Treecovery Landscape restoration

June 2022

March 2023

Why do we
regenerate trees?

From stump to tree.

The complex problem of deforestation, land degradation, and global warming has led to an increase of dry and infertile land in many African countries. There are millions of living tree stumps in farmlands, grazing lands and degraded forests in Africa with the potential to re-grow into trees, if they are given the chance.

These forgotten tree stumps are brought back by using a technique called Treecovery (or Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration – FMNR).

By regenerating those trees, we are able to restore the degraded areas and make these areas green and cool again.

What is
Treecovery?

Treecovery is a technique to regrow trees and support new, naturally occurring sprouts to grow big. There used to be many trees in Sub-Saharan Africa. Most of them have been cut down in the past to be used as firewood, timber, for charcoal production or to make room for agriculture as farmers used to believe that a good land is a clear land.

With the Treecovery technique the stumps of these trees get the chance to grow into real trees again. It involves a process of selecting, pruning and protecting the stumps.

CHAPOA TU

The Four Different Steps of Treecovery ("Kisiki Hai" in Swahili)

1. CHAgua (select): select the stumps you want to protect;

2. POgolea (prune): select the best few shoots of the stump and cut all the others;

3. Alama (mark): put a mark by tightening a colorful piece of fabric around the stems that you want to let grow;

4. TUnza (protect): keep protecting the trees throughout the year!

Easy reminder: CHAPOA TU! (which means ‘It’s only cool’ in Swahili).

Watch the instruction video

You can now (virtually) visit our project sites!

To truly understand how nature-based solution transform entire landscapes, ecosystems and communities, you have to see it with your own eyes. We want the entire world to know just how much of a game-changer bringing back trees from forgotten tree stumps is. By going to our immersive documentary, you have the opportunity to learn about this method first-hand and understand its potential. You can share it with your own community afterward, and help us regreen the planet!

Visit the Treecovery Farm!

Benefits of Treecovery

Re-growing Trees Has Several Benefits:

* The shade of the trees helps to cool down the micro-climate. This reduces the heat stress of crops and prevents the evaporation of water from the soil.

* Trees help to retain water in the soil. Together with the decreased evaporation of water from the soil, this leads to increased water availability for other vegetation.

* The leaves falling off the trees act as manure, increasing soil fertility.

* Trees sequestrate carbon, decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and thus decreasing the greenhouse effect.

* Trees attract all different types of birds and insects. These birds eat the fruit of the trees, spreading the seeds through their feces, consequently spreading the regreening.