Do you want to plant a tree on your next trip around Uganda? Yes, now you can with Ruboni Community. this is how you can easily do it. The trees are planted on the degraded foothills of Rwenzori, neighboring the Rwenzori Mountains National Park. It is very easy to arrange it on arrival.

this is a war on climate change and global warming. the community is inviting all stakeholders who can offer any contribution from volunteering to plant, planting a seedling, to sponsoring as many acres of land as you want on the currently degraded landscapes and those susceptible to degradation.

Rwenzori mountains are a world heritage site selected by UNESCO in 1994. It is also a Ramser site selected in 1998. The mountain is located in western Uganda, and shared by Uganda and Congo. Being the highest block mountain in Africa, the highest point of this mountain is 5019 meters above sea level on mount Stanley – Margarita peak.

The importance of Rwenzori Mountains

Globally: the ecological importance of Rwenzori has been recognized globally. This is why it is a world heritage site and a Ramsar site at the same time. The waters that comes from Rwenzori mountains go global when they contribute the the Nile river as the only snow caped mountain in this pat of the region Rwenzori protects a unique ecosystem with endemic species that will not exist any more if this habitat disapears.

Nationally: Rwenzori has permanent snows. the glaciers are a natural source of many rivers that support the Ugandan economic livelihoods. Many rivers are used to irrigate the agriculture schemes which supply food across the country. Many rivers that come from the mountains are used to generate hydro electricity in …… plants (and more coming) on the foothills. This power serves the national grid that supplies clean energy for development. This value goes beyond Uganda to Congo. As a tourist attraction in the region, the mountains create a source of employment.

Locally: Rwenzori mountains forms an ecosystem of local importance too. It supports the local indigenous people. As the global climate has risen, the population has increased and land productivity has lowered, the Bakonzo and other people who live on the Rwenzori foothills have no option and are at a vary high risk. Pests and diseases have increased, the need low supply of food and income has lowered and the need for cash has increased. Tourism as an alternative livelihood is threatened by excessive degradation of the environment when the local look for survival. This also puts the natural habitat at stake.

Why everyone traveling to Uganda must plant a tree in Rwenzori

For these many reasons, we have to delay the disappearing of the Rwenzori ecosystem as much as we can. It is a need of the local community initiatives, National and the global community alike to save the only Ugandan permanent glacial habitat. The Ruboni community, Ruboni tourism village and other local initiatives to implement all possible actions to engage stakeholders in this action.

This is probably the best time every traveler It is easy to plant a tree. You can choose to plant it physically or with a little financial contribution. Contributing labor will require at least one full day of panting with the community while cash contribution will be in two categories. the planter can choose one or both categories as follow;

• 1). Contribution of 1$ per seedling planted: you say how many seedlings you want to sponsor and then multiplied by a dollar.
• 2). Purchasing the guided tours or treks of Ruboni tourism village: Paying a normal small fee of the village tour. The tours listed with this privilege are; the day hill trek, the forest walk, the village walk and all treks to the Rwenzori Mountains. Wheres the village tours donate 1 dollar per tour, the Rwenzori trek donates 1 dollar per day spent inside the park.
• 3). Sponsoring an acre or more of trees: This is a 30 year gift to nature. It involves both hiring the land and planting trees on them to last at least 30 years before they can be cut by the land owner. The targeted lands in this category are the areas on steep places, already degraded plots or land neighboring the park.

The fee for option 3 can be paid at one time or on a monthly basis for one year. Payment per month will be at 100$ each month. payment at once will be 800$. The advantage with this package is that you gift nature and remain sure that this gift will be for 30 years. the disadvantage is, the prices for this package can easily change based on the price of land. This is another reason to do it now while the prices are still affordable.

On all tour activities arranged by Ruboni community camp and other tourism centers in Ruboni village, we charge 1USD per unit of activities sold. If you buy two walks, 2 USD are reserved for tree planting.

How is the donation money used?

The donations for tree planting contributed from this drive is used to buy seedlings from the local women raising them, plant the seedling and tend to them for the first three months. After the three months, the tree is handed to the land owner to take care of them. if the land was rented for 30 years as in the third option of support, the project tends to the trees for three years until they surpress the bushes.

Here are some of the trees we plant; avocados, Guava, jackfruit, red stinkwood, maesopsis Emini, African mahogany, Albizia, bark cloth fig, Bayberry, maesa lanceolata, mango tree, markhemia, flame tree, pegionwood, soursop, sycamore fig, Uganda greenheart, water berry and others.

We are planting only indigenous and fruit trees. In this campaign, we plant over ten different tree species. These trees are inter-cropped to ensure that we make the activity crates a rich ecosystem for human and wildlife co-existance.

How to arrange your spot of planting a tree with Ruboni

It is simple process that can be done in a day. Make your trip plan and book your accommodations. We can help you to do this at no extra cost. tell us the way of choice from the three above, that you want to use to plant your tree(s)

If you chose option 1, make a deposit payment by the means of your choice. this can be by wire transfer, credit card payment or mobile money.

If you chose option 2, this is the time to pay your booked activity. We will then book your spot as you wait to travel and arrive to the tree planting.

For those who choose option 3, we will send you more details on the plots available with a description of the landscape. you will choose the one you like and then you can make a deposit payment. this will require that we sign an MOU/ land user agreement with a farmer and share it with you. we also map the plot, including details of the trees planted and share them. this way, you can monitor the progress of restoration.