Along Kenya's northern coast, the mangrove forests of Marereni form the foundation of both the local ecosystem and local economy. These forests provide nursery habitat for fish and crustaceans, store significant amounts of carbon, protect shorelines from erosion and storm damage, and support the livelihoods of fishing communities throughout Kilifi County. Yet decades of illegal logging, poverty-driven resource extraction, changing hydrology, and climate-related pressures have degraded large areas of mangrove habitat, threatening both biodiversity and community wellbeing.

In 2022, Seatrees began partnering with Community Based Environmental Conservation (COBEC), a Kenyan nonprofit deeply rooted in the local community, to restore and protect these critical ecosystems. Rather than imposing a top-down conservation model, the partnership was built around a simple principle: lasting restoration must be led by the people who depend on the ecosystem most. Together, Seatrees and COBEC have supported the planting of more than one million mangrove trees while creating jobs and income opportunities for local residents who manage nurseries, collect propagules, plant seedlings, conduct monitoring, and patrol forests.

As the project evolved, it became clear that tree planting alone would not be enough. Community surveys revealed that food insecurity, unemployment, drought, and limited economic opportunities were major drivers of environmental degradation. In response, the project expanded to address these root causes through conservation education, community forest patrols, hydrological restoration, biodiversity monitoring, and programs that improve access to education and alternative livelihood opportunities.

Today, the project combines restoration and long-term stewardship across a landscape scale. Community scouts help protect more than 1,200 hectares of mangrove forest from illegal logging and other threats. Local restoration teams have planted hundreds of thousands of mangroves in degraded areas while also restoring tidal connectivity to sections of forest that have suffered from years of stagnant water and hypersalinity. Biodiversity monitoring tracks changes in ecosystem health, providing scientific evidence of restoration outcomes over time.

The impacts are already being felt. Surveys led by COBEC have found that 90% of participating tree planters believe restoration has improved their quality of life, while 91% have observed positive environmental changes. Biodiversity monitoring has documented measurable improvements in ecosystem condition, and community members report seeing healthier forests, greater wildlife presence, and stronger local engagement in conservation.

Our vision is a future where thriving mangrove ecosystems support thriving coastal communities. By pairing local leadership with science-based restoration and long-term stewardship, Seatrees and COBEC are helping create a model for conservation that benefits both people and nature.