Tree planting for biodiversity in the Rwenzori region
The campaign to plant fruit and crop friendly trees started in 2020 and runsto-date with a target to plant 10 million trees in the Rwenzori sub region starting with Kyamukube, Ruboona and Katebwa areas of Bunyangabu District. Under this project, Dream International will facilitate access to quality tree seedlings for farmers, cooperatives and social institutions to plant a diversity of indigenous crop friendly trees that provide food, wood fuel, livestock and insect forage, landscape beautification, shed and a range of ecosystem regulatory services including soil fertility enhancement, erosion control, wind breaks and carbon sequestration.
Some of the currently promoted trees species and their local use/benefits
| Local/ English name | Botanical/ scientific name | Uses |
| Omusambya | Markhamialutea | Firewood, charcoal, poles, tool handles, medicine (leaves, roots),bee forage, soil conservation, windbreak, live fence, toothbrushes |
| Engote | African cherry (Prunus Africana) | Firewood, charcoal, poles, timber (construction, flooring), utensils (mortars), medicine (leaves, bark), bee forage, mulch, shade, windbreak |
| African mahogany | Khayaanthotheca | Medicine, timber, ornamental, wood fuel, and planted for Agroforestry purposes (can be planted to provide shade in agroforestry systems) |
| Neem | Azadirachtaindica A. Juss | Grown to prevent soil erosion and help in soil conservation and improvement. Improves soil fertility and water holding capacity, and can neutralise acidic soils, and so is used for the reclamation of degraded land.The oil is also used in sprays against banana rust thrips and domestic parasites |
| Silver oak | Grevillea Robusta | Agroforestry, crop friendly and It’s used as a windbreaker and allows for the formation of humus, which maintains soil humidity and improves soil quality. |
| Musizi / Umbrella Tree | MaesopsisEminii | Timber production, shade tree, livestock fodder |
| Calliandracalothyrsus red calliandra (English), kaliisambuzi (Luganda) | Calliandracalothyrsus | Agroforestry: can be used to rehabilitate erosion-prone areas and to recover land exhausted by agriculture, can be used as a nurse tree for partially shade-tolerant timber trees, can be used as a windbreak, fixes atmospheric nitrogen, adds green manure, used in alley-cropping systems, suitable for hedgerow boundaries, can be used in intercropping, flowers provide a rich source of nectar for bees, leaves and twigs provide fodder to the animals. Other uses include; small carpentry work, smoking fuel charcoal, suitable for pulp and papermaking. It’s also an ornamental and shade tree, a multipurpose tree grown for high protein forage to supplement low quality roughages for ruminant livestock, primarily in cut-and-carry systems. |
| Ashok | Saracaasoca | Mainly for medicine, windbreaker and ornamental |
| Avocado | Avocado | Fruit tree |
| Sour sop | Sour sop | Fruit tree |
Training in agroforestry
Enrolled tree farmers and foresters are trained in basics of tree planting. We provide general information on all the aspects that need to be considered in tree planting, ensuring that the right tree is planted in the right place for the right purpose.