Dedan Kimathi Foundation Participates in the International Day of Forests 2025

~Nyandarua AND Laikipia Counties

The Importance of Forests in Climate Regulation and Food Security

Forests, often referred to as the lungs of the planet play a significant role by absorbing carbon dioxide and pumping oxygen back to the atmosphere; this is paramount to regulating the climate and supporting life.

Celebrated every 21st of March globally since proclamation by the United Nations General Assembly on 28th November2012, the International Day of Forests (IDF) provides a universal opportunity to create awareness on the vital role of forests and trees and conduct environmental activities to promote tree growing and forests conservation.

2025 Theme: “Forests and Food”

This years theme ‘Forests and Food’ resonated very well on how forests are crucial on food production, accessibility and security. Forests have been rich sources of essential food nutrients to people especially forest-adjacent communities. Wild fruits, nuts, wild meats and honey are just a few of the rich foods benefitting communities from forests. To add to the theme, forests provide fuelwood that is basic in preparing foods in most homes especially in the rural areas.

Nyandarua County Activities

Dedan Kimathi Foundation environment conservation team had the pleasure to join environmental partners in marking the important occassion. The first team joined County Goverment of Nyandarua and Kenya Forest Service-Nyandarua among other stakeholders in a highly successful environmental education event and tree growing activity at AIC Makereka in Makereka Village of Central Ward in Ndaragwa Sub-County. Graced by the County Executive Committee Member for Water, Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources Hon. Wachira Mugo, issues affecting tree growing, reduced forest cover due to mainly man-initiated fires and cultivation were adressed besides Lake Ol’bolosat conservation for imporoved livelihoods. Makereka, Ngurumo and Iria-ini comprehensive schools enticed and educated the participants on the increasing need to conserve Ndaragwa Forest and the threatened Lake Ol’bolosat through spoken word, poems, songs and cultural dances adding to the impact of the day.

Making brief remarks, the foundation Environment team leader Dickson Maina highlighted the fundamental contribution of the forest adjacent communities in forests protection for continued benefits from forest goods which would otherwise be scarce with forests destruction. He further encouraged teachers and parents to empower learners with tree growing knowledge and help them adopt trees planted in schools and homes for proper aftercare terming it as a highly-working strategy to sustainable tree growing.

Laikipia County Activities

In Laikipia, the Foundation Field Director, Ms. Mukami Githinji, led the second team in a tree planting exercise in Rumuruti Prison held in partnership with Kenya Forest Service and Kenya Prisons Service among other groups and organizations.

As the rainy season approaches, the foundation is finalizing plans to conduct tens of tree growing activities in public sites in support of the government actualization of the 15 billion tree growing agenda to achieve 30% tree cover by 2032.