APOPO HeroTREEs - a Climate-Smart Solution

Welcome to your latest report on APOPO’s HeroTREEs, which covers our ongoing work in the first quarter of 2023. 

Most recently, on 22nd April, the world came together to celebrate Earth Day, and APOPO successfully decided to raise awareness of our HeroTREEs project. Many people chose to plant a tree to honor Earth Day to help protect the Uluguru Mountain range. Thank you if you were one of those people.

During this quarter, much of our work was focused on the inspection of the 230  (managed by 160 farmers) officially participating in the HeroTREEs program. Participating farmers spent time surveying the farms and plants and we are now keen to start mapping out where individual trees are planted in the future. A total of 156 farm maps were prepared by 100 farmers. These maps are now produced, verified, printed and filed so that we can properly assess how trees are growing and whether their growth has been successful. The next step will be to try and digitize this mapping.

Unfortunately, due to unpredictable weather conditions, or even just a new farmer, getting to grips with new agroforestry practices, will lead to some of the planted trees failing. We visit all our farmers regularly and provide refresher training to ensure that syntropic farming becomes the main agroforestry technique practised in this important ecosystem and that most of the trees planted are successful. 

Your support has also enabled some exciting new developments in the first quarter  – APOPO and SAT recruited a new youth farmers group for the HeroTREEs project, and they were trained and brought on board, adding 20 members from Kibundi (Mbehoni) hamlet in Mgambazi Village. The expansion of the HeroTREEs project across villages in the Uluguru Mountains, and especially among the youth, is a real symbol of success, as farmers experience the new, more environmentally-friendly, approach to farming, and how it improves the productivity of cash crops while investing in nature! 

During the first quarter, your support also allowed us to distribute various tree varieties, prepared for planting during the rainy season, and the farmers were eagerly waiting to get these plants into the ground. At Ruvuma village, a grand total of 2,422 cinnamon tree saplings were distributed, for example 

It is important to continually assess the project, and with this in mind, SAT and APOPO held a steering group meeting to discuss the project’s status in detail both now, looking forward and over the past five years. The meeting decided to remove some tree varieties from planting, as they are invasive or pose threats to other plants. Evaluation and learning at every step is so important.

Your support is crucial in making all of this incredible progress possible. We deeply appreciate your kindness, as it enables us to plant trees in the Uluguru Mountains, while prioritizing the ecosystem and supporting the environment where they are planted.

Thank you so much again for your incredible generosity, and we cannot wait to update you in the next quarter!

Links:

• APOPO's HeroTREEs