Restoring Nature, Strengthening Communities

Senegal's landscapes, once rich with diverse woodland and savanna ecosystems, have been significantly degraded by decades of agricultural expansion and peanut monoculture, leaving rural communities increasingly vulnerable. Across the Kédougou region and the Salémata Department, including Dakately, Salémata, Darou Salam, and Kewey, the loss of tree cover has depleted soils and left farmers exposed to drought and climate variability. Through community-led agroforestry, farmers blend traditional knowledge with restoration practices to bring life back to these lands, offering alternative livelihoods while rebuilding ecosystems and generating lasting food security and economic resilience.

Across Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique, mangroves protect the coast from flooding and erosion and shelter the young fish and prawns that local fisheries rely on. In recent decades, over-harvesting and land conversion are endangering these forests and putting these ecosystems at risk. With local partners, the Foundation supports community-led mangrove restoration that creates paid work for sustainable stewardship. Over time, the restored forests can safeguard the coastline for generations and support alternative livelihoods for nearby communities.

Across Western Canada, these projects restore landscapes shaped by wildfire and decades of agricultural use.

In Alberta, wildfire devastated the Sawle Lake region, burning over 590,000 hectares of forested land. With our partners, we are restoring the area and supporting its long-term sustainability.

In Saskatchewan, Stillwater Farms near Craik is restoring under-utilized farmland by planting shelterbelts and micro-forests. This improves habitat for birds and pollinators, reduces wind and soil erosion.

Michigan's forests are a cornerstone of the state's rural communities, playing a vital economic and ecological role. This crucial restoration initiative focuses on red pine, a keystone species. Each year, as part of the natural growth cycle, 70 to 90-year-old red pine plantations on state land are replanted with red pine seedlings, rapidly re-establishing these essential landscapes. Without active replanting, harvested sites can take decades to recover, losing wildlife habitat and watershed function in the meantime. This effort provides essential carbon sequestration and creates diverse wildlife habitats, supporting species dependent on pinecones and conifer canopies. Red pine forests are also vital to local economies.