This project does not stop there. Conserve Maasai Mara is also training the youth to establish a tree nursery to raise seedlings for future plantings and provide income to the community.  As I was typing this, we just received word that 1 acre of land in Sekenani has been donated, next to a river, for the planting and raising of seedlings. The CMM team will also be training the older children on tree management practices and record-keeping of their generated income from the sale of tree seedlings.  When a community, such as the Maasai, benefit from conservation, they will protect it.  

The long list of why planting trees is a great idea and solution to so many problems. Forest return moisture to the air, they are fundamental in the formation of clouds, helping to regulate weather patterns and helping an area avoid severe drought.Trees bring life and help replenish an ecosystem.  As squirrels, birds, and other wildlife enter an area, it is the trees that create microhabitats for them to seek refuge, acquire sustenance, and thrive.

A single mature tree can sustain several hundred different species all at once. Insects, lichens, fungi, and bacteria rely on trees for habitation, refuge, and food. Tress have been treasured for centuries by indigenous people for their medicinal value.Known as the lungs of the earth, trees help absorb and sink the carbon contributing to global warming and/or climate change.

Trees hold soil in place fighting erosion; absorbing rainwater that helps reduce runoff and sediment deposit. Wellness – When people stand under the shade trees in a forest, hearing the birds chirping and wind crackling through the leaves and branches, one feels calm and at peace.