About this video

• Video Title: We grew a forest WITHOUT planting a single tree
• Channel: Planet Wild
• Speakers: Trishala, Tony Rinaudo, Samwel Msanjila
• Duration: 00:11:36

Overview

This video explores an innovative approach to combating desertification in Tanzania by reviving an ancient farming technique called Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), also known as Kisiki Hai. Instead of planting new trees, which often fails in drylands, this method utilizes the existing underground root systems of native trees to regrow forests. The video highlights the success of this technique, its positive impact on the environment and local communities, and introduces Ecosia as a partner supporting reforestation efforts.

Key takeaways

• The Failure of Traditional Tree Planting: In many of Africa's drylands, particularly Tanzania, traditional tree planting initiatives have a low success rate due to harsh climate and soil conditions, high costs, and poor management, leading to significant forest loss.
• Underground Forests and Kisiki Hai: Beneath barren landscapes lie dormant root systems of native trees. The Kisiki Hai technique, or Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), revives these by selecting and nurturing new shoots from existing stumps, allowing for rapid regrowth.
• Tony Rinaudo's Breakthrough: An agronomist named Tony Rinaudo discovered this method in Niger when he realized that what appeared to be bushes were actually new shoots from tree stumps, prompting a shift in strategy from planting to regenerating.
• The Process of FMNR/Kisiki Hai: This technique involves cutting a tree to a stump, which stops the production of growth-suppressing hormones. The underground roots, still alive, then sprout multiple shoots. By selecting and pruning to one or two strong shoots, a new tree can grow much faster than from a seedling because the root system is already established.
• Environmental and Community Benefits: Regrowing forests through FMNR helps cool the ground, stabilize soil, increase rainfall, improve land productivity for crops and livestock, and ultimately restore hope and livelihoods for local communities.
• Ecosia's Role: Ecosia, a search engine that funds reforestation projects, partners with organizations like the LEAD Foundation in Tanzania to support FMNR initiatives and train local farmers.
• Community Empowerment: The LEAD Foundation, led by individuals like Samwel Msanjila, empowers local farmers to adopt and teach Kisiki Hai, transforming large areas of land and creating a national movement for regeneration.
• Planet Wild's Support: Planet Wild supports these efforts by funding the training of champion farmers, providing resources, and partnering with Ecosia to sustain the regeneration of degraded land.

Restoring forests through FMNR offers several key benefits:

For the environment:

• Cooling effect: Increased tree cover helps to cool the ground surface.
• Soil stabilization: Tree roots help to hold the soil in place, preventing erosion.
• Water cycle improvement: Trees release moisture, which contributes to cloud formation and can help bring back rainfall.
• Biodiversity: Regrown forests provide habitat for various animals.

For local communities:

• Increased land productivity: The improved environment allows families to grow more crops and raise livestock more effectively.
• Restored livelihoods: The regeneration of the land provides a more stable and sustainable basis for people's livelihoods.
• Hope for the future: The transformation of degraded land brings renewed optimism for a better future.