My visit to the RCF's nursery in Amani Tropical Rainforest.
At last, after 1,5 year of supporting its work.
One of the most ancient Tropical Rainforests worldwide! |
...with Mr Barutti in the nursery!
Mr Barutti came and picked me up from Ambassador Hotel, at 9am, but we only left the city at late afternoon. We first had to take his truck to a service point for checking, at first, but then it turned to be that it had to be repaired. Of course, the necessary spares were not in stock, so someone had to go to Tanga, the closest big city, to get them. We spent the hole day walking around the city, buying food supplies in the central market, drinking tea and chatting. Climbing up the mountain to Amani Reserve was an experience.
sunk under deep, fresh mud... |
We arrived in the “nuns’ house” almost one hour after nightfall. It was a beautiful wooden construction pretty much similar to those of the Alps, surrounded by the rainforest of Amani!
The nuns' house. |
At Mr Barutti’s place –you cannot call this “a house”, as it is a huge plot, with various buildings and huts for visitors, apart from the main one- there is not power and running water. There were two big buckets in the showers, but not with hot water – the girl who stays here and has the duty to start a fire and heat the water (this is how I got hot water the next days) was already asleep when we got there. After a while, Mr Barutti said goodnight and entered his room.
The Amani Nature Reserve was created to protect the unique, biologically important submontane forest ecosystem of the East Usambara Mountains in Amani, Tanzania. The East Usambara Mountains form part of a chain of isolated mountains stretched in an arc around north-eastern Tanzania. The East Usambara covers an area of about 1300 km², (130,000 ha). Amani is located about 75 kilometres from Tanga municipality and 32 kilometers from Muheza town. The area is covered with tropical evergreen rain forest.
Amani Nature Reserve (ANR), in East Usmbara Mountains, is a paradise of nature with
unique flora and fauna. It has been termed as the "Last Paradise". The flora species composition is diverse; trees over 60 metres tall exist throughout the ANR while below, many different types of plant species are supported by them. The ANR is suitable for site seeing, hiking, camping, trekking, picnics boating fishing and learning. The Amani Nature Reserve has the largest botanical gardens in Africa. This garden was ...
read more, here
The forest in the daylight seemed extraordinary. I have never seen something like this before. I hope you will get an idea by the videos and the photos.
At last, in "the field"... |
In the afternoon, we visited RainforestConservationFund’s nursery, which was built and equipped totally out of funds coming from the organization, which is also employing the two local men who work, in daily basis, in the nursery.
In April, 2010, RCF added a new project to our rainforest conservation efforts, located near and around the Amani Nature Reserve, in surrounding forest fragments and farmland of the East Usambara Mountains of Tanzania. Led by RCF Advisor to the Board Dr. Norbert Cordeiro (Roosevelt University, Chicago) and Dr. Henry Ndangalasi (University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania), the project works with local residents from 3 villages to conserve and restore the threatened cloud forests and the biocultural diversity of the area. The main component of the RCF funded project is the planting of more than 30 native tree species on communal lands. Some of these lands are forest fragments that are enriched by the tree planting, while others are agroforestry systems that are rebuilding forest cover. To help raise local incomes, cinnamon and clove trees are also panted in the agroforestry systems. Local residents are well aware that restoring forest cover will also help them with wildlife, water and soil conservation.
read more about RCF & the Amani project, here
texts and photos,
by Dimitris Mamakos
more about Dimitris, here
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