Nurseries - January 2014.

This is the second in a line of projects designed to promote environmental protection in the Mikolongwe area. It follows a previous activity which was aimed at protecting the Mikolongwe Mountain from erosion, and resulted in the planting of over 80000 trees around the mountain. The present action intends to introduce agro-forestry systems in the Mikolongwe Valley where multipurpose tree-shrubs shall be grown within the cropping land in order to improve soils for the benefit of food crops as well as wood supply for domestic use. Periodical cutting of fast-growing tree species would act as a source of wood for the mountainside communities, preventing damage to the newly established Mikolongwe mountainside forest by communal law defectors.

Nurseries - October 2013.

Species of soil-improving, fast growing trees shall be planted in alleys within the crop land, with more erect pole species growing in a forest belt around the same fields. During wood harvesting, the leaf biomass shall be left to rot in the fields so that soils benefit from its manuring value. The wood, harvested at a particular height will be taken off the fields for home use leaving the basal section for regeneration. The project also intends to introduce a system of cooking where a particular type of stove will be used in order to reduce the quantities of wood used for cooking. The introduction of the stove would mean a reduction in the frequency at which women leave their homes in search for wood supplies, thereby creating time for other important activities, both social and economical. The project shall use the structures established during the first RSG in terms of seedling production facilities as well as the forestry committees.