Community-Led Indigenous Tree Restoration in northern Kenya
Ndoto Forest Conservation Organization protects and restores the 92,000 hectare Ndoto Forest through community-led conservation, indigenous tree restoration, and sustainable forest management. By empowering local communities as custodians of this vital ecosystem, NFCO safeguards biodiversity, including IUCN listed endangered wildlife species, and strengthens climate resilience. The organization focuses on protecting forests, restoring degraded landscapes, conserving wildlife, advancing clean energy, and empowering communities to sustainably manage and benefit from natural resources.
Project story
Protecting Kenya's Ndoto Forest: A Lifeline for Wildlife and Communities
The Ndoto Forest landscape stretches across 83,000 hectares of Kenya's northern Samburu County, forming a vital wildlife corridor that sustains extraordinary biodiversity. Here, African savannah elephants migrate freely alongside critically endangered pancake tortoises, endangered Grevy's zebras, and reticulated giraffes. Yet the forest's true value extends beyond wildlife—it supplies water and sustenance to over 66,000 pastoralist community members.
Over three decades, northern Kenya has lost more than 30% of its forest cover. Prolonged droughts, illegal logging, and charcoal production have devastated the Ndoto landscape, triggering reduced water supplies, escalating human-wildlife conflict, and weakened climate resilience.
The Ndoto Forest Community Organization (NFCO) emerged to reverse this decline. As a community-owned conservation group, NFCO has already planted 20,000 indigenous trees and made remarkable progress in restoration.
However, NFCO faces a critical hurdle: the organization lacks formally approved Participatory Forest Management Plans. Under Kenya's Forest Conservation and Management Act 2016, these plans aren't mere paperwork—they're essential legal instruments that grant communities official rights to protect and benefit from forest resources.
NFCO is requesting funds to support establishment of indigenous tree nurseries. The $2-$15k will help in supporting the nursery at approximately $4k per tree nursery, including supporting community tree ambassadors as volunteers for a period of 4 months.
Without them, NFCO's conservation victories remain legally vulnerable. Your support secures the forest's future.
Project updates
Team
Community-Led Indigenous Tree Restoration in northern Kenya
Ndoto Forest Conservation Organization protects and restores the 92,000 hectare Ndoto Forest through community-led conservation, indigenous tree restoration, and sustainable forest management. By empowering local communities as custodians of this vital ecosystem, NFCO safeguards biodiversity, including IUCN listed endangered wildlife species, and strengthens climate resilience. The organization focuses on protecting forests, restoring degraded landscapes, conserving wildlife, advancing clean energy, and empowering communities to sustainably manage and benefit from natural resources.
Project story
Protecting Kenya's Ndoto Forest: A Lifeline for Wildlife and Communities
The Ndoto Forest landscape stretches across 83,000 hectares of Kenya's northern Samburu County, forming a vital wildlife corridor that sustains extraordinary biodiversity. Here, African savannah elephants migrate freely alongside critically endangered pancake tortoises, endangered Grevy's zebras, and reticulated giraffes. Yet the forest's true value extends beyond wildlife—it supplies water and sustenance to over 66,000 pastoralist community members.
Over three decades, northern Kenya has lost more than 30% of its forest cover. Prolonged droughts, illegal logging, and charcoal production have devastated the Ndoto landscape, triggering reduced water supplies, escalating human-wildlife conflict, and weakened climate resilience.
The Ndoto Forest Community Organization (NFCO) emerged to reverse this decline. As a community-owned conservation group, NFCO has already planted 20,000 indigenous trees and made remarkable progress in restoration.
However, NFCO faces a critical hurdle: the organization lacks formally approved Participatory Forest Management Plans. Under Kenya's Forest Conservation and Management Act 2016, these plans aren't mere paperwork—they're essential legal instruments that grant communities official rights to protect and benefit from forest resources.
NFCO is requesting funds to support establishment of indigenous tree nurseries. The $2-$15k will help in supporting the nursery at approximately $4k per tree nursery, including supporting community tree ambassadors as volunteers for a period of 4 months.
Without them, NFCO's conservation victories remain legally vulnerable. Your support secures the forest's future.
Project updates
Team
Location
Kenya