Greenpop launches Trees for Zambia

30 Jan 2012

For three weeks in July 2012, Greenpop will host a reforestation project in Livingstone, Zambia, reportedly the country with the second highest deforestation rate in the world. Over 5000 indigenous and fruit trees are expected to be planted. In addition, educational sessions for children and subsistence farmers will also take place.

This project will be the start of an ongoing campaign to make Zambia a greener and more sustainable place. Watch the mini clip launch video by following this link:

The initiative will rely on the support of volunteers to make this initial 3-week project a success. Tree loving people from around the world will join community members, school children and local business people to plant trees, spread environmental education, attend workshops, listen to interesting speakers, as well as enjoy local entertainment in the evenings. It will be an exciting conference of action, sharing, and learning.

Volunteers are all camping at the beautiful Maramba Lodge and will spend their days planting trees at schools with children, forest areas with community leaders and on subsistence farms with the farmers.

Misha Teasdale, co-founder of Greenpop says, "One of our big planting days will see 1000 trees planted in a day just a stone's throw from the Victoria Falls in the Peace Park - practically right in the spray of the falls. We're really excited for this."

Series of workshops, lectures

Besides their involvement with planting trees and education, volunteers will also have the opportunity to learn about relevant conservation issues through a series of workshops and lectures. These will be hosted by local and international environmental experts.

Lauren O'Donnell from Greenpop says, "Greenpop's mission is to make tangible change and get everyone excited about trees. We have met with the Department of Education in Livingstone and have 20 schools on board. Prior to July we'll be sending up educational material all about trees and during the campaign, volunteers will be planting with kids and facilitating fun workshops to teach the uses of trees and all their and all their benefits. Each school has already received one tree to plant and we've received some pictures from enthusiastic teachers showing us how well their trees are growing."

"We'll also be working with the Conservation Farming Unit in Zambia (CFU) to teach and implement sustainable farming techniques with subsistence farmers. Part of this initiative will see some of these farmers joining our micro-nursery enterprise programme and growing Faidherbia Albida trees that we will buy back from them a year later to replant. This creates financial incentive for farmers and teaches the extraordinary value of this specific tree in soil rejuvenation and crop fertislisation," says Misha Teasdale, from Greenpop.

Auldridge Chibbwalu, country representative from Amsha Africa Foundation in Livingstone comments on the project, "Great! You are most welcome in my city - Livingstone, Zambia. Let us do this great work for these communities. Thumbs up to you all!"

"I can't wait to get up there and start planting, but I'm also really looking forward to all the side events that'll be going on while in Zambia! Music making of all sorts, soccer games, visiting Vic Falls and learning from the panel of interesting local and international speakers - including a representative from the UN as well as David Youldon from ALERT, star of the ITV series 'Lion Country'... and more! It's going to be an epic adventure and I can't wait to share it with such a diverse group of people," comments Jeremy Hewitt, from Greenpop.

For more, go to www.greenpop.org