Help Keep Somali Frankincense Forests Alive

Thank you for supporting our campaign to protect Somalia's ancient frankincense forests and the communities whose livelihoods depend on them. Your donation shows that you believe these forests, and the people who care for and harvest them, deserve a more secure future.

Since the project began, our team has completed rapid ecological surveys of over 250 frankincense trees across three harvesting sites, gathering vital baseline data on tree health and regeneration. We've delivered hands-on tree husbandry training to more than 100 community members, covering sustainable tapping techniques, pest control, and forest monitoring. We've also cleared and fenced a 50m x 50m tree nursery in Nuugal Valley, Garowe, where community members have been trained in seedbed preparation and propagation. Our community-led frankincense association is now officially registered with the Somalian Ministry of Agriculture. Every step has been shaped by close collaboration with the harvesting communities themselves, whose trust and participation are the real foundation of this project.

Our campaign is still ongoing, but we want to be open with you: we remain a long way from our $10,000 fundraising target.

Reaching this goal will help communities respond to overharvesting and unfair trade, restore threatened frankincense forests, and develop more sustainable and reliable sources of income.

We are not asking you to donate again. Instead, we would be very grateful if you could help us reach more people. Please consider sharing the project with friends, family, colleagues, or others who care about forests, sustainable livelihoods, and community-led conservation. A personal recommendation from someone who has already supported the project can make a real difference. You can share the campaign here: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/help-keep-somali-frankincense-forests-alive/

Thank you again for placing your trust in this project. We are grateful to have you with us, and we hope that, together, we can bring more people into this effort.

With gratitude,
Cath, Yasmin and the Ecosystem Restoration Communities team