Reforestation: Meet Melia volkensii!
Deforestation is reportedly occurring at an alarming rate in Uganda. OCHAN’s mission is to urge the village to conserve wood and to engage in large-scale tree planting. OCHAN has needed a messenger to persuade villagers to take action and found him in the second-in-command of Uganda Police, Mr. Julius Odwe, whose home is not far from Opac, though he works in Kampala. He paid Opac a visit, first to the police post on business and then to OCHAN’s project site for lunch and to address the clan leaders (pictured at left) on the critical importance of tree planting. Mr. Odwe’s university degree is in forestry for which he has maintained a lifelong passion. He spoke of the tree planting he had been doing for 13 years in his home village of Dokolo and how more rain has fallen there than in other parts of this semi-arid zone. He credits his mini-forest with the difference. Mr. Odwe, currently developing a tree nursery in his home area, urged the clan leaders to do the same in Opac in order to support massive tree planting as a way to battle climate change and to spur their village’s economic development.
clan leaders listen closely, take notes.
His message was a wake up call to these leaders; they pledged to make conservation of wood and reforestation their priorities in educating villagers on how to protect their land for future generations. Mr. Odwe introduced the leaders to Melia volkensii , a tree that he is farming not only to counter destabilization of the local climate and degradation of the land but also to provide animal fodder of its canopy during growth as well as timber in 10 years’ time and other uses. He left the leaders with a large bag of seeds to plant but with no instructions on how to germinate them. If you click on its name (above) you will read all about this tree including how particularly difficult it is to germinate due to its hard shell and wide-range of time each seed may take to sprout, if at all.
J. Ochieng--Chair of Ocan Agenne, J. Odwe, W. Boto--Pres. OCHAN
Local farmers and OCHAN members are currently experimenting with different germinal strategies; pictured here is a promising one. Meet Melia volkensii. May they grow into their grand name and beyond. Thank you, Mr. Odwe.
Mr. Odwe is someone to admire. I wish we had more people like him the world that truly cared about the people and the environment. I am interested in learning more about forestry. Are there any particularly good schools to study this facinating field? It can be located anywhere in the world.
I read with interest your encouraging efforts for planting more trees. I’m encouraged and say, KEEP THE GOOD WORK GOING. Just one small and unimportant observation, the tree seedling in the picture is not Melia volkensii but Melia azedarch.
All the best with your efforts.
Hi, Thanks for your interest and comment. Please tell us more about your observation. How could you tell they are different? Do you have a picture to send?
Best wishes,
Bonny