Plant Trees to Restore Nairobi's Urban Forest

Help plant critical trees in the ever-growing city of Nairobi, Kenya to benefit their local community!

The UN predicts Kenya's population will quadruple by 2050, with 89% of Kenyans living in urban areas such as Nairobi. Currently, 70% of the over 3 million residents of Nairobi live in slums which are growing at an unprecedented rate. The government and local authorities are faced with the serious challenge of guiding the physical growth of urban areas— particularly with regards to the environment. Environmental tree felling for timber and fuel, land conversion, urban sprawl, soil erosion, water pollution, poor air quality and inadequate tree cover are all common problems in Kenya. These challenges, when combined with the projected population increase, are set to worsen.

The Greening Nairobi initiative was developed by Trees For Cities to increase canopy cover in degraded urban areas by planting 10,000 trees each year. Restoring the urban forest is critical for the well-being of people and provision of a broad range of products, services, and functions. Forests are vital for the protection of water sources, improving air quality, reducing the impact of localized flooding and mitigating climate change through carbon storage. By planting the trees in school and community locations, local youth will be directly engaged, develop key skills and given the opportunity to make a positive contribution to their local environment. Furthermore, by planting a mix of woodland and fruit trees, schools and communities will be provided a source of free, sustainable and healthy food.

You can help. Just $15 plants 15 trees in Nairobi. Restore the urban forests in Nairobi by donating today!

Report from the Field

May 2017

During April and May 2017, we successfully planted 2,800 trees across 7 school sites in Nairobi. A total of 265 adults and 185 children (under 16) were engaged in tree planting activities, and it is estimated that more than 50,000 people living within the local area of planting sites will ultimately benefit from this project. This includes improved air quality, increased canopy cover and reduced impacts of flooding in the rainy season. Restoring the urban forest is critical for the wellbeing of people and provision of a broad range of products, services and functions.

Trees for Cities primary mission is to advance the education of the public in the appreciation of trees and their amenity value, and in furtherance of this the planting and protection of trees everywhere, and in particular inner city areas.