Ecosystem Restoration Kenya Project #68647

Grow Forests, Grow Communities In Mount Kenya

by Bill Woodley Mount Kenya Company

Project Report | Sep 21, 2026
Restoring Forests and Strengthening Livelihoods

By Maryanne Kuria | Project Development & Reporting.

Evidence of returning wildlife at restoration site

What happens when restoring a forest also helps a family put food on the table? At Mount Kenya Trust's restoration sites we are seeing that connection take root.

Through TELIS, Community Forest Association (CFA) members in Marania and Ontulili (Karuri) grow crops within designated restoration plots while protecting young indigenous trees. This approach gives families a livelihood from the land while creating a practical incentive to restore and protect the forest.

Following the August 2026 harvests, we spoke with 35 participating farmers post harvest to understand what the programme means for their families and the forest.

From a Difficult Season to a Stronger Harvest

The difference between March and August was significant. After a difficult March 2026 harvest season, when the average harvest was just 17 bags of potatoes per half-acre plot, farmers experienced much better results in August:

42 bags per half acre in Marania
57 bags per half acre in Karuri
35 out of 35 farmers harvested crops, with no cases of total crop failure
Around 90% of produce was sold, with the remainder kept for household consumption
All 35 households reported having enough food to last until the next season

From Harvest to Household Security

The value of the harvest extended beyond the farm. Farmers used their income to meet immediate household needs while also preparing for the future. All 35 invested in seeds and tools for the next planting season. Others used their income for food, school fees, medical expenses, debt repayment, savings and home improvements.

This is an important shift. Following a difficult season in March, when some farmers had to borrow money or sell assets to cope, the August harvest gave households greater room to plan rather than simply survive.

When Livelihoods Strengthen Conservation

The impact of TELIS is not measured only in bags of potatoes. All 35 farmers said they were motivated by both improving their livelihoods and protecting the environment. Farmers also reported seeing more wildlife and birds in restoration areas, improved water availability, more livestock fodder and reduced fire risk.They are beginning to experience a connection that is central to sustainable conservation: Healthy forests support healthy communities—and stronger livelihoods can give communities greater reasons to protect those forests.

Building Resilience for the Future

The March and August 2026 harvests show how vulnerable rural households can be to changing weather conditions. They also show what greater resilience can look like.

By August:

51% of farmers had repaid debts
34% had savings
100% had invested in the next planting season
Some households had begun investing in longer-term needs such as land, housing and livestock

The challenges have not disappeared. Farmers still face unpredictable weather, crop diseases, poor roads, changing market prices and the potential for wildlife to damage crops.

But each successful season gives families more resources and confidence to face the next season.

A Cycle We Want to Grow

TELIS is helping create a positive cycle:

Restore the forest → strengthen livelihoods → improve household resilience → increase incentives to conserve → build healthier forests for the future.

The 35 farmers participating in this post harvest discussion showed what that cycle can look like in practice.With continued support, we can expand this approach to more degraded areas and more communities around Mount Kenya.

Help Us Grow This Impact

Your donation through GlobalGiving can help Mount Kenya Trust plant indigenous trees, support community-led restoration and create livelihood opportunities that make conservation more sustainable.

Grow forests. Grow communities. Help restore Mount Kenya.

TELIS - trees & crop intercropping

Farmers produce

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Jun 15, 2026
MOUNT KENYA TRUST STRATEGIC PLAN 2026 -2030.

By MOUNT KENYA TRUST | COMMUNICATIONS

We are delighted to share a milestone that belongs to you as much as it does to us.

Most recently, Mount Kenya Trust officially launched its Strategic Plan 2026-2030. The plan has been developed over the past year through a consultative process involving government agencies, community institutions, civil society, and private sector partners. It reflects both the progress made over MKT's 25 years of operations, landscape priorities, and the significant work that remains to secure the long-term health of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, key biodiversity hotspot, and critical national water tower.

The plan is structured around three strategic goals: strengthening the partnerships and unified conservation strategies that the ecosystem requires; supporting community-led forest management and improving livelihoods for forest-adjacent populations; and increasing forest cover through large-scale, community-driven restoration.

Collaboration and partnerships are central to goal 1 on this plan. We cannot achieve ecosystem-level impact alone. The relationships we have built with organisations like yours are the foundation of everything we have accomplished, and everything we intend to do next.

We welcome you to this next journey and are happy to walk you through the plan in person and to explore where our work over the next five years might intersect, complement, or create new joint opportunities.

We have attached our Strategic Plan 2026–2030 to this email, and it is also available on: https://issuu.com/mountkenyatrust/docs/mount_kenya_trust_strategic_plan_2026-2030

We hope you will take a moment to read it and, as always, welcome the opportunity to walk you through the plan in person and explore where our work over the next five years intersects, complements, or creates new joint opportunities. Please do not hesitate to reach out to arrange a conversation.

Watch our launch video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23zHO-sP4h0

With thanks for your continued support of Mount Kenya.

Links:

Attachments:

MKT Strategic Plan 2026 - 2030 (PDF)

1 Attachment

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May 14, 2026
Restoring Threatened Indigenous Species in the Mount Kenya Ecosystem

By MOUNT KENYA TRUST | Project Development & Reporting.

For over 25 years, Mount Kenya Trust (MKT) has worked alongside local communities to restore and protect the Mount Kenya forest ecosystem through a community-driven conservation approach. To date, more than 3,000 hectares of degraded forest have been rehabilitated and over 3 million indigenous trees planted, contributing to ecological recovery, improved water catchments, and sustainable livelihoods.

Despite this progress, the ecosystem continues to face significant threats from illegal logging, charcoal production, agricultural expansion, poaching, illegal water abstraction, and land encroachment. These pressures have led to the decline of key indigenous tree species such as African Olive, Red Cedar, and Camphor, and have reduced critical ecosystem services, including water regulation, soil stability, and forest-based livelihoods.

A key achievement of a Darwin-funded project titled "Increasing Ecological and Socio-economic Resilience of Upper-Ewaso Ng’iro North Ecosystem'' & managed by Fauna & Flora & MKT being its Forest Restoration supporting partner, has been the restoration of habitats for threatened indigenous species. Across Marania and Karuri forest sites, 507,478 indigenous trees covering approximately 370 hectares have been planted, including ecologically important species such as Juniperus procera, Olea europaea subsp. Africana, Prunus africana, and Hagenia abyssinica. These restoration efforts are helping rebuild degraded habitats, improve biodiversity, and strengthen ecosystem resilience.

Community engagement remains central to the project’s success. A total of 366 community members from 21 tree groups were trained in nursery establishment and management, strengthening local capacity for long-term restoration. In addition, 102 members from six Community Forest Associations received fire prevention and management training, contributing to a 58% reduction in fire extinguishment time and improved coordination between response teams.

The Horse Patrol Teams continue to play a critical role in protecting restored forests through regular patrols, wildfire response, and community awareness activities that help prevent further degradation. Beyond conservation, the project has also supported local livelihoods, returning £82,149 to forest-adjacent communities and benefiting over 1,800 people through sustainable value chain initiatives linked to health, well-being, and local development.

Together, these interventions are contributing to improved water security, climate resilience, ecosystem functioning, and the long-term recovery of threatened species across the Upper Ewaso Ng’iro North ecosystem.

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