Dr. Humphrey Agevi, a lecturer at the Department of Biological Sciences during the meeting.
Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) is set to collaborate with ECO2librium in restoring Kakamega Tropical Rainforest through the Carbon Accelerator Grant from Terraformation. This is through the grant that the two institutions applied for last year, where MMUST applied through a lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences, Dr. Humphrey Agevi. Since the two institutions applied to support the same ecosystem, Terraformation organization agreed that they will work together courtesy of the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two institutions.
ECO2librium is a conservation-based company that undertakes projects, develops products, and initiates activities aimed to conserve the environment and improve people’s livelihoods. Some of the activities they carry out include agroforestry to support sustainable forestry, and supporting communities in installing efficient energy cook stoves.
The team from Terraformation visited MMUST on 12th June 2023, to conduct a feasibility of the project and to engage the partners that will be involved in the execution of the restoration project. The project will be carried out in collaboration with MUILESHI Community Forest Association (CFA), Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI).
Mr. Damien Kuhn from Terraformation and the Chairperson, Department of Biological Sciences- Dr. Philip Ogutu during the meeting at SPD 314.
Commenting on the project, Dr. Agevi noted that MMUST will contribute to the project through soil analysis, quantification of the seed bank in degraded areas to provide information on trees that initially existed in the region, capacity building of communities, development of training manuals on tree seedlings establishment and management, carbon measurement and modeling, Income generating activities (IGA), seed collection and propagation. MMUST postgraduate students will be attached to the project to help in data collection and field monitoring and measuring of carbon.
Additionally, Prof. Harrison Tsingalia noted that the forest cover has been dwindling over the past years despite concerted efforts to conserve it. He assured that this project is timely as it will contribute greatly to restoring forest cover and supporting livelihood components, especially of the Forest Adjacent Communities (FAC) who will be supported to grow trees on their farms for their own use and sale.
Mr. Adam Finck from Terraformation explains a point during the meeting.
Similarly, Mr. Hardley Malema from ECO2librium noted that the project will support tree nurseries and increase their capacities to produce more seedlings. The community groups will provide labor during tree planting, scouting to help protect the planted forests, and conducting inventories. Reiterating his counterpart, Mr. Chris Amutabi alluded that the project will also have non-carbon revenue streams to help communities generate their own income through activities like beekeeping, value addition on guavas, and ecotourism. Terraformation will also provide Terraware software to help monitor and calculate the amount of carbon in the planted trees.
The Chairperson of, the Department of Biological Sciences- Dr. Philip Ogutu noted this is a key project that will support their students for practical learning adding that the Department is ready to fully support it. Other members present were: Mr. Victor Otieno from Centre for Ecosystem Restoration Kenya (CERK), Mr. Damien Kuhn, and Mr. Adam Finck from Terraformation.
Given its terminal stakes, reversing climate change should be the highest global priority. This can only be achieved through reforestation that this project encourages. It is dedicated to restoring the world's forests to stabilize our climate, revive ecosystems, and build thriving communities.
By Linet Owuor
Photos by Shiundu Masafu
