Afforestation is the planting of trees in regions where trees were not there and reforestation is the planting of trees in regions that had forest but were destroyed either through natural sources or through human activities. Kilifi County has been losing its forest cover over the last years. In 2010 the forest cover was 173kHa which translates to 14% of its land cover. In 2022, it lost 590 ha of the tree cover equivalent to 180 kt CO2 emissions according to Global Forest Forest. From 2001 to 2022, Kilifi lost 26.8kha of tree cover. 

 The loss of this forest cover has been due to economic activity and settlement of the new residents. Magarini, leading in the rate of forest cover, is caused by charcoal burning in the region which is the economic activity in the region. 

As onemilliontrees4kilifi  we are engaging the residents mostly from Magarini in reforestation, this is done through training of the community members in setting up of the  seedlings beds. After the community members have acquired the skills of tree planting we educate them on the best strategy of planting the trees and the importance of doing so. We are targeting to plant 150 Ha in 5 years which will help in increasing the forest cover which was lost. We also encourage the residents who have cleared their land in order to build structures and do farming to also plant trees in the homestead. Small regions which have trees when combined will help to get more forest cover. 

Because the residents in Magarini do charcoal burning as a way of earning their daily bread we create awareness on alternative  ways of earning. One of them being setting up seedbeds and buying the seeds from them for planting. A shift in the economical activities in this region ill help to protect the remaining area covered by the forest. The importance of afforestation and reforestation include 

• Improving air quality. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutants from the air, which can help to improve air quality.
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Trees store carbon dioxide, which helps to mitigate the effects of climate change.
• Protecting water quality. Trees help to filter water and prevent erosion, which can help to protect water quality.
• Providing habitats for wildlife. Trees provide homes for a variety of animals, including birds, insects, and small mammals.
• Reducing the risk of flooding. Trees help to absorb rainwater and prevent flooding.