PROJECT OVERVIEW:

This Bwindi Community Conservation Forests project will support the planting of diverse trees indigenous to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to create new or expand existing native ecosystems outside of the park. One type of Bwindi Community Forest will be planted in Indigenous Batwa villages around the park and include edible and medicinal trees that help with food security, health, and preserving Batwa traditional knowledge. Another type of Bwindi Community Forest will be planted on land next to the park to expand the forest boundary and create a buffer zone between gorilla habitat and subsistence farms.

Focus: Forest expansion for gorilla habitat. 

Tree Adoption Uganda will partner with Bwindi Youth Guardian groups of Conservation Through Public Health and Global GreenSTEM to grow and care for tree seedlings indigenous to the forest. These seedlings will be transplanted onto land next to the national park to expand the forest boundary and create a buffer zone between gorilla habitat and subsistence farms.

Focus: Edible and medicinal trees for Indigenous Batwa villages.

 Batwa elders who grew up in the forest will work with Tree Adoption Uganda to select indigenous tree seedlings to grow small forest ecosystems in their villages. This will help reduce malnutrition, illnesses, and homesickness for the forest. The elders will be able to pass their traditional knowledge and practices on to Batwa youth (Batwa Bwindi Youth Guardians) to preserve and protect their culture. As the Community forest matures, it could also provide much-needed income to the community.

The Indigenous Batwa lived in harmony with the plants and animals of this ancient ecosystem for up to 80,000 years and are known as the "Knowledge Keepers of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest." They are losing their traditional knowledge and practices about edible and medicinal plants with each passing year after being forced to leave their forest home in 1991 when Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was established. Now dispersed around the borders of the park in 50 Batwa villages, these Indigenous People no longer have access to the forest's edible and medicinal plants, which has greatly compromised their health and well-being.

“Traditional forest foods and medicines are more essential to us than modern medicine. Access to these plants would help reduce malnutrition, hopelessness, and homesickness.” - Common sentiment of Batwa elders

Buy Indigenous tree seedlings for a Bwindi Community Forest that are selected by Batwa elders and then planted and cared for with Batwa youth.

       - $1 buys 1 tree seedling

       - $100 buys 100 seedlings to plant  Phase 1 of a Batwa village community forest