International Planting

Through one of our partners, Trees for Cities, we have four international planting projects available for you to support...A donation of £15 to the RSA will guarantee a tree being planted and maintained until maturity in either Ethiopia or Romania. Your donation will help to reforest a city that is desperately in need....

Trees for Cities - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia with a population of 3-4 million people, used to be rich in natural beauty with forest-covered hills around the city, particularly the Entoto range. However in recent years the city and its surrounding area has suffered from terrible deforestation largely due to the increasing demand for firewood and wood for construction that has been fuelled by the increasing population. This deforestation means that there is a desperate shortage of trees within the city whilst the outskirts have now taken on a desert or steppe-like environment. It has also created serious soil erosion and flooding problems and led to higher temperatures compounded by deteriorating air quality.

Our first project in the capital took place in the Bambis area, transforming a wasteland into an orchard of over a 100 trees. This was truly a community project with young people living on the streets employed to care for the orchard, which will give them the means to escape life on the streets, eat well, and even pay for schooling in some cases, which they would have no hope of doing otherwise.

The second Trees for Cities project in the capital is in partnership with the Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society and we have planted over 1,000 fruiting trees in community gardens and open spaces in the heart of the city. Species include Apple, Plum and Pear trees. All monies raised from the sale of the fruit goes straight back in to maintaining the trees. Women’s and youth groups, in addition to the unemployed and those on low income, will be employed to plant and help maintain the orchards.

We have also developed a partnership with the Birhan Integrated Community Development Organisation and with them we will be undertaking our third project in Addis Ababa. The project involves building a multi-purpose nursery, which will be used to propagate some 15,000 tree seedlings over a 5 year period and at the same time train local unemployed youths in horticulture.

Trees for Cities - Bucharest, Romania

Bucharest, the capital of Romania with a population of 2.5 million people, has sadly become one of the most polluted cities in Europe. Ever increasing traffic, industrial activity, poor waste disposal and above all a dramatic loss of trees and green space have all contributed to the high levels of pollution. Over the last decade there has been a staggering 50% loss in the amount of green space in the city, which has fallen from 35 million square metres in 1989 to only 17 million square metres in 2001. In addition much of the green belt around the city has been cleared to make way for new housing and this in turn has fuelled the air pollution problem as dust from the Romanian Plain can now enter the city more easily.

We are continuing to develop our partnership with ECOSENS and the Bucharest City Hall to establish a tree planting and educational programme. ECOSENS, is a non-governmental organisation set up in 1992 by prominent Romanian environmentalist, George Razvan Marcu, with a mission to improve Bucharest’s environment. We are currently also developing links with other organisations in order to achieve a wider programme of activity across the city and surrounding green belt.

A number of sites in the centre of Bucharest have been identified as in need of greening and the aim is to plant approximately 20 trees on each, so that in time, the plots will become miniature woodlands and recreational spaces for the local community to enjoy. Native species such as beech, lime and maple will be planted, as they are the most resistant to pollution. An important element of Trees for Cities’ work in Bucharest will be the involvement of schoolchildren in the project through environmental clubs.

Our ambitious Trees for Cities project aims, in the long-term, to make a significant contribution to the reforestation of the city and its surrounding area and to raise the awareness and understanding of the importance of trees to the city, particularly amongst young people.

Trees for Cities - Ica, South Coastal Region, Peru

The Huarango - Prosopis pallida forests of the south coastal region of Peru are among the most highly threatened ecosystems on earth.

Most of the Huarango forests in this area have been cleared for fuel and large-scale agriculture and the remaining parts of the forests are suffering from illegal felling and burning for the production of charcoal, which is sold in the cities. The forest provides a valuable if not essential resource for a region supporting over 600,000 people– many of whom depend on the Huarango for a sustainable future.

Trees for Cities is undertaking the activity in partnership with the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, who are co-ordinating the education and reforestation on the ground in Peru.  The project involves working with local people, particularly young people and schools, to replant 2,500 trees, which will include other indigenous species in addition to the Huarango.  Various sites throughout the city, including schools, olleges, orphanages and community parks have been chosen. We have so far planted over 1,200 trees. The huarango tree produces a valuable and highly nutritious fruit that can provide decent livelihoods for local people. As with all of Trees for Cities’ work, there is a strong educational element to this project. Our partners are working closely with local schools and have carried out a number of planting workshops in order to teach the children the importance of trees.

Trees for Cities - Nairobi, Kenya

Nairobi City, capital of Kenya, is a growing city whose population of 2.5 million is expected to double over the next 15 years. Population growth, tree felling, and an increase in the number of motor vehicles and industries within the city have led to a high level of toxic gases in the air, which will only increase over time. Nairobi therefore is in great need of new trees to counteract the high level of CO2 especially as many parts of the city are virtually devoid of trees. Moreover, these tree-less areas experience much higher temperatures than the relatively cool areas with more vegetation cover. It is therefore vital for the health of Nairobi’s children, that the city’s schools are surrounded by trees.

The Trees for Cities tree planting project in Nairobi is in partnership with the Green Belt Movement. Founded by Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, the Green Belt Movement empowers local communities, particularly women and young girls to protect the environment. Through this project, we will plant around 200 trees in the Karura and Ngong Forests within the capital city. Species planted will include olea african, african fig tree and prunus african. Working with local people, the project will help beautify the city as well as help to address the underlying social, political, and economic causes of environmental degradation at grass roots level in the city.

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