Mount Kenya Trust has recently completed the installation of a tree nursery at Naro Moru Primary School. The completion of the Naro Moru Primary School tree nursery brings the initial stage of our partnership with Mt. Kenya Trust to a close as we have supported the Mount Kenya Trust in the construction of 3 tree nurseries at 3 schools around Mt. Kenya:
- Sirimon School – on the Sirimon route to climb Mt. Kenya
- Ngushishi Mixed Secondary School
- Naro Moru Primary School – near Naro Moru River Lodge
The nurseries are fully set-up and functional and the schools able to generate income from selling the saplings.
The schools also have an agroforestry program, growing wood fuel for their jikos and vegetables for their food.
The school now has a hands-on demonstration plot to support their agriculture and environmental subjects.
Further to this, our nurseries also support MKT’s other program, One Tree Per Child, which promotes every child at the school to take a tree home and plant it there.
At Naro Moro Primary School, the children and staff are extremely enthusiastic to work with MKT on education and tree planting projects. Gutters have been fitted to the classrooms to collect rainwater and stored in a 5000-liter tank for use in the tree nursery. The environmental club has also organized a rota to have pupils filling bags with soil in readiness for newly germinated seedlings.
Seedlings have started pricking with 3000 seedlings of cedar, Cape chestnut, olive, Grevillea robusta. These seedlings will be sold to MKT for our tree planting site, exotic will support the community and at the school compound.
An Update from Sirimon Secondary School and Ngusishi Secondary School
Sirimon Secondary School
Pop: 120 students
Age: 14-19yrs
Location: Sirimon
MKT was already working with Sirimon when BT came on board to support school nurseries. The school already had around 2000 seedlings growing and an area was fenced off and water tank installed to help nurture and protect the seedlings properly.
The nursery, which is cared for and maintained by teachers and students (with oversight from MKT), has now got some 5,000 cypress seedlings growing in it. The major challenge at this school is the cold and wind.
Some of these trees are planted within the school compound, which is almost entirely devoid of trees. Others will be sent home with students for them to plant within their communities and homesteads. One of our next steps is to introduce the rearing of indigenous tree species and work with the school management to ensure proper care and uptake of the seedlings.
Ngusishi Secondary School
Pop: 200 students
Age: 14-19yrs
Location: Ngusishi
By July 2016, the tree nursery in the school was secured with a good fence and water storage tank to ensure that there will always be water for the tree seedlings. MKT will work with the school to grow enough tree seedlings for planting in the school area and for the students to grow in their homes.
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