In a time when urban expansion often takes priority over green spaces, it’s not every day you hear about a local council choosing nature over profit. Yet, in the heart of Ealing, within the boundaries of the M25, an extraordinary project is taking root – literally.

In 2022, I visited a degraded site in Dundori and witnessed the community's efforts to restore an area larger than Hyde Park, covering the hillsides with fresh seedlings – each of them was about knee-high at the time.

In Kenya there are 1,100 native tree species, of which 10% are threatened with extinction. So we’re working with local communities to ensure that none of these precious trees go extinct.

Dorothy Naitore, a passionate environmentalist from Meru, Kenya, is leading efforts to restore degraded forests and promote sustainable living.

We drove to the edge of the national forest in search of these trees planted back in 1956. And then, suddenly, we found them—majestic East African camphor trees, towering above us. Native to the region but increasingly threatened, these trees are known as “elephant medicine”.

School children are growing up in a climate crisis, surrounded by news of rising temperatures, droughts, floods, and disappearing wildlife. But when they plant trees, they become environmentalists, working to create a greener future.

For over a century, a golden thread has run through our work – putting communities at the heart of restoration. We know that when we work hand in hand with local communities, supporting their vision for their landscapes, we see lasting change on the ground.

At ITF, we know that empowering communities is essential for the success and sustainability of restoration efforts. From Kakamega rainforest to the great Imenti Forest, we work with local community groups to champion environmental monitoring.

After reading one of 2024’s best new books about trees, ITF Trustee, Stephen Barber, shares the many tree themed books he’s enjoyed, from sixty years ago through to his current reading list.

Your support is the foundation of a special partnership, one that brings together nature lovers, concerned citizens, local grassroots organisations, experts, and visionary communities. Together, we are helping to bring landscapes back to life.

Explore these 10 easy-to-implement ideas for creating a more planet-friendly lifestyle.

James reflects on the dazzling beauty of fleeting autumn colours.

The Batwa Indigenous People guided our team through their ancestral home, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, showing them the place that was once their shelter, hunting ground and pharmacy. 

Drought and degradation are common in the Kenyan drylands and climate crisis is making it worse.

But new methods are emerging, helping farmers and communities to thrive even in a changing climate.

Forests and habitats around the world are being devastated by the phenomenon known as the “tragedy of the commons”.  

Trees are changing some of Kenya’s most vulnerable regions, bringing energy, employment and new life.

Mazingira Day is a national day in Kenya for environmental awareness and tree planting. And it's a wonderful opportunity to highlight the remarkable transformation taking place in Kitui and Tharaka Nithi counties - regions particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change.

The degraded Dundori Forest is beginning to thrive once again, its rivers and forests recovering thanks to community tree-planting.

I wish you could visit these areas and witness first-hand the transformation taking place. You would see the forests regenerating and farmers harvesting mangoes from trees they planted with ITF.

The River Lhubiriha is crucial for Ugandan communities, but it's struggling against the pressures of farming and deforestation. Communities have mobilised to protect this precious waterway.