NRT member community conservancies are engaged in forestry activities aimed at terrestrial forests, which are vital water catchment areas with high biodiversity.

These activities include:

  • Registering Community Forestry Associations (CFAs) and aligning them with conservancy governance structures

  • Developing participatory forest management plans (PFMPs)

  • Mapping and monitoring forest conditions

  • Protecting and managing forests

  • Establishing tree nurseries, and undertaking tree planting exercises.


Ngare Ndare Forest Trust (Meru County)

Ngare Ndare Forest Trust is a public charitable trust registered in 2004 that conserves and manages Ngare Ndare Forest, found on the northern slopes of Mount Kenya.

It is an NRT-member conservancy that borders the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Meru County. Ngare Ndare is said to be the only forest in Kenya with an expanding canopy cover, and this is thanks in part to the conservancy’s independently funded tree planting programmes:

  • The Trust’s 1-for-1 programme gives farmers access to seedlings at subsidised prices, and for every one seedling they buy, they get one free. This aims to reduce reliance on the forest for timber and fuel.

  • The forest rehabilitation programme aims to plant indigenous trees in degraded areas of the forest

The Forest covers an area of 5,543 hectares. It is rich in wildlife and pure indigenous tree species believed to be 200 years old.

Since 2004, over 2 million seedlings have been planted through the 1-for-1 programme.

The seedlings are grown in 12 community tree nurseries, which grow over 100,000 exotic seedlings every year for farmers. The Trust also has an indigenous nursery where over 100,000 indigenous seedlings of various species are grown.

Ngare Ndare has also launched an Adopt-a-Tree programme in community schools, where pupils plant and care for seedlings throughout their school life. These trees go on to provide posts and other wood requirements for their schools, as well as improving the tree coverage outside the indigenous forest.


Ilmamusi Community Forest Association, Mukogodo Forest (Laikipia County)

While the Ilmamusi Community Forest Association (Ilmamusi CFA) is not yet formally a member of NRT, the Mukogodo Forest is adjacent to Il Ngwesi and Lekurruki Community Conservancies.

Ilmamusi CFA organized a 10-kilometer walk dubbed ‘Walk Wild’ to raise awareness and solicit local support for landscape resto- ration in Mukogodo Forest.


Nkarro Community Forest Association, Kirisia Forest (Samburu County)

The Nkarro Community Forest Association (Nkarro CFA) is not for- mally a member of NRT. The Kirisia Forest, however, borders sev- eral NRT member community conservancies.

In carrying out its mandate, the Association works closely with Kenya Forest Service, the Samburu County Government, Kenya Wildlife Service, NEEMA, KEFRI, EAWS, Water Towers Agency, and NRT.

Mathews Forest, Ngilai Community Conservancy (Samburu County)

Located in Matthews Forest and home to the Samburu people, Ngilai Community Conservancy was established to curb human-wildlife conflict.

The Conservancy has a Livestock Consolation Fund set up for families who have lost livestock due to wildlife attacks.