Our Pilot Project
Spanning a hectare of land, we planted 1,086 seedlings during a collaborative effort with 70 dedicated villagers from 11-13 November, 2023. After two years of preliminary efforts, this accomplishment marks a pivotal milestone for Arbreen.
In the heart of Maasai land, nestled within the Simanjiro district of Northern Tanzania, Arbreen has taken a significant stride towards its vision with the implementation of our pilot project in the village of Loiborsoit.
Spanning a hectare of land, we planted 1,086 seedlings during a collaborative effort with 70 dedicated villagers from 11-13 November, 2023. After two years of preliminary efforts, this accomplishment marks a pivotal milestone for Arbreen.
Our thanks go to Dr Parseko Kone, the owner of the land where our pilot project is implemented and vision-leader for Arbreen; Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) through FORCONSULT for providing the forestry expertise; the villagers for their energy, enthusiasm and excellent work; and finally the entire Arbreen team who worked tirelessly in the planning and implementation of our project.
The selection of tree species was strategic, driven by their potential for carbon sequestration and compatibility with the environment.
We have combined species from the region, such as Acacia nilotica, with endemic Tanzanian species like Khaya anthotheca (commonly known as “East African mahogany” and classified as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List) and Afzelia quanzensis, also known as “pod mahogany.”
To maximise tree growth and carbon capture while enhancing the sustainability content, the project is also testing three soil configurations whereby the soil conditions for some seedlings is a mix of natural soil, biochar provided by Biosorra and manure from community neighbours, a mix of natural soil and manure and finally natural soil (control sample).
We are now monitoring tree growth and the various threats that could affect their development, climatic conditions, insects, pests, livestock or wildlife (wildebeest, zebra, antelopes and more rarely elephants) that are numerous in the project area.
This project serves as a profound learning opportunity for Arbreen, allowing us to translate plans into action and refine our strategies.
From the refining and optimisation of our cost model throughout improved execution skills and a better understanding of the project area environment, this small but important project will be the source of multiple successes we will use to deliver our super-scale project.
