The re-greening project in Amboseli, Kenya was one of the first successfully delivered projects of Justdiggit. Together with local partners, Justdiggit have created 8 km2 of new green land since the start in 2015.
Olopololi plots: To protect sustainable grass seeding we have (re)installed Maasai pasture and grazing management in eight ‘Olopololi grass plots’. All eight Olopololi plots have been finalized and delivered.
The project improved tree and grass covering of the land, improved productivity, reduced soil erosion and created a wider variation in biodiversity. This makes Justdiggit the biggest funder for landscape restoration in the region of Amboseli National Park.
Justdiggit is in charge of three heavily degraded woodland plots. They are going to protect these plots for a few years until the vegetation like grass and trees fully returns. To protect the area against deforestation, temporary woodland enclosures are created allowing time to restore growth. In the pilot plot 5,000 trees were planted as part of the project.
Inkiito bunds: These bunds have been dug on own initiative by the local community. They’ve taken a training in Kuku and now have their own bund-experts.
Individual local households run fenced grass land plots called ‘Olopololi grass plots’ to protect self-sustaining grass seeding banks and by using water harvesting techniques(for example, digging bunds) they retain the rainwater. By installing grazing management committees they prevent any further overgrazing.
The local community have even adopted these methods and extended these plots on their own initiative. They’ve learned to re-introduce the traditional Maasai rotational grazing methods. The women are involved in planting grass seeds, maintaining and monitoring the plots and harvesting on maturity.
Grass seeds bank: A clear result of how our grass seeds banks work. Left is unprotected land, on the right side of the fence is where we’ve planted seeds and protected it from overgrazing.