Dear Community,

Thanks to generous donations this year we have recently planted more than 300 trees in Kangweni at our new Manzini School site!

Sebastian, the Principal, developed a new program that lets students care for two of their own trees during the summer! They are super proud :)

After 40 years on the job, Sebastian is retiring and we contributed to his retirement party! Always in a colorful suit and a great looking hat, he has been the Principal at two of our school planting sites: the new Manzini school and Maviani Primary. We are glad these schools will continue working with us after Sebastian’s retirement.

Another cool hat (red) LOL!

Mutinda’s motorcycle has been repaired and he is back on the roads delivering seedlings to the students.

Now, the Singing Tree Nursery is nearly empty and Mutinda and a staff member are propagating new seedlings to replenish the crop.

The photo below shows the condition of the Manzini school yard....Once a verdant area loaded with greenery and rain and teeming with monkeys, the school is now in a dusty and dry region. A lot of planting is required to make the school yard more green and we have made a great start!

I thought you might be interested in learning how we go about greening our sites before planting the food forests:

First, we plant Grevillea and Cassia trees to nourish the soil and provide a canopy. Then when the trees take hold, we plant Bananas, Mangoes, Guava, Avocado, Passion Fruit and Indigenous fruit trees like Moringa, Kimuu and Kitaw to provide extra nutrition. I’m not a big fan of planting non-indigenous species but in Kenya the Grevillea tree (Grevillea robusta), is popular and versatile, so that’s where we start. 

Here's a more detailed look -

Grevillea:

• Soil Improvement:

  Grevillea helps improve soil structure, moisture retention, nutrient availability and soil fertility, making it useful in mixed farming systems. 

• Timber and Fuelwood:

  The tree provides fuelwood. (Women still gather wood for cooking fires.) It is a good source of timber for furniture, fencing, and construction. 

• Living Fences:

  Grevillea is often planted along roadsides and farm boundaries to act as a living fence, providing a green barrier against weather and pests. Mutinda has planted many at his house and we plant on the borders of the school yards.

• Drought Tolerance:

  Grevillea is well-adapted to dry and mid-altitude areas, making it a reliable choice in Kenya's climate. 

• The Kamba Name is Mukima:

  All our project sites are in and around Kangweni which is a rural Village in Ukambani or Kambaland where the Kamba community lives. I work with the Kamba people of which Mutinda is a member. This is where we established the Singing Tree Nursery.

  Cassia:

• Properties:

  The Cassia Tree is a medicinal plant and ecologically helpful. Its ability to thrive in various soils and climates makes it a useful part of reforestation projects.

• Soil Stabilization: The tree’s roots prevent erosion and improve soil structure, making it ideal for degraded lands of which there are many in Kangweni due to overgrazing and over farming.

• Biodiversity Support: Its flowers attract bees, butterflies, and birds, supporting pollinators and enhancing local ecosystems and bee keeping endeavors.

WHAT WE NEED NOW!

• Wheelbarrows

• Watering Cans

• Spades, Shovels, Hoes, Rakes and

• Potting material to keep our Nursery growing!

WHAT WE’D LIKE!

• A feast for each school after planting day!

I will be making site visits in October to plant and record songs and dances with the students and would love to offer them a square meal. Many of them do not eat much.

THANK YOU for your continued support,

🌿 Lis and Mutinda

🌿 Nimovea (Thank You in Kikamba) 🌿

In 2013 Musician, Dancer and Environmentalist Lis Addison established The Singing Tree Institute with David Mutinda of Kangweni, Kenya. Our mission is to help reforest the region, plant food forests for the subsistence farmers of Kangweni and document traditional Kamba songs and dances for future generations. In 2024 we established the first Singing Tree Nursery so we could grow seedlings for our planting projects in the schoolyards at Maviani Primary School, Syombuku Vocational College, Manzini Elementary and Yanzuu DayStar Academy in Kangweni.