Written by Patrick Wanjohi

CEMASTEA, through its Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Program, is participating in concerted efforts to increase the percentage of tree cover in the Country. These efforts respond to a Presidential Directive seeking to achieve 10% tree cover by 2022 affirmed on 14^th March 2019. The Centre has a tree nursery and has participated in tree planting initiatives and donations of trees to institutions. According to Kenya Forest Service, the country needs to plant more than 1.8 billion tree seedlings by 2022 to achieve the 10 % forest cover target.

To ensure continuous production of quality seedlings at CEMASTEA’s tree nursery, members of the ESD committee attended training on tree nursery establishment and management at the Kenya Agricultural Research Organisation (KALRO) Practical Training Centre in Thika. The training covered setting up a tree nursery, types of nursery media, seedbed preparation, plant propagation methods, transplanting and stock management, grafting methods, nursery pests, diseases and weed management. 

The tree nursery at CEMASTEA can propagate 90,000 seedlings annually. Some of the seedlings available are fruit seedlings (Avocado and Mango), tree seedlings (Gravelia, Cypress, Jarponica, Pine, Thika palm and Acacia), and flower seedlings. CEMASTEA will have a better capacity to graft quality fruit seedlings using traceable scions from registered farmers through the training. The ESD program is developing skills for micropropagation methods that use tissue culture techniques to propagate quality planting materials. Education for sustainable activities applies knowledge and skills in STEM subjects. We are encouraging schools that visit CEMASTEA to start such projects.