Intrepid Travel, a global leader in responsible travel for over 30 years, aims to reforest 15 acres of land in Kenya with the support of travellers, a local NGO, and the Kenyan government.
In an ambitious initiative to combat deforestation, the tour operator has received a licence from the Kenya Forest Service to plant 20,000 trees across 15 acres of land in the Mau Forest in Kenya. The initiative forms part of local efforts to achieve the Kenyan government’s goal of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.
The Mau Forest is the vital catchment providing water to the western part of Kenya. It is also an important contributor to the Maasai Mara Game Reserve and the Serengeti National Park because the Mara River, which flows through these wildlife reserves, arises from the South-Western Mau Forest.
From 2027, travellers on selected Intrepid trips in East Africa will be able to visit the site to learn more about the historical context contributing to the degradation and then plant a tree or water one, helping to maintain the saplings and contribute to the ecosystem they explore on their trip.
Through this initiative and using native saplings provided by NGO Rhino Arc, Intrepid and its travellers will contribute to vital reforestation and help combat biodiversity loss and climate change in the region. The initial licence is for five years; Intrepid plans to plant 5,000 trees each season to reach its targeted 20,000 trees. The adventure travel company hopes to expand this initiative at the end of the current licence by moving into a new tract of land to repeat the process.
“Kenya’s rich biodiversity is a vital part of the African and global ecosystem. We can enjoy all it has to offer but we also have an obligation to protect and preserve this land. Our custodianship of these 15 acres is just the beginning – we have already planted over 4,000 trees on the way to achieving our target and we hope to continue planting beyond that 20,000-tree goal,” says Samuel Karani, General Manager, East Africa, at Intrepid Travel.
