APOPO HeroTREEs - a Climate-Smart Solution

Hello and welcome to the latest update on your support of APOPO’s HeroTREEs initiative! 

Farmer Tree Planting 

Thanks to your support, we have established five new tree nurseries across four villages/streets this last quarter. The locations are in Ruvuma village (Hifadhi Mazingira’s Group Nursery), Tulo village (Changamoto Forest Nursery), Choma village (Mshikamano Group Nursery), Kibundi (Hapa Kazi Tu Group Nursery), and Kihamira (Kihamira Group Nursery).

In these nurseries, there are now 8,200 seedlings, which will be nurtured until ready for planting on the farms. Species include Cinnamon, Pinus, Jackfruit, Avocado, Lemon, Gelicidia, Mangos, Cloves, Coffee, Misambwa, Cedrella, and Syzygium. We have also filled 3,400 polythene tubes, ready to be filled with seeds and transferred into the new tree nurseries.

Across the last quarter, there have been 16,350 new trees planted across the Uluguru Mountain farming communities, participating in the HeroTREEs program. In time, these seedlings will also be planted out onto the farms, increasing this number even further!

Several training sessions were carried out focusing on farmer training, specifically on seed transplanting and spacing. This essential training impacts survival rates and growth performance.

As you may know, we have also been focusing on mapping where all the trees that have been planted are and the central tree data system was upgraded and backed up to improve security and ensure long-term data integrity. Key staff were trained on new backup routines, and GPS points were synchronized with photos ofbplanted trees per farmer to strengthen data accuracy and reliability. This improves tracking, verification, and reporting capabilities for the project.

Farmer Contract amendments and finalization were completed, and all farmer contracts have been updated and finalized. Payments have also been distributed across the farming groups as an incentive for ongoing care and tree maintenance.

Coming Up

APOPO and SAT plan to host a workshop for both farmers and inspectors to review inspection standards and project progress. Training is also planned for maintaining the central tree data system to ensure long-term data integrity. We will also continue to conduct refresher training on agroforestry and general tree care.

Seedlings will be distributed to participating farmers, with transplanting initiated in new project areas. The activity will expand the project’s footprint, ensure more households are engaged, and begin to scale up nursery production with an emphasis on drought-tolerant and high-survival species and adaptive tree planting approaches.

How Your Support Helps – Beneficiary Stories

Emmanuel, a farmer from Chanyandira village in Tanzania’s Uluguru mountains, has long supported his family by growing fruits and vegetables on one and a half acres of land. When he joined APOPO’s HeroTREEs program, he discovered how syntropic agroforestry could help him grow more with less, improve soil health, and inspire his neighbors.

In his own words, Emmanuel shares what he learned and how it is changing his farm and future. Read his story here.

Thank you so much for supporting APOPO's HeroTREEs Project. You are helping to protect the environment and safeguard the future of communities in Tanzania. We could not do what we do without you!

Links:

• HeroTREEs Website

Welcome to your impact report for HeroTREEs, where your money goes directly towards planting trees and transforming the community farming practices in Tanzania.

Farmer Tree Planting

In the first quarter of 2025, your support helped our HeroTREEs Farmers plant a total of 1,050 trees across villages and farms in the Uluguru Mountains. Species planted in the first quarter include Cinnamon, Macadamia, Jackfruit, Avocado, Lemon, Grlicidia, Mangos, Cloves, Coffee, Java Plum,  Pine, Cedar and native tree species.

A comprehensive inspection of nurseries was carried out across four villages by our partner, Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT). These nurseries are pivotal in sustaining tree seedling availability for new and replacement planting efforts. During recent inspections, it was determined that there were 6,259 trees across all nurseries, waiting to be planted, thanks to your support and the commitment of the farmers involved!

Farms were inspected, and a total of 18,172 trees across 30 species were verified, showing what an incredible impact your support of our HeroTREEs program has already had.

Reforestation

Another major accomplishment was the successful preparation of 50,000 seedlings for a 60-hectare reforestation project in partnership with the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) Forestry Department, a major step forward in APOPO’s conservation strategy. This quarter, all seedlings were planted in collaboration with student-led ‘My Birthday Tree Organization’, with 50 SUA students trained in agroforestry principles and tree planting. So far 25 hectares have been restored, 50,000 seedlings planted, and 50 students empowered through hands-on training.

Transforming Farming Practices

Thanks to the HeroTREEs’ mission to promote and advance syntropic farming, farmers in the Uluguru Mountains who are participating are committed to the HeroTREEs’ regenerative approach, which restores ecosystems while enhancing productivity.

APOPO is deeply committed to climate-resilient farming, and we are currently collaborating with the Mgeta Livelihood Development Foundation (MLDF) to introduce syntropic agroforestry in this area. As you may know, the Uluguru Mountains are considered to be of significant ecological importance and face serious environmental degradation due to deforestation and unsustainable farming practices, leading to severe soil erosion.

Mgeta, nestled in these mountains, is one of Tanzania’s most vital watersheds, supplying water to millions of people downstream. The area’s steep terrain and intensive agriculture have resulted in diminishing soil fertility, increased dependence on chemical inputs, and a decline in water regulation. Thanks to your support, the HeroTREEs program will continue to improve and safeguard this ecosystem which is essential for both local communities and national water security.

We look forward to updating you again next time!

Links:

• HeroTREEs website