A first step towards the preservation of existing woodland is to enforce existing legislation that protects intact habitat. My Trees has therefore embarked on an extensive ambition to co-manage or lease large concessions that are historically protected by either ZimParks (Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority) or Rural District Councils as part of the once successful CAMPFIRE program. These concessions are identified as having protected status but have seen wildlife assets and critical habitats eroded due to agricultural expansion and demands for fuelwood. 

In the short time we have been active, we have already secured 120,000 ha of vulnerable wilderness within the Zambezi Biosphere Reserve under long term co-management. The management of these areas is provided by a professional team who have a track record of expertise to optimise antipoaching, develop critical infrastructure and a reduce Human Wildlife Conflict in the region. 

Restoring Biodiversity within the Zambezi Biosphere Reserve

The areas My Trees is helping preserve lie within the 3.5 million ha Mid/Lower Zambezi Biosphere Reserve, of which 2 million ha is contiguous wilderness, stretching along 250 km of Zambezi river frontage in the heart of the iconic Zambezi Valley. These wilderness areas continue south to where they meet community farmlands. The concessions My Trees is co-managing are therefore home to a wealth of threatened wildlife, including iconic species such as elephant, lion and wild dog. The one abundant biodiversity has been severely depleted through illegal hunting over the last 20 years and habitat loss is an additional and immediate threat, driven by encroachment from communities who are extracting firewood for cooking and curing tobacco, as well as clearing land for agricultural use.

Our Role

The role that My Trees plays in the ongoing conservation of this unique and precious geography is huge, and the link between the development of community based economic activity (job creation through tree planting) and landscape level preservation is critical at this point in time. We have prospects and pipeline projects to secure further areas to double our conservation footprint in the next two years. A very exciting challenge indeed.

Income

The Trust recognises that many previous tree planting projects have failed because the local communities live hand-to-mouth and do not have the resources to commit to the establishment of wood reserves for the long-term future. The Trust therefore specifically employs community members to plant trees and care for them, assigning an immediate monetary value to their woodlands. In the context of rural Hurungwe, this additional household income is a significant incentive and our hope is that it will allow communities to diversify from tobacco.

Technologies

The majority of deforestation in Zimbabwe can be attributed to wood-fuel being cut for domestic use. Improving cook stove efficiency is an effective, measurable way to tackle this aspect of deforestation.

My Trees has rolled out a 1,000 stove trial in Hurungwein 2020, building fuel-saving clay stoves, as well as using certified metal cook-stoves. The metal woodstove we distribute has been independently assessed and United Nations approved, having been shown to use 70% less fuel than a three-stone fire. It has been the stove of choice for similar projects in Kenya and Zambia. Our aim is for all My Trees growers to receive a fuel-efficient stove. Over the 2021/22 period, the trust will distribute 50,000 fuel efficient wood-stoves in rural communities. 

Fuels

We are rolling out a woodlot programme this season, which will see our growers receiving 200 indigenous trees, each selected for their commercial, nutritional or medicinal value. As part of this package, we include a fast-growing indigenous bamboo that produces ideal fuel for the rocket stoves described above. This woodlot programme will be open to all our growers as well as small-scale tobacco growers in the area.