One Tree Planted And The Jane Goodall Institute Announce Partnership On Critical Restoration Project In Africa

The Global Non-profit Organizations are Poised to Plant More than Three Million Trees Across Uganda Forests

SHELBURNE, Vt., July 14, 2020 /CNW/ -- Reforestation non-profit One Tree Planted announced today, World Chimpanzee Day, a partnership with global community conservation organization the Jane Goodall Institute on the "Wildlife Habitat & Corridor Restoration Project." The effort will plant more than three million trees, supporting long-term and large-scale restoration of the Albertine Rift Forests across western Uganda. Today also marks the 60th anniversary of the day that Dr. Jane Goodall first arrived in what is now Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, to begin her ground-breaking study of the wild chimpanzees living there.

The Albertine Rift landscape is a diverse ecosystem which is crucial to many species and is a prominent habitat for endangered chimpanzees. It also houses over 50% of birds, 39% of mammals, 19% of amphibians, and 14% of reptiles and plants of mainland Africa. By pooling resources and combining efforts, One Tree Planted and the Jane Goodall Institute are aiming to restore and manage these vital wildlife communities.

"We're honored to be joining forces with the renowned Jane Goodall Institute to execute a reforestation initiative of this magnitude," said One Tree Planted founder and Chief Environmental Evangelist, Matt Hill. "This project will allow us to impact both the ecosystems and communities of the Albertine Rift Forests, ultimately providing significant ecological, socio-economic, and cultural benefits to the area."

Through its Tacare approach to community-driven conservation across the chimpanzee range in Africa, the Jane Goodall Institute works to ensure the long-term protection of wild chimpanzee and other ape populations and their habitat, through promoting local governance and management of natural resources, and advancement of alternative sustainable livelihoods. This project is no different, and will be critical to effectively protect, improve, and recover Uganda forests, which face a multitude of threats that contribute to wide-spread degradation. Over the last 25 years, millions of hectares of forest have been lost due to the increasing impact of human settlement, large and small-scale agriculture, logging and fire. One Tree Planted's contribution of funding will significantly aid in the long-term success of these efforts.

"We need to protect the existing forests. We need to try and restore the forest and the land around the forest that has not been degraded for too long, where the seeds and roots in the ground can sprout up and once again reclaim that land and make it an amazing forest ecosystem," said Dr. Jane Goodall.

The Wildlife Habitat & Corridor Restoration Project will be implemented based on four key goals:

• Restore degraded areas on community land in the Albertine Rift region of Uganda by planting native and nursery-grown seedlings with the involvement of local communities.
• Rebuild devastated zones in Kagombe Central Forest Reserve by immediately restoring ecological functions to the area and setting the foundation for long-term recovery of the forest to its natural state.
• Promote agroforestry practices on community land by educating individuals on how to integrate trees into farming systems, which will ultimately preserve productive ecosystems and adapt to climate change.
• Strengthen forest monitoring and law enforcement by training individuals to monitor their forests using mobile, cloud, and satellite technologies. This will allow for more efficient data records of wildlife presence, illegal human activities, and threats within the target landscape.

Through the Wildlife Habitat & Corridor Restoration Project, a total of three million seedlings will be planted (with an at least 60% estimate survival rate), 700 households will be trained and supported to apply sustainable agroforestry practices on their land, and each village in the project area will have at least one trained individual on forest monitoring.

Critical in achieving lasting conservation outcomes is the need to balance conservation objectives and socio-economic needs. Accordingly, this project will continue to support over 3,500 households in sustainable livelihoods through: smoke-free and more efficient wood-burning stoves, improved agricultural practices, establishing community-managed enterprises and microcredit programs, and sustainable production techniques that increase incomes while protecting forests. It will also establish Collaborative Forest Management (CFM) groups in order to monitor forests and will protect watersheds to improve groundwater recharge that feed wells and streams for wildlife and people alike.

The restoration project in the Albertine Rift Forest will formally begin in 2020 and take place through 2023.

For more information, please visit: https://onetreeplanted.org/collections/africa/products/plant-trees-chimpanzees.

About One Tree Planted
One Tree Planted is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit on a mission to make it simple for anyone to help the environment by planting trees. Their projects span the globe and are done in partnership with local communities and knowledgeable experts to create an impact for nature, people, and wildlife. Reforestation helps to rebuild forests after fires and floods, provide jobs for social impact, and restore biodiversity. Many projects have overlapping objectives, creating a combination of benefits that contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at onetreeplanted.org.

About the Jane Goodall Institute
The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) is a global, community-centered conservation organization founded in 1977 that advances the vision and work of Dr. Jane Goodall in over 23 countries around the world. They aim to understand and protect chimpanzees, other apes and their habitats, and empower people to be compassionate citizens in order to inspire conservation of the natural world we all share. JGI uses research, collaboration with local communities, best-in-class animal welfare standards, and the innovative use of science and technology to inspire hope and transform it into action for the common good. Through their Roots & Shoots program for young people of all ages, now active in over 65 countries around the world, JGI is creating an informed and compassionate critical mass of people who will help to create a better world for people, other animals and our shared environment. For more information about Dr. Jane Goodall and the Jane Goodall Institute, visit janegoodall.org and follow JGI on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

SOURCE One Tree Planted