Update – Regenerating Tree Resources – Mali

Tree Production and Planting project -  Joliba Trust

We are extremely grateful for the funds received from the International Tree Foundation for our tree production and planting work.  We have carried out the following activities with these funds in the last year:

• Assisted germination and protection of natural young tree growth
• Training in sustainable pruning and management of tree resources
• Community workshops to raise awareness of trees being lost, and the tree resources everyone needed to use to sustain their livelihoods
• Educational work in schools and the establishment of 4 school plantations
• Over a million new trees have been grown

Joliba has also joined ‘Regreen the Sahel’ and the UN Billion Tree Campaign.

Assisted Natural Regeneration – It is a traditional activity to regenerate Acacia albida trees in fields amongst the Dogon communities with whom we work. However, the traditional methods do not have a high success rate, and only one species is conserved. Our forestry staff have brought intraining to regenerate many more species of trees which are essential to daily life, and which are vanishing through over-use.

In 5 districts: Barapireli, Madougou, Youdiou, Koporo-pen and Sangha, 97 villages have worked on regeneration of trees on their land. The tree cover has dramatically increased, as well as the variety of protected species. This is particularly noticeable in the plains area near the dunes, which was completely barren, but is now growing many new shrubs and firewood trees. We did not do a count of trees grown this year, as the numbers have become too great, and this takes several months of our staff’s time to carry out. We estimate that at least a million new trees have grown using this method during the year. 

Training in sustainable tree-cutting and harvesting – People in 4 districts (Barapireli, Youdiou, Madougou and Koporo-pen) have been trained in sustainable tree cutting techniques. This has been as valuable as the tree planting, as traditional tree cutting techniques do not allow trees to regenerate, and often the whole tree is cut down eg for firewood, or for the branches and leaves needed for cattle. 535 men and women participated in training and practical demonstrations. After the training, each person trained others in neighbouring areas. 

Awareness-raising workshops – Workshops to raise awareness on climate change and its local consequences have taken place with women in the villages of Bonronwon, Younibire1, Younibire 2, Onron, Monoboro, Sabelou, Amadouyon and in Fulani settlements.  

Workshops to establish local laws relating to the management of trees have been held Koporo-pe, Youdiou, Madougou, Barapireli and Sangha districts in the regions of Bandiagara and Koro, in order to establish written legislation for improved management of trees in their territories. Participants had been the Mayors and Local Government Officers, Village Chiefs, elected Village Leaders and two Nature Protection Society representatives from each village.   The workshops had two main objectives: firstly, for local people to be acquainted with existing national laws regarding management of natural resources, secondly to establishlocally-agreed laws on how trees should be used by farming communities and pastoralists.

 Environmental education in Schools – Sedourou, Intemeni, Bereli and Koporo-pen schools have established mini-arboreta in their school grounds, and have received training courses in tree management. Our forestry staff have put together a set of educational course materials on trees for use in schools. The first theme developed was using a teaching resource ‘We need trees to live’. The second theme, adapted to our area and used by classes was ‘What do we use trees for’? The second group worked on a third theme: ‘Our needs that trees satisfy’, ‘Which of our activities do trees satisfy?’ and ‘Do we have enough trees? If not, what can we do about it?’

The pupils became aware of all the different needs that trees fulfil (health needs, food, shelter, cooking, leisure and income). The pupils also became aware of how to protect existing trees, and how to plant them.  At Sedourou, Bereli and Intemeni, as the pupils were at a very elementary educational level, they did group work on the different parts of a tree, the uses of roots, the uses of bark, wood, fruit, leaves and flowers, and discovered that there was no life without trees.  The children then learnt about pre-treatment of seeds, sowing and planting methods.  They started their own tree nurseries and mini-arboreta in the school grounds.  

 Work in 2009 -  We made a significant change to our tree nursery work in 2009, as we asked villagers to purchase the trees grown, at 100% of the cost. We have previously given the trees to villagers who wanted to plant them , but the project needs to become sustainable in the current districts and pay for its own costs, when it is completed in the current districts. In 2009, 157 Nursery Managers grew 56,176 saplings from seed in tree nurseries in 51 villages. 28,878 of the trees were sold and planted out during the rainy season, 12,488 of the saplings were given away free to people who could not afford them, and 38,366 trees were planted altogether.  Small wooded plantations emerged in the villages of Banani, Bombou, Neni and Ireli.   The success of these plantations may encourage many more people to plant in the coming  years.

