Stories From the Ground: Mteza Creek, Kenya

Mangroves are short, bushy trees that grow in saltwater along coastlines and in intertidal zones.

Located on the Likoni river delta, this mangrove forest helps stabilise and protect the landscape from erosion and creates valuable nurseries in a unique ecosystem.

Coastal Kenya is one of the least developed regions of the country, with more than 62% living below the poverty line. These communities are dependent on mangrove ecosystems for employment, livelihood, and nutrition.

In restoring the mangrove estuary, which is rich in biodiversity, this project will provide fishing grounds for local people. This helps to create additional income streams, including sustainable harvests from the mangrove forests. The restored forests will also help to stabilise coastlines. This will act as a vital line of defence to protect the land and the communities during tropical storms.

Our tree planting partner works closely with local communities to showcase the value of newly planted forests. Through education and involvement in monitoring and reporting, local communities develop a deep sense of ownership and pride over their trees, leading to effective long-term management.

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The land is then protected by setting up forest management as well as  setting up proper access to wood, energy, education. 

If the drivers of degradation are properly addressed there is a far lower chance of trees being illegally harvested. The local communities do their best to protect the forest as they are the ones that plant it and benefit from a living forest. It's also agreed upon with the Kenyan Forestry Service everyone will do what they can to protect the area.

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