Seeds of Survival: Nguru Forest and Livelihood Programme, Tanzania

Seeds of Survival: Nguru Forest and Livelihood Programme, Tanzania

Partner: PAMS Foundation
Years: 2025-2028

The Nguru Forest and Livelihood Programme is a community-based initiative aimed at restoring natural forests in Tanzania’s Nguru Mountains implemented by PAMS Foundation. The programme integrates forest restoration, agroforestry and forest protection. It seeks to restore biodiversity, ecological connectivity, and ecosystem functioning while improving local livelihoods, resilience, and food security.

This project takes place within the Eastern Arc Mountains, a globally significant biodiversity hotspot known for its high endemism rate. In the last 200 years, over 70% of the natural forest has been lost. It remains under severe pressure, with Mkingu Forest Nature Reserve (23,888 ha) and Kanga Forest Reserve (7,183 ha) threatened by encroachment and illegal logging. Surrounding areas are heavily degraded due to slash-and-burn farming.
By working with communities, the programme promotes sustainable land use and forest regeneration. The programme has already replanted 250 ha of farmland with native tree species and initiated some forest protection. The Seeds of Survival Project specifically focuses on protecting, studying, and restoring 48 threatened tree species in the Nguru landscape, serving as a key pillar of the broader Nguru Forest and Livelihood Program. This is achieved by safeguarding existing threatened trees, collecting vital ecological data (location, phenology, sex), and also propagating and replanting these species as part of the restoration efforts.
These are the species safeguarded under this project: Allanblackia ulugurensis (VU), Allophylus groteI (EN), Allophylus melliodorus (VU), Allophylus vestitus (EN), Aoranthe penduliflora (VU), Baphia semseiana (EN), Bertiera pauloi (VU), Bussea eggelingii (EN), Campylospermum sacleuxii (VU), Campylospermum schefflera (VU), Coffea mongensis (EN), Cola discoglypremnophylla (EN), Cola scheffleri (VU), Craterispermum longipedunculatum (VU), Diospyros amanuensis (VU), Empogona acidophylla (VU), Encephalartos kanga (CR), Garcinia semseii (EN), Isoberlinia scheffleri (VU), Isolona heinsenii (VU), Khaya anthotheca (VU), Lasianthus glomeruliflorus (EN), Lasianthus pedunculatus (VU), Lobelia ritabeaniana (VU), Lukea triciae (EN), Meineckia nguruensis (VU), Memecylon cogniauxii (VU), Millettia sacleuxii (EN), Millettia semseii (VU), Morinda asteroscepa (VU), Podocarpus henkelii (EN), Polyscias stuhlmannii (EN), Prunus africana (VU), Pycnocoma macrantha (EN), Rytigynia eickii (VU), Sorindeia calantha (VU), Syzygium parvulum (EN), Tetrorchidium ulugurense (CR), Uvariodendron gorgonis (EN), Uvariodendron usambarense (EN), Uvariopsis lovettiana (EN), Vangueria pallidiflora (VU), Vepris amaniensis (VU), Vitex mossambicensis (VU), Warneckea amaniensis (VU), Warneckea schliebenii (EN), Zanthoxylum deremense (VU).