Nandi: Ray of hope as environmental lobby group kicks off tree planting exercise in wetlands to protect their totem.

An environmental lobby group in Nandi County has kicked off a tree planting exercise to restore and preserve the environment for future generations.

Kiptapgei Environmental Community Based Organization is on a mission to plant 30 million trees in the next five years.

The move comes barely four months after President William Ruto lead the country in a tree planting drive in Makindu, Makueni County as part of the plan to plant 15 billion trees in 10 years.

So far, the group has planted about 70,000 seedlings along the riparian areas since it commissioned the tree planting in Aldai Subcounty.

To realize its target, the group has established 51 active nurseries distributed across the six sub counties in the county.

Founder of the environmental lobby group, Joel Malakwen Mengich, said the exercise was initiated as a culture-driven movement by members of his Kiptapgei clan, whose totem is a vervet monkey.

“The tree planting exercise was inspired by a threat that our totem, the vervet monkey, was losing its habitat. We realized that its natural habitat, which is an indigenous forest, has been destroyed as a result of farming, industrialization and general cutting of trees along the wetlands,” Mr. Mengich told the media.

Mr. Mengich, who is a botanist, insisted on the need to restore the natural habitat by planting trees, especially indigenous and fruit trees to sustain wild animals.

“We agreed to start by propagating seedlings. I provided enough tubes, 400,000 and distributed them to members. The Kenya Forest Service has trained the volunteers on collection of seeds, nursery management, transplanting, and manure application. The trainees will share skills with other members as they continue joining us,” Mengich said.

The seedlings will be planted along wetlands and rivers in Nandi County stretching to Vihiga County to Lake Victoria in Kisumu County.

“We shall have a tree planting caravan from Nandi County to Lake Victoria region to ensure that we have millions of trees planted within the coming years. Species of trees will vary depending on regions. We shall only plant species that are adapted to specific places,” said Mengich.

Part of the efforts by the group include a campaign against eucalyptus trees which Mengich said were contributing to wanton destruction of the environment.

“As a compensation to the eradication of eucalyptus trees, we plan to supply groups and individuals with beehives and avocado seedlings. This is because the eucalyptus trees are preferred because they are quick to mature,” explained Mengich.