria Agroforestry Carbon Project, our partner, TREES, is training over 15,000 farmers on regenerative agricultural practices such as intercropping with fruit and fodder trees, permagardening, soil and water conservation, composting, and natural pest management that will enable farmers to turn their fields into Forest Gardens.
Each Forest Garden will contain on average 5,800 trees per hectare, thus greatly increasing the vegetation diversity and overall tree canopy cover in the region.11ย Catona will measure the vegetation growth in each Forest Garden through remote canopy height and biomass data sets that will allow us to monitor the transformation of this agricultural landscape over time.
By restoring tree canopy cover and planting native and agricultural tree species, the project aims to provide expanded habitat for wildlife and result in positive biodiversity impact. Read below to learn more about species diversity in the Forest Gardens and how biodiversity trends will be monitored in the project.
Supporting farmers and restoring ecosystems
Agroforestry systems allow farms to function more like natural ecosystems, restoring landscape connectivity for wildlife, while supporting human needs for food and income. Agroforestry systems are crucial tools to support smallholder farmers and their families AND restore degraded landscapes to thriving biodiverse habitats.
Reduced Poverty
I am going to plant as many trees as possible knowing that during verification, I will get some money from the VCUs my trees shall have captured.
Community Training
Increased Biodiversity
Restored Ecosystems
Increased Food Security
There is a big difference in soil quality.
David has gone from 12 trees on his piece of land to over 3,300.
๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐: ๐๐ข๐จ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ. In Partnership with the National Museum of Kenya, TREES conducted a biodiversity baseline study showing a high level of species diversity with 582 different plant species, 230 fungi species and 231 Invertebrates species.
Biodiversity Study
To understand the potential species diversity in a Forest Garden, TREES conducted a biodiversity baseline study in 2023 in partnership with the National Museum of Kenya and the University of Nairobi.ย The results of the assessment showed a high level of species diversity in the Forest Gardens, with over 1,200 bird, insect, small mammal, amphibian, reptile, plant and fungi species identified including a number of threatened and endangered species, such as the grey crowned crane (Figure 10).
TREES and Catona will continue to monitor biodiversity change and impact in the Forest Gardens over time, particularly focusing on native bird species richness and frequency which can be measured quickly with bioacoustic monitoring tools through our partnership with Arbimon.ย