At Ripple Africa, we don’t only plant trees, but protect them too. Catherine is one of our Forest Conservation Coordinators in Nkhata Bay District. Here’s a Q&A with her about Forest Conservation.
Q: How do people know what trees are protected so to not cut them down?
A: Coordinators work with local Chiefs who show the villagers the protected areas.
Q: What about strangers who don’t live in those villages?
A: The Forest Conservation Committee carry out patrols, and the local villagers can fine anyone they catch who is cutting down a tree in a protected area. They can then use that money to do more patrols and build more signs showing it is a protected area.
Q: What about people who are new to a village?
A: Any new settlers meet with the village Chief who will educate them on the protected areas.
We hope you learnt something new about how communities are educated on Forest Conservation. A big thank you to our Forest Conservation Committees who work so hard to protect the trees.