Little black balls are being launched in Kenya to meet the challenge of reforestation and to give nature a chance to regenerate.
Fighting deforestation
Kenya has been facing continuous and persistent deforestation for more than a century, fueled yesterday by colonial needs and today by strong demographic pressure. The forest in Kenya has lost nearly 12% of its surface in 50 years, and it is to remedy this problem that the company Seedballs Kenya has created acacia seed bombs. More than 20,000 seed bombs are planted daily by foot, car or helicopter.
Rangers patrol Kenya's national reserves, including the Mara National Reserve, and drop these seeds into areas that need reforestation. These are important areas for wildlife, especially elephants, to feed and shelter.
It's very simple," says Jackson Maitai of the ranger unit, "when we discover an area destroyed by illegal logging, we start its regeneration with seed bombs. They are not heavy, we just throw them everywhere we see deforestation.
Charcoal seed bombs
Protected in charcoal dust, the acacia seeds thrown in the wild are not eaten by rodents and birds. This protection is removed when the rain arrives and allows the seed to plant itself naturally in the ground. The charcoal, in addition to protecting the seed from insects, provides nutrients to promote its growth.
This solution is inspired by techniques used in ancient Egypt. It is non-toxic and allows the reuse of waste from the charcoal industry. The creation of the seed bombs is done for a derisory price, less than 8 dollars are necessary to replant a hectare.
Today, 15 million seeds have been discarded, the germination rate is between 5 and 10%. This may not seem like much, but in reality it represents more than 750,000 acacia shrubs at a much lower cost and work time than reforestation with seedlings. It is still necessary to be patient to see real forests, since the acacias take 20 years to reach their adult size.
By making wise decisions every day, everyone can contribute to the effort to safeguard forests. We can all contribute to the campaign to safeguard forests by using less, eliminating single-use packaging, eating sustainably, and choosing goods made of recycled or ethically harvested wood. The more people of the global society are aware about the problem, the more innovations can be found, assemblies can be created and Sustainable Development Goals can be achieved.
More information: https://www.seedballskenya.com