The Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust (VSPT) in partnership with Mvule Trust is constructing a tree nursery and conservation outreach program in Kyambura. The VSPT will host and supervise the project while Mvule Trust will fund it.

Kyambura is one of many densely populated communities neighboring Queen Elizabeth National Park in southwest Uganda. Communities in this area have depleted most of their natural resources included trees, wetlands and clean waterways. This is mainly because the local people are not well educated about the value of the resources that they have.

Trees have an ecological and environmental value: they control the climate by moderating the effects of the sun, rain and wind as well as providing oxygen, improving air quality, climate amelioration, conserving water, preserving soil and supporting wildlife. "One acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen. This is enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people," according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

The tree nursery and conservation outreach project aims to establish a large nursery of 400,000 indigenous trees in Kyambura on VSPT land adjacent to the National Park. The young trees will be handed out to community members living along Queen Elizabeth National Park and also planted in the VSPT 100 acre restoration area along the Kyambura Gorge.

The forestry team will lead education programs at local primary schools so that children learn the importance of trees to their environment and how to plant and care for them from a very early age.

With enough education, outreach and promotion our goal is to produce 400,000 seedlings in 2014 and make the project self-sustaining through tree sales by the end of July 2015.