Thanks to all our amazing lifetime donors, the Implement Consulting Group and the Society of Lifestyle, we will plant what will correspond to an area of at least 94 acres of new forest in Uganda in 2020 and 2021.
The plantings will be organized by the foreign department of Skovdyrkerne, called the Danish Forestry Extension (DFA). The work in Uganda will be carried out by DFE´’s partner in Uganda, UTGA.
The area under consideration is located in Busia. In the West Bugwe group of Central Forest Reserves owned by the state. The area is managed by the National Forestry Authority.
The plantings will be different model plantations with native tree species. The planting must show that CO2 uptake via afforestation with local species is an option. An opportunity that will also benefit biodiversity.
The funds for the 94 hectares are distributed with 30 hectares from Grow For it’s lifetime donors for CO2 balance, 40 hectares from Implement Consulting Group and 24 hectares from Society of Lifestyle.
The 24 acres from Society of Lifestyle are a little unique. They should have been used for a planting in Nepal, but the COVID-19 situation has forced us to abandon tree planting in Nepal by 2020.
Society of Lifestyle has “lent” the 24 hectares to Uganda. This gave us a sufficiently large area. The 24 hectares will be made available to new lifetime donors, who will then purchase an ongoing project. Once we have “sold” the areas corresponding to the 24 hectares, the amount will be returned to the original planting in Nepal in 2021.
The model of companies making their established plantings available to employees and others, is actually the original basic vision for Grow For It. This model will mean that lifetime donors always buy trees that are in good growth and therefore absorb maximum CO2.
Interestingly, it was COVID-19 that caused us to now start with this model. Grow For It has thus initiated 24 hectares of afforestation in Uganda which can be acquired by new donors for lifelong CO2 balance
DFE / UTGA is preparing the project plan. We will explain in more detail about the planting, when the project plan is ready.
Tree plantings are also
affected by Covid-19, but because the planting periods are different the
situation is also different. Below is a description of how Covid-19 influences
plantings in Nepal, Vietnam and Uganda.
Nepal: In Nepal, the planting period is July, August
and September. Danish Forestry Extension (DFE) is confident that the local
forestry association (the same as last year) will plant all trees. Last year,
12 acres were planted. This year, 27 hectares will be planted. All 27 acres are
reserved. We have thus sold out in Nepal.
Vietnam: In Vietnam, the best planting season is
September, October and November. Danish Forestry Extension (DFE) likewise
believe that the local forestry association will be able to plant within the
period, especially because the period is late in the year. Last year, 14 acres
were planted. This year, the local forestry association has asked for assistance
to plant 20 acres. We have not yet sold out of plantings in Vietnam. Read about
the Vietnam model here https://growforit.dk/modeltraeplantning-i-vietnam-er-nu-faerdig/
Uganda: In Uganda, the country is influenced by
Covid-19. All non-essential public institutions have been shut down, including
the National Forestry Authority (NFA). Therefore, the local forestry
association, UTGA, is at a stand-still regarding the “land lease” we
should have planted on in 2020. Unfortunately, this uncertainty means that we
will not be able to complete a spring planting during the period March, April
and May. We are instead aiming for UTGA and Danish Forestry Extension (DFE) to
be able to get a response from NFA, so we will be able to plant in the autumn
period running from September to November.
Last year in Uganda, we
planted 50 hectares with TROFACO. In 2020, we expect to be able to plant a
similar area. This time, it will be with Danish Forestry Extension and the
local forestry association UTGA. 27 acres of the 50 acres are reserved. Thus,
we still have not sold out in Uganda.
Madagascar: In Madagascar, planting is continuously
occurring, as the locals themselves produce and handle the mangrove cuttings
that they also plant themselves. And because mangrove trees grow in salt water,
there is no specific rain season to consider.
All trees paid for by you, our lifetime balance donors, have been planted and are growing. TROFACO were in Uganda from late July until August 10, inspecting the plantings and working to obtain photo documentation. TROFACO is currently busy posting all the images on the website. I have asked Steffen Johnsen from TROFACO to give us an update on the process and what is happening now:
‘Since Grow For It visited Uganda, CIDI has completed the plantings. They have also taken ‘after’ pictures in most places. We visited the plant sites, shot the missing pictures and inspected the trees ‘in person’, and I am happy to report that all is fine.
We work full force on uploading pictures, keying in how many trees of what kind are planted in the different planting sites etc. Then we have to pair pictures, trees and Grow For It batch numbers so you can find your trees. We expect to be finished by mid-September. Then Grow For It must approve the documentation so that the next installment can be paid out.
The documentation work takes some time as our current IT system is far from doing things automatically. That is why we have also ordered a new one and are currently developing it. The new system must be able to keep up with our growth. Because you have been so good at ordering a lot of trees, our current workflow is overwhelmed!
We have even planted more than you (and others) have ordered, so there are trees ‘in stock’ if you want one hectare more.
During our visit we also had to determine a site where our latest customer, the trucking company ANCOTRANS, can start planting. Here is a picture from our drone.
With the help of CIDI we also located an even larger site to use for future plantings. As can be seen on the photo, the hilly area is largely bare ground. Trees along the road has been cut down and cattle has been allowed free roaming and grazing, and as we know, cows eat sapling trees . With the new deal struck between TroFaCo, CIDI and the kingdom of Buganda, these practices will be stopped.
You will hear more soon! You are welcome to get in touch at info@trofaco.org.
A couple of more photos. One of Eduard from CIDI’s local office in Rakai, counting new trees in Minziiro Hills, August 2019.
As well as one from the forest you have to pass through on the way to Minziiro Hills, where your trees are planted. No easy passage when it rains 🙂
‘Be the Change’ campaigner Keith John Stevenson, in association GROW|FORIT and Keith’s employer Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE), attended the Vedersø International School on wednesday 6th June 2018 and spoke with a class of students about renewable energy, SGRE, wind power and climate change.
At the conclusion of the session the group planted an oak tree as a symbol of hope and action. The tree was provided by GROW|FOR|IT and will for hundreds of years to come, absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.
Atmospheric CO2 is on an exponential trajectory, now at its highest level for 800,000 years (410ppm) and showing no signs of reduction.
The link between increasing greenhouse gases causing increasing energy and heat and the consequences for the biosphere was a theme of the presentation. The time is up – each of us has to take the first step of action.
Eden Reforestation Projects and GROW|FOR|IT have agreed to jointly plant mangrove forest within an 18 hectares area in Madagascar. Mangrove grows in salty water and is exceptionally good at capturing CO 2 , and since the trees are planted in a sea area, they never lack water.
Eden Reforestation Projects have selected a suitable site for the purpose: Ampazony, having the GPS coordinates 15°36’0.47”S / 46°22’50.28”E. The site is targeted at GROW|FOR|IT and situated close to the town of Mahajunga, so it is in fact possible to go to the site and give the trees a hug 🙂
The payment for the 18 hectares of mangrove comes from the more than one hundred 200 DKK donations that we received from private individuals (GO-FOR-IT memberships) and from the three hundred company Christmas gifts we received from Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy.
We use 80% of these payments for the Madagascar mangroves. The last 20% we wish to spend on establishing an Agroforestry forest in Nepal.
We wish to thank all donors for making it possible to start this piece of mangrove forest in Madagascar. The 18 hectares of forest will, when in good growth, absorb and capture 20 tons of CO 2 per hectare per year, which is more than 360 tons CO 2 per year. Read more here: www.nature.com/mangrove CO2 capture.
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