From Roots To Canopy: Treescape Planting Journey In Uganda

 Every year in Uganda, an estimate of about 50000 Acres of forest land is exploited for wood. There have also been statistics that have shown that over the last three decades, Uganda has lost about 62.5% of its forest areas, and further examination shows that if logging in Uganda continues at this rate, the country may lose all its forest land by the year 2050. 

To solve this dire situation, the Ugandan government has put in place various strategic projects to combat deforestation, and fortunate for them, they’re not alone in this battle. In recent years, many individuals have joined hands  with the government  fight against this almost inevitable threat, deforestation. 

Amongst those individuals, I’d like to introduce you to Gerald Senyonjo, Founder of Treescape Planet, one of the fast-rising Non-governmental Organizations in Uganda. 

Inspired by nature and a purpose to make a change, Gerald brought about the idea of an organization that would help support the government's fight against deforestation by planting trees all over Uganda, and since its inception in 2020, Gerald and his team have done an incredible job, planting over 3700 trees, and bringing about positive changes to the life of many. 

(While Treescape Planet was founded in 2020, it became an official non-governmental organization in 2022.) 

During an interview session I held with the Program Coordinator at Treescape Planet Organization, I was able to gather useful information regarding steps taken by Treescape Planet to achieve their goals of sustainability development, the obstacles they've faced, how they've been able to handle these obstacles, and lastly, how they’ve been able to also support communities with their projects. 

As the main purpose of Treescape is to revitalize the Uganda forest environs, the organization picks out locations for each project in areas where there are forest habitats. 

While the main purpose of Treescape Planet is to help sustain the forest habitat in Uganda, the organization has been able to also aid in the provision of food for communities by including fruit trees in the types of trees they plant. Some examples of Fruit trees they’ve planted include Mangoes, Avocados, and Jack fruit. 

How has the Organization been able to ensure the growth of trees they plant? 

The major purpose of Treescape planet goes more than just planting trees, they also make sure that these trees serve their purposes. Because of this, the organization has continued to take practical steps to ensure that these trees develop into maturity and serve their purpose.  This goal has been achieved through various steps. 

For starters, the organization ensures that non-fruit trees planted are indigenous species of the country. This is to ensure quick adaptation to the environment. Some of these indigenous trees include the Mvule and the Musizi.  

Time by time, they visit this areas to make sure these trees have not being tampered with. 

On a further note, Treescape Planet ventures have been more than just ensuring clean air and afforestation. They’re also inclined to increase the prosperity of a brighter future for the young ones of Uganda. And for this reason, some of their projects have also been carried to schools. 

Over the years, the organization has been able to make an outreach to 5 different schools, where a total of 1500 trees have been planted, with an average of 300 trees within the environs of each school. Apart from planting trees. They’ve also created awareness on the importance of trees on the planet we live in, and ensuring that these children also can play a part in ensuring that the future of Uganda and the earth remains green and fresh. 

But checking the list off for each milestone, hasn’t been without a challenge for Treescape Planet. There have been various obstacles the organization has had to overcome to get its results. One of these major obstacles is funding.  

The majority of the projects organized by Treescape Planet cannot be completed without financial support, and with a majority of the world currently facing inflation, the cash flow into the donation box of Treescape Planet has been quite stale. 

How have these obstacles been overcome and this project completed? 

Several times, the organization has had to improvise and maximize the use of the resources available to them. For example, as mentioned earlier, they’ve had to make use of indigenous species which are cheaper to purchase and also accrues little to no cost to maintain. They’ve also had to employ the bits of help of members of communities within the areas of each project to help assist in carrying out EMS (Environmental Management System). 

Other obstacles faced by the Organization have also included the reluctance from community members from community members to show their support for these projects. Through their awareness programs, Treescape Planet has been able to educate these individuals on the importance of their projects and why they need to also support the projects. 

Four years down the line, Gerald and his team, and also many others like him, have continued to ensure that the future of Uganda becomes green again. 

Would you like to show your support for the work done by Treescape Planet? 

You can visit their website, and click on the donation box. To go to Treescape planet donation site, click on the word donate below.

Donate

If you’d like to support but have no capital to donate, no problem. You can also show your support by planting a tree wherever you are.  

Thank you for reading.  

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