To the friends, members and supporters of Community Forests International,

I write to you now from Pemba as thousands of trees, helped by thousands of villagers begin their journey from seedling to forest. It’s the rainy season here, my favorite time of year. Months of hard work in the nurseries culminate during the rainy season when Tanzanians head to degraded parts of the island Pemba, and plant trees in an effort to improve their household incomes, and the natural environment they depend on.

For those of you that don’t know, my fellows at CFI and I have been working since 2006 to help communities plant trees in Pemba, Tanzania. We took an idea and created opportunity. With limited resources we developed a process that depends on the resources around us, challenging the handout model used by so many aid organizations. We worked with our communities, not above them – they’re the drivers of change. We found a local forester and a few Pemban green thumbs and taught those around us how to collect seed from the natural forest. We built simple tree growing nurseries and planted the trees we grew. We worked with the Tanzanian Government to pass ownership of the land we planted onto the communities that worked the soil. We did it together.

As a result, the trees, the skills, the knowledge and the land we’ve toiled now belongs to the communities we work to serve. Although our long-term goal is complete financial sustainability, we do have monetary requirements and I’d like to sincerely thank those of you who’ve supported us along the way. If you’d like to help our cause, I urge you to consider a financial contribution. The gaps in our budget are often filled by those who can afford them the least – our dedicate volunteers, both Canadian and Pemban alike.

Speaking of fundraising, after two years of effort we’ve managed to raise the funds necessary to purchase a vehicle in Pemba. It’s been very hard to travel to rural Pemban villages without our own transportation and we’re all very excited for the flexibility a vehicle affords us. Thank-you to everyone that donated to the cause.

In Canada, Community Forests International is gearing up for a summer jammed packed full of sustainable forestry programming. We’ll be offering our Ecological Forestry Course again this year, as well as courses in Food Forest Gardening, Wildcrafting Native Plants, Private Land Wildlife Conservation, Mushroom Cultivation and the Selection and Propagation of Native Plants. Check our website often for updates on our summer workshop schedule.

On May 28, we challenge individuals and businesses in Canada to take action against climate change. CFI is launching a tree-planting campaign in conjunction with municipalities, businesses, and community members in an effort to beautify and restore our local environment. We are not alone on the planet, and we are not alone in the fight. On May 28, CFI will be planting with partners in Uganda, Pemba, New Brunswick and Ontario, demonstrating that local action can build a global movement for positive change. Our partners in this project include Community Forests Pemba, Slint-Uganda, DIALOG and the Saint John Free School. Get involved or check out the buzz on our facebook page and twitter feed.

Please circulate this newsletter. I thank-you on behalf of Community Forests International, all this is made possible through your continued support,

Jeff Schnurr
Community Forests International

Ps – For those of you in the Sackville, NB area, we’re offering a tree-care and ecological landscaping service to support our charitable efforts. If you’d like to improve your own natural environment and help Pemba in the process, visit ecoscapeatlantic.com for more details.