Project to adopt nurseries gets underway

alliance with the Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe (FCZ) that will result in the adoption of nurseries dotted across the length and breadth of the country.
The nursery adoption project was born out of the realisation that to plant any number of trees, particularly the envisaged 500 million trees that FOTE are aiming to do in the next 15 years, requires a strong and vibrant nursery support system.
And yet a decade of economic crisis that was ended by dollarisation of the country’s economy in February 2009 has diminished all that there was in terms of nurseries.
In order to recover lost ground and add momentum to tree planting initiatives, FOTE will work together with corporate Zimbabwe to adopt these nurseries which used to be run by the Forestry Commission.
Operations at the nurseries had ground to a halt due to funding constraints hence the need for the partnership between the FCZ and FOTE to revive them.
The Commission will, however, continue to be actively involved in the project by providing technical assistance and expertise. FCZ will also provide interface with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Management, the governing authority on environmental matters.
Local district councils on whose land the nurseries are located will continue to be stakeholders in the project.
Founding FOTE trustee Phillip Mataranyika said the project has started well with corporates showing willingness to adopt the nurseries.
A number of nurseries have already been adopted but the identities of those inheriting them would only be disclosed at an appropriate time.
“Our plan is to get corporate Zimbabwe to adopt all of them. In addition, we would like to create another 52 nurseries by 2015, which will take our tally to 100,” he said.
“Our target is to have a capacity of 500 000 tree saplings per nursery also by 2015. Once we get these numbers working, we will have 500 million trees planted by 2025.”
Mataranyika said the adoption programme has shown that corporate Zimbabwe is ready to play their part in getting Zimbabwe green again.
Running a nursery is no stroll in the park. It requires resources – both human and financial – to produce the best possible stock and give every single seed a chance to develop and grow so that one day each one of them can become a big tree.
Every kind of plant is different and requires a different type of environment. A lot of time and energy is expended in researching the best environment to grow a particular kind of plant in order to produce the best.
Trees within nurseries are all grown to agreed size specifications; if they don’t make the grade they won’t make it onto the ground, out of which they are supposed to grow.
Our objective as FOTE is to give every tree seedling the best start in life so they can become big enough to withstand the odd nibble.
“Most newspapers and radio programmes today are talking about trees and tree planting, even Corporate Zimbabwe is talking green. The adoption of nurseries and step by step march towards 500 million trees has presented them with an opportunity to have a practical feel to their going green messages,” Mataranyika said.
“While all of the corporates we are working with will get maximum print and electronic media coverage for their efforts, it is the satisfaction that comes from doing the right thing at the right time that will crown their moment.”
Back in the 1990s, the FCZ had 37 nurseries and was planning on 11 new ones to take its stock of nurseries to 48.
At its peak, the Commission used to produce four million tree seedlings per year from all the nurseries they had but the numbers have taken a nose dive due to liquidity constraints rattling the rural district councils.
Adopting nurseries entitles corporates advertising space in and around the nursery.
It will also guarantee a constant supply of tree saplings for their tree planting initiatives.
Mataranyika said trees have different value and meaning to different people. If energy is the most value one gets out of trees then our rural populace will need more trees.
“A quick drive on our national highways will give you an indication of how far we have gone in using wood as an energy source,” he said.
“Adopting and creating nurseries in mostly rural communities will help our people replenish their energy sources and restore our country’s beauty.”
The initiative is one of the latest examples of PPPs.
The inclusive Government has been encouraging the private sector to share its burden in the provision of infrastructure and other essential services which, traditionally, have been the exclusive responsibility of public authorities.
The Government cannot, on its own, meet the continually expanding demand for services hence the call for PPPs.
Also, while traditional development assistance from donors plays a vital role in enabling governments to meet urban and other environmental challenges, the international flow of official development assistance is a fraction of what is needed.
There is therefore an urgent need to find new sources of funding, as well as technology and management. The private sector with its financial, technological, and management resources will come in handy.
About FOTE
FOTE comprises like-minded organisations – from the corporate world, government, non-governmental organisations and individuals – that came together in 2010 to support the idea of reforestation through a non-profit-making Trust Fund.
The organisation works with the Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe, along with other environmental organisations, with the support of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Management.