Although it’s still hot and dry in rural Senegal, the annual rainy season will soon begin. As the rainy season approaches, CREATE! field technicians and cooperative members are preparing for their yearly tree planting campaign to help with reforestation in Senegal. As soon as the rains start, cooperative members will work with CREATE! staff to plant the trees in garden sites, near schools and mosques, and within the yards of family homes.

Reforestation in Senegal starts with tiny tree seedlings!

Reforestation in Senegal begins with tiny tree seedlings! Cooperative members water tree seedlings by hand until the rainy season begins.

Thriving cashew trees

These cashew trees, planted just a few years ago during a rainy season tree planting campaign, are thriving in the Diender garden.

For the past few weeks, cooperative members have been preparing sachets for tree seedlings and establishing tree nurseries within their garden sites in their efforts to help with reforestation in Senegal. Each community has between 2,000 and 3,000 seedlings in their nurseries. Trees provide shade, moderate temperatures, and produce fruit and nuts. They can also serve as windbreaks and living fences in community garden sites. In the future, community members can also harvest firewood from these trees. The species that cooperative members planted reflect these different uses. Some species planted include flame trees, papayas, cashews, moringa, eucalyptus, citron, and guava. Most of these trees are native to West Africa and all thrive in hot climates with annual rainy seasons.

Nogaye Diallo talks about the importance of reforestation in Senegal

Nogaye Diallo of Thieneba says, “Everyone in the community looks forward to our annual tree planting campaign. We all know the importance of trees in our village.”