My Trees Trust

The My Trees project focuses primarily on tackling deforestation and its consequences, whilst promoting education and awareness of deforestation issues within communities adjacent to protected areas; bringing about multiple conservation wins throughout the southern boundary communities of the Zambezi Valley. Loss of natural woodland has huge long-term environmental costs, with loss of ecosystem services (erosion prevention, flood and drought control, water filtration, water sources) and as a contribution to climate change. Deforestation rates in Zimbabwe have reached unprecedented levels. Department of Forestry places a figure of hectares of natural woodland being lost per annum, 10 million trees, an area the size of Wales every five years being removed. As we lose trees we lose the base of entire ecosystems in those areas. Our primary objectives- Planting - an increase in contiguous indigenous tree cover throughout project sites, as a result of woodland restoration and the establishment of woodlots and habitat corridors- Creating Monetary Value - giving the natural capital in communities an immediate monetary value. This will be done through employing community foresters and nurserymen, and the development of value chains for Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP)- Reducing Deforestation - the reduction in the rates of loss of existing natural woodland loss by providing alternative fuels and technologies.