Seed2Tree: Conserving Seeds vs Growing Trees!

The hypocrisy around conservation these days is becoming hard to ignore. Everywhere you turn, people are talking about planting trees, yet very few have even the most basic understanding of seeds, tree types, or how certain species survive in specific environments. It feels hollow to claim the title of conservationist when you don’t care enough to learn about the actual plants you’re dealing with. Conservation should be about knowledge, curiosity, and connection—not just the buzzwords of carbon credits, fundraising, or political optics.

I was reminded of this recently when an officer proudly declared that he had overseen the planting of 10,000 trees at Maragoli Hills in the presence of the national Cabinet Secretary for Environment. On the surface, this sounds like a big win. But the reality is more complicated. Vihiga County has a unique ecological identity with many indigenous species that have evolved here for generations. Unfortunately, little effort has been made to document or promote these trees publicly. Shikuma, once a common medicinal plant in the region, has nearly disappeared. And yet, it served important ecological and cultural functions, just like many other local species now quietly fading away.

Kenya has incredible indigenous trees—Meru oak, African medlar, Albizia coriaria, Cordia sinensis, and more. These trees aren’t just decorative; they have histories, medicinal uses, cultural symbolism, and ecological importance. But they rarely get mentioned in conservation campaigns. Instead, we’re told about the number of seedlings planted, never their names, qualities, or chances of survival. Numbers are celebrated while knowledge is ignored.

This is exactly why Forezava Seed2Tree takes a different approach. Instead of chasing photo opportunities and inflated statistics, Seed2Tree encourages working with local farmers and community members to collect seeds, propagate them, and ensure they grow into healthy trees. The philosophy is simple: conservation is not about counting seedlings on planting day, it’s about ensuring that as many seeds as possible survive to become mature trees. That’s how real ecological impact is created—not by flashy announcements, but by patient, informed, community-driven action.

Seed2Tree also recognizes that seeds carry stories—stories of culture, of medicine, of ecosystems that held communities together for generations. Protecting and planting them is about protecting memory and identity, not just filling annual reports. That’s why seed.forezava.org was created: a platform where people can access information on conserving the environment through seeds, indigenous knowledge, and practical methods that actually work for our landscapes.

So yes, the official may boast of thousands of trees planted, but without a shift towards seed knowledge and survival, this kind of conservation remains more about image than impact. Real conservation starts with seeds, with stories, and with ensuring what is planted today will still stand tall tomorrow.

About Author: Kevin Makova