This archive report was first published on 2 December 2019.
Published on December 2, 2019, the 6th edition of The Forest Challenge 2019 was held in Kereita Forest, Kiambu County, with over 500 participants taking part in the annual event.
Jointly organised by the East African Wild Life Society (EAWLS), the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), and Kijabe Environment Volunteers (KENVO), the event aimed to raise funds for the rehabilitation of Kenya's water towers.
Kenya Forest Service Chief Conservator, Mr. Julius Kamau, emphasized the importance of forming partnerships with non-state actors through tree planting initiatives to spur a tree growing culture among the youth.
“For the country to attain the 10 percent tree cover by 2022, one creative avenue for the service lies in forming partnerships with – among others – non-state actors, through tree planting initiatives that aim to spur a tree growing culture among the youth,” Mr. Kamau said.
EAWLS' Executive Director Nancy Ogonje echoed the need for collective action to mitigate the effects of environmental disasters like the recent landslide in West Pokot.
“Our resolve and commitment to continue our efforts to conserve the environment for posterity has been reinforced further by the recent unfortunate landslide in West Pokot – a wake-up call for all of us to come together and try to mitigate such incidents by planting more trees, because when such a calamity occurs, we are all affected,” she said.
Participants in the event waded through mud pits and rivers, tumbled up and down slippery trails, all in the name of preserving and expanding Kenya's natural forests, many of which are the source of the country's water supply.
Kenya's forests are on a rapid decline, with deforestation taking place at an alarming rate of 0.3 percent each year due to pressure from increased population, wood fuels, building material, and other unsustainable land uses.
