Planting trees at the schools
I have wanted to start a tree project in Samburu for ages now. I finally got the opportunity to do so, now that I have my own car and thanks to generous trees donations from Chip and Shalini.
My plan is to plant 10 trees each in 6 different schools and 2 community areas. There will be a competition between the schools and kids. Each school will have 7 teams of 4 children each and they will plant, look after and “own” their tree. The students who’s trees grow the best and are most healthy will get prizes after about a year or so.
At the end of January, I traveled to Isiolo (about an hour from Samburu) and visited the Forestry department. This is a sleepy little office on one of the back streets of Isiolo. The people working there were delighted to have someone arrive to buy trees! They were very knowledgeable and knew all the common and scientific names for the various species of trees. After going around the nursery, we settled on buying all indigenous trees (except the Neem tree) and all drought resistant. The trees were Neem, Tortilis, Tamarindus and Cassia. I bought 3 large tree seedlings and 7 smaller ones. I also bought jerricans to give the schools (filled with water) and chicken wire to protect the trees from goats and dik diks. Both were very much appreciated.
On the 1st of February, I went to Lpus Leluai Primary School in West Gate. Kids dug the holes and so did the teachers and headmaster. We split the kids into teams and each team had a leader. The students all dashed off to their bomas to get fertilizer, mixed it with sand and soil, planted and watered their trees. They were really really excited and one boy, Roy, was immediately an expert and was using all innovative ways to protect his tree from goats. I gave the school all the chicken wire but one of the teachers used it all for one of his trees! After a few days I supplied them with more for the other trees. The headmaster also planted his tree, as did a mama from the community there. She was also pretty excited to own the “community tree”!, whilst her baby stared with curiosity.
I gave all the kids rulers and books to measure their trees weekly. I checked up on them a week later and the trees were doing great! The kids were busy measuring and recording in their little books. One tree had a problem with caterpillars eating away at the leaves, but the others were fine.
I have bought the next lot of trees for the next school. I am hoping to plant them at Ngutuk Ongiron on March 3rd. I’ll keep you posted!