By Duncan Mlanjira
For this year’s tree planting get season, Zomba Forest Lodge, through its Reforestation of the Environment and Ecosystem of Zomba (TREEZ) project, has identified a Water Catchment Zone along the banks of Mulunguzi River where the Lodge is set to plant indigenous trees on Saturday, March 7.
The Lodge is organizing the exercise in conjunction with Zomba Tour Guides Association, which it also sponsors for the body to offer their services to tourists in a professional manner.
The seedling nursery done in conjunction with
the communities
Zomba Forest Lodge’s owner and manager, Tom Inch says an indigenous seedling nursery was initiated last year, whose seedlings were collected and germinated on the Plateau soil itself.
The seedlings have been grown at the correct altitude and climate of the Plateau and the process will continue every year.
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“These indigenous seedlings are part of an ongoing TREEZ project to help protect and develop the Water Catchment and Conservation Zones on Zomba Plateau within a well managed and maintained timber plantation,” said Finch, who is TREEZ’s director.
“In partnership with the Department of Forestry, FRIM, Southern Region Water Board, local Timber Cooperatives and other willing stakeholders, we firmly believe that Zomba Plateau Forest Reserve can be a leading light in Malawi’s fight against deforestation and climate change.”
He added that the Water Catchment Zone’s natural regrowth and regeneration has been encouraged and maintained.
“Our seedling planting will take place in and amongst the Water Catchment Zone to augment and enhance the indigenous habitat and ecosystem of the Plateau.”
He encourages the general public to feel free to patronise the event and the meeting place is at Trout Farm on Zomba Plateau on Saturday from 10am.
The fire breaks
Established in 2014, TREEZ has been working with local communities and the Forestry Department to reforest over 18 hectares (over 22,000 trees) along streams on the south western slopes of Zomba Plateau.
According to its website, www.zombatreez.com, the project started off being about reforesting and protecting water catchment areas but they soon learned that it wasn’t just about tree planting.
School children are also involved
“Over half our budget goes into fire prevention work which includes creating fire breaks to protect areas from fires and allowing the natural regeneration of trees,” says the intro on the website.
For 2020, TREEZ plan to construct watch towers on the Plateau to be manned thoughout the dry season to help them respond to fires swiftly.
The road to Ku Chawe Inn
TREEZ also sponsors football and netball teams to help with firefighting and maintenance of the planted trees and also pays patrol personnel to provide early warnings of fires and also provides tools to help with all activities.
In 2018, TREEZ held its first Environmental Awareness concert at Nankhunda Primary School, for the local communities, with Malawian pop star Moses Mkwawa as the main act.
It also organises Run4Reforestation, a sporting event as part of raising more awareness and and to raise funds for its administration.
Local tourists at picturesque Mulunguzi dam
In 2019, it added a ‘Battle of the Bands’ to the Environmental Awareness concert, with 8 schools competing for the best written song about the environment, judged by that year’s headline star act Jay-Jay C amongst others artists, which was recorded and aired by Zodiak Radio.
TREEZ has also organized as this year’s new invention an environmental education programme, to be taught in 8 of the primary schools neighbouring the Plateau.
An indigenous tree planted by
TREEZ
In an earlier interview, Finch had said Malawi has lost 85% of its trees in the last 30 years, and at current rates of population growth and deforestation, by 2030 the country will no longer have enough biofuel to sustain the population.
He had also said deforestation has a direct impact on water resources and that TREEZ involves the local community in as much as possible in its conservation efforts.
A good tree cover on the Plateau
TREEZ has also helped the communities to develop their own woodlots, fruit orchards and agroforestry planting around maize gardens in conjunction with traditional leaders.
The Run 4 Reforestation half marathon, that is organized along the trails of Zomba Plateau, started in 2018 and its second edition was held on September 7 last year, sponsored by Old Mutual, CFAO, Pick-A-Part, Energem Malawi and hosted by Sunbird Ku Chawe.
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The aim of the race is to raise funds towards enhancing the conservation and reforestation awareness campaigns as well as to establish the seedling nursery.