Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration

Project achievements

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  Acacia tree nurseries

  Australian acacias bear edible seeds that can provide families with an alternative food source during the driest times of the year. Over the last couple of years a trial has been conducted in partnership with the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana to grow various acacia species under local conditions to determine which ones have the best potential for rapid growth and long-term survival. In total, 3,100 acacia seedlings from promising species and 1,200 moringa tree seedlings have now been provided to the community nurseries and they will be ready for transplanting on farmland in late 2016.

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  Composting

  160 farmers were taught how to compost using organic matter such as water, crop residues, manure and tree leaves. The important nutrients the compost adds to the soil help improve the soil structure so that it holds moisture for longer and provides better growing conditions for plants. A recent farm monitoring visit revealed that 60 percent of the farmers had prepared their organic compost in time for the next planting season.

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  Environment clubs

  The project in Ghana has helped to form and support environment clubs in eight schools in Talensi District, to inspire kids to care for their environment. Club members take part in a range of activities including tree planting, school clean-ups and environmental talks and quizzes. The club at one primary school has adopted the following saying as its motto: “When the last tree dies, the last man also dies”.

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  Firefighting

  Six communities in the district chose twenty volunteers each – ten male and ten female – to receive firefighting and bushfire management training. The 120 volunteers learned how to contain fires using simple tools like machetes to safely manage a fire’s path, protect the gains they’ve already achieved, and best manage fire-damaged land for a quick recovery. They also received protective gear and fire-fighting tools to take back to their communities.

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  Land preparation

  100 farmers from five communities completed training on improved land preparation techniques to help them improve soil fertility and crop yields. The training informed farmers of the negative impacts of traditional land preparation methods, such as the “slash and burn” technique, and promoted practices such as crop rotation, use of organic compost and creation of stone bunds.

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  Stone bunding

  Farmers were taught how to make stone bunds, which are simple conservation structures that help to reduce soil erosion and increase crop production. They slow down water run-off during rain, giving the water more time to soak into the ground. In areas such as Talensi, where erosion and lack of water are issues, stone bunds increase soil moisture and reduce the loss of soil and soil nutrients.