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Kenya Reforestation Project
Site
Old Kijabe Town (Aspiration 1)
Reforestation Conservation 110,09 ha

The Old Kijabe Town (Aspiration 1) reforestation site is located in the Kijabe Forest, near Kijabe town in Kiambu County, Kenya. This is a government gazetted forest and provides a clear land tenure system, ensuring its preservation and management over time.

The Kijabe Forest is a dry highland forest and is part of the eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot. It serves as a transition zone between mesic upland forests and drier savannah habitats in eastern Africa. The forest has a wide variety of flora and fauna, including important tree species such as East African sandalwood, African olive, and African pencil cedar. Some of the animals that can be found in Kijabe Forest include leopard, spotted hyena, Maasai bushbuck, suni, eland, honey badger, aardvark, and black and white colobus monkeys. Birdlife International has classified Kijabe Forest as a Kikuyu Escarpment Forest Important Bird Area. The forest provides important ecological services to nearby towns, including hydrological services, carbon cycling, soil stabilization, and forest products such as fuelwood, seeds, and honey, benefiting over 200,000 residents in this watershed.

Although the forest previously was a closed-canopy area, many of the hills and steep slopes are now almost entirely devoid of trees. The forest has been heavily logged and targeted for charcoal production, resulting in many of the hills and steep slopes being almost entirely devoid of trees. The steepness of the ridge, coupled with erosion, has become a severe issue in the last few years. Furthermore, the escarpment base's plateaus have become quite dry and degraded grasslands. Therefore, the planting of acacias and other heat- and drought-tolerant species is necessary to help with soil conservation and withstand grazing pressure from livestock.

Eden Reforestation Projects facilitate ecosystem restoration and community development in the area by implementing nature-based solutions, collaborating with communities, mitigating climate change, and enabling people to restore their natural habitat.