Trees for Mozambique: Give Wildlife a Home

We’re pleased to share that the rainy season has begun with exactly the conditions our young trees need. Early heavy showers followed by softer, intermittent rains have created an ideal environment for growth. The seedlings planted earlier in the season are thriving, showing strong signs of new, healthy development across the restoration area.

In our community nursery, we have successfully sown a diverse selection of native tree species, including chanfuta, panga panga, tamarind, pau ferro, coral tree and kapok. This diversity is an important part of our long-term restoration strategy, helping rebuild a resilient and ecologically rich forest.

Looking ahead, our team is preparing to produce an additional 10,000 seedlings, with a focus on fast-growing and locally important species such as umbaua, panga panga and mupuma. These species play a key role in restoring natural forest structure, stabilising soils, and creating habitat for wildlife.

The season has also brought unusually strong winds. Recently, during one of these storms, we lost one of the great giants of the forest — an enormous and magnificent mahogany tree along the banks of the Nhamacoa River. While its fall is a sad reminder of the vulnerability of old-growth trees, we are ensuring that the timber will be used responsibly and locally, preventing waste and supporting community craftsmanship. Its loss also strengthens our resolve to continue planting and nurturing the next generation of forest giants.

Thanks to your support, the Nhamacoa Forest is becoming healthier, more diverse, and better equipped to withstand changing weather patterns. Every contribution helps us restore this landscape tree by tree, season by season.

Thank you for standing with us and for helping this forest grow back stronger. If you have any questions or would like further updates, we are always happy to share more about the progress you are making possible.

In the heart of Mozambique, the Nhamacoa Forest was once alive with the rustle of leaves, birdsong, and the graceful arcs of swallows against blue summer skies. Today, those skies are quiet. The forests are shrinking, and with them, the homes of countless wild animals — and the future of the people who depend on them.

Why It Matters

“Wildlife only has 2 percent of the earth’s surface left to itself…” wrote conservationist David Shepherd in 1975. Half a century later, the situation is more urgent than ever.

At Trees4Moz, we’re doing everything we can — on a small but determined scale — to keep the forest and its biodiversity alive. Our mission is simple: grow and plant as many indigenous trees as possible, and help both wildlife and people thrive again.

What We’ve Achieved

So far, we’ve grown around 45,000 trees:

• 25,000+ funded by ourselves

• 20,000 funded by supporters

We’ve donated 1,000 trees to the local environment department and 200 to the Nhamacoa school, and we also sell trees to individuals and organisations who want to reforest their land.

Where the Forest Begins: With Seeds — and Children

Most of our seeds come from the forest itself, and many from the hands of children who live nearby. When seed season arrives, they show up with small bags full of tree seeds — and we buy every bag, even those with less useful species. These children use the money for schoolbooks and fees, often setting the prices themselves. It’s often the smallest girl who negotiates the hardest — and that always brings a smile.

Trees with a Story

We grow a diverse range of trees, such as:

• Afzelia quanzensis (Chanfuta)

• Millettia stuhlmannii (Panga panga)

• Swartzia madagascariensis (Pau ferro)

• Kigelia africana (Muvuve)

  … and many more.

These trees don’t just offer shelter to wildlife. Many play a role in traditional medicine — treating everything from fevers to cataracts — and even serving as soap during times of conflict.

The Pau ferro, also known as the Snake Bean Tree, produces pods that deter ants. The root of the Umbila tree was once used to treat malaria — a remedy reportedly used by early settlers.

Sharing with Samango Monkeys

 We also grow kapok trees, loved by bees, birds — and lately, Samango monkeys, who eat the buds before they bloom. Despite this, we remain hopeful. Thanks to a generous donation of kapok seeds from Allan Schwarz of Mezimbite, we’ll be planting many more for everyone to share — birds, bees, monkeys… and maybe a few pillows too.

With your support, we’re not just growing trees. We’re growing futures — for wildlife, for people, and for the planet. Thank you.