 Nursery Planting of Medicinal Trees in 2009 – Western medicine provided by the state health service is very expensive. There are only few health centres, which are difficult for people to reach, particularly when they are ill and have no transport. Therefore over 90% of rural people rely on traditional medicine for their everyday medical needs. However, many of the medicinal products in which people most interested, come from trees that have disappeared in the last decades. We have been working with women and traditional Healers and Therapists, who have grown the medicinal trees in community tree groves.  Three medicinal woodland groves have been planted, by Healers in Ibi, Ogodourou-kou and Ireli.  

Tree Nursery Work in 2010 – 113 Nurseries have been established in 2010 ; 85 managed by men, 10 by women, 18 by Associations. 43 981 saplings are growing.  60 villages have been involved with tree planting in 2010 as follows:    6 villages of Barapireli district. 16 villages of Madougou district. 9 villages of Koporo-pen district. 7 villages of Youdiou district. 17 villages of Sangha district. 2 villages of Diougani. 2 villages of Bondo. 1 village of Noumbori. 

Medicinal Trees grown were Securida longeduculata, Dalbergia, Pterocarpus, Khaya,  fromager and Cymbopogon. The saplings are growing well.  

5 community groves of firewood for cooking have been established by women in Bonronwon, Younibire1, Younibire 2, Monoboro, Onron and Amadouyon.    Regeneration in the set aside areas, which are guarded by Nature Protection Societies, has been phenomenal. It has been particularly focussed on regenerating pasture resources for cattle (most of the cattle fodder is from trees and shrubs).  

Funds from ITF have achieved:-

Increased genetic reserves of trees, and restoration of biodiversity of indigenous species.  Instead of cutting down trees for firewood, construction, animal fodder etc, only a small part of each tree is being cut, in a way that will allow more branches to grow.  People have far more interest in trees and wish to use  them sustainably. Legal structures for managing tree resources have been agreed. Over a million trees have been grown.

A thousand thanks from everyone in Mali for your wonderful support.

 

Project details:   Many important trees which are essential for survival in this area have disappeared from the Mopti in Mali, forcing people to leave the area. The Regenerating Tree Resources Project trains villagers to be Tree Nursery managers. The villagers learn the necessary technical skills for growing and managing trees. In the second year, the nursery managers continue to build on their knowledge and forestry skills. This tree planting work increases soil productivity and forest genetic reserves, as well as helping in the struggle against poverty.

In each village, one or two people are responsible for monitoring and giving support to the tree planting activities. The local population are very involved with making suggestions for improving the project and identifying what is most needed in their area. With ITF’s support last year, Joliba Foresters trained another 76 people from new villages in five districts. The training included compost production; preparation of seeds (scarification, soaking, feeding seeds to sheep and planting their manure-a natural acid treatment, and partial grinding to encourage germination; and sowing and care of nursery pots. 67,950 saplings of 27 species were grown in the village tree nurseries. Acacia seyal, Bombax: Eucalyptus, Baobab: Tamarind have been re-established in certain villages. There are now over 180 village nursery managers.

At the end of the project, it is intended that the villagers will be able to maintain their own supply of seed and materials to maintain their nurseries as sources of trees for dune stabilisation.
Our partner, The Joliba Trust has been working in Mopti for many years and they employ a team of foresters who train and work with the local population. The foresters are from the local area, speak all local languages, and are much-loved in the area. The Joliba Foresters cover several districts within Mopti region of Mali and go out to train villagers and teachers in tree growth and management techniques including dune stabilisation and nursery management.

Since ITF started supporting The Joliba Trust, they have had enough resources for one Joliba Forester per district, working in five districts of the Mopti Region. In 2008 The Joliba Trust were able to afford to take on two more foresters fresh out of agricultural college. Once they are fully trained, the area in which The Joliba Trust can work will increase and allow them to reach and benefit more communities and schools. The Joliba Trust is now working in over 200 villages in a range of self help projects for which ITF are providing funding.