In Desa'a simple water-harvesting techniques—such as microbasins, mini dams, and stone-and-sandbag structures—restore soil moisture, reduce erosion, and support tree seedling growth in degraded landscapes.

Camera traps are helping monitor the remarkable wildlife comeback in Desa’a, Ethiopia, where six years of forest restoration have transformed a once-collapsing landscape into a thriving refuge—now home again to the leopard.

Dik-diks are small, alert antelopes that were recently spotted in Desa'a.

Miheret W. and her family are awaiting their first apple crop after joining WeForest’s livelihoods scheme in 2021, when they received 5 apple tree seedlings and other species to diversify their homestead into a productive agroforestry system.

This recent video from the team in Desa'a shows an area that was planted in 2020.

Last year we started to register the presence of wildlife in our restoration areas. So far, spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) and caracal cats (Caracal caracal) have been captured on camera!

Desa’a has approximately 90 tree species, but the old-growth forests here are dominated by Juniperus procera and Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata.

Almaz M., 58, has been engaged in beekeeping and agroforestry since 2021. She harvested 31kg of honey from her 3 bee colonies in 2023 and now has a fourth colony.

Some of our households do contain men! Gebremedhin B., 55, is carrying out agroforestry, having received multipurpose and high-value (apple) tree seedlings in 2022.

Azmera G., 38, received 3 ewes from WeForest in 2020 – and after three and a half years, she had 18 sheep!