The Rau Forest Reserve on the southern slopes of Kilimanjaro
is home to many species of trees and animals. It is one of the few remaining
homes of the Oxystigma Msoo tree. This species whose range once covered
southern Kenya as well as Northern Tanzania has suffered from heavy
exploitation and is now found in very few areas. Oxystigma Msoo has been
included on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) redlist since 1998.
The team at Rau Eco Cultural Tourism is working hard to
ensure that the important work of conserving the rare species of the Rau Forest
Reserve continues. Our target is to
plant one million indigenous trees in the reserve by the year 2030. We fund
this important conservation work through the revenues generated by our
Ecological and Cultural Tourism activities. So far we have raised enough funds
to plant 3000 endangered Oxystigma Msoo trees at the edge of Rau Forest. Much
of the planting is done by local schoolchildren under the supervision of our
experienced guides. Our tourists are also able to get directly involved in this
work and join with the local community in our important tree planting projects.
Or if you just want to experience the beauty of this rare tree then please join
us in the knowledge that your support will help maintain this beauty for future
generations.
If you would like to join us on one of Eco tours or volunteer
with us or find out more about our important work then email us at rauecotours@gmail.com or come along to
one of our events and get involved.Conservation project in Kilimanjaro, East Africa
