Our Visit to Kenya
How tree planting is transforming communities and ecosystems
In October 2024, three members of neon and its community – neon employees Michèle and Mathias, and neon green user and council member Arnaud – travelled to Kenya to visit one of the neon green tree-planting sites managed by the NGO Eden: People+Planet (previously Eden Reforestation Projects). More than three years after the launch of neon green, we wanted to see the concrete result of our commitment with our own eyes.
The neon green community plants trees as they use the neon green card: For every 500 CHF spent with the neon green card, one tree is planted. Our goals on this journey were to collect evidence on how these trees are making an impact, and to get answers from Eden: People+Planet to the most popular questions about reforestation among our neon green users. In this blog article, we summarise the answers we received and the insights we gained on how tree planting can, beyond a purely ecological impact, also greatly improve the daily lives of the local communities. You will also find a video gathering answers and footage collected during the trip to provide you with increased transparency and a chance to immerse yourself in our mangrove planting site in Tudor Creek.
Hands-on, feet in the mud
Our trip to Kenya to gather evidence and answers from Eden: People+Planet took place from 7 to 10 October 2024. On 8 October, after an early start and a boat ride through the dense mangrove canals, we arrived at Tudor Creek, our plantation site, at around 7am. We received a warm welcome from the Eden team and the local community, in the already intense heat.
A mangrove plantation site is muddy, and you have to wear special shoes to reduce the risk of falling. To make us aware from the outset of the particular nature of the environment in which we found ourselves, Eden suggested that we plant mangrove seedlings ourselves. It was a challenging experience that gave us great respect for the local planters who do this every day. As we waded through the mud, asking questions and capturing images for our neon green community, the transformation of this ecosystem became very real for the three of us.
Collecting answers
During the two half days spent onsite, we had time to deep dive into various aspects of the reforestation and its impact. You will find below the popular neon green community questions and a summary of the answers provided by Eden, which removed some of the nagging doubts we had.If you want to see the full answers from Eden's representatives, you can watch our video.
Q: What are the biggest threats to the young trees you plant, and how do you address these challenges?
Andrew, Deputy Regional Director for Asia and Africa: One of the biggest challenges is climate change, which has increased the risk of landslides, wildfires, floods, and prolonged droughts. These unpredictable shifts make it challenging to plan reforestation activities. Fortunately, nature-based solutions like restoration and climate-smart agriculture help build resilience within the communities. Our approach prioritises both restoring landscapes and creating conditions where communities can sustain and protect these.
Q: How do you measure and report the progress of planting projects at Eden?
David, Mangrove Restoration Manager: At Eden, our monitoring approach covers ecological, economical, and governance aspects. On the ecological side, we have a robust system that tracks key indicators over the long term. This includes measuring forest cover growth, biodiversity changes, and soil health. For example, every six months we assess survival rates; if these fall below 70%, we implement adaptive management practices. We’ve observed encouraging signs, like increased fish and bird populations, indicating that the environment is rebounding.
Economically, we monitor community impact by surveying residents on changes to their livelihoods. Employment through Eden enables locals to start businesses, increase savings, and engage in sustainable practices like fishing and beekeeping. This is more than a job – it’s an investment in lasting, self-sustaining economic growth.
Andrew: Additionally, we monitor factors unique to each community and ecosystem, such as access to education and community participation in governance. This comprehensive tracking ensures we’re creating a lasting positive impact tailored to each landscape’s needs.
Q: Can you share some success stories from local communities involved in the project?
David: One of our favourite success stories is how employment through Eden has empowered the community. Many can now afford essentials like school fees and healthcare. We also provide medical insurance, which has improved access to quality healthcare. Through these jobs, we’re creating a positive cycle of opportunity and support.
Q: What keeps you motivated to work on this project?
Joan, Country Director: For generations, people living near the mangrove forests have depended on these ecosystems for their livelihoods. However, recent years have seen increasing degradation, with harvesting surpassing natural restoration. Knowing that the community relies on mangroves for survival, Eden has partnered with them to restore and sustainably manage the forest. We see this as an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy – a skill set within the community to balance what’s harvested with what’s restored, ensuring this resource is preserved for future generations.
Q: How does Eden keep stakeholders informed, and what steps are taken to ensure transparency?
Joan: Transparency is a core value for us. Our reporting standards ensure that all relevant data is shared with stakeholders, including sponsors and Eden team members across different offices. Occasionally, unique events might require additional updates. For instance, if a fire impacts a restoration site, we provide a special report detailing what was lost and what recovery efforts are needed. Our goal is to keep all parties informed, open, and engaged in our mission.
Q: Eden is shifting from tree planting to landscape protection. Why the change?
Andrew, Deputy Regional Director for Asia and Africa: Over recent years, Eden has transitioned from a narrow reforestation focus to a broader, landscape-based restoration approach. This shift lets us plan projects over longer periods – 15 to 20 years instead of the typical 5 to 10. This broader vision allows us to integrate forestry work with community needs and economic development, such as connecting farmers to markets and creating sustainable value chains. Forests are part of larger landscapes, which include agricultural areas, urban spaces, and more. By embracing a landscape-based approach, we can plan for a sustainable future across entire regions, creating intentional and lasting connections between people and the land.
Q: In some cases, nature can regenerate on its own. Does it always make sense to plant trees manually, or are there instances where letting them grow naturally is better?
Andrew: At Eden, we’re constantly weighing different restoration strategies. Restoration is complex, and the best outcomes often come from using a mix of approaches. For example, in mangrove areas, degradation can happen quickly, so we may need to take direct action by planting propagules or seedlings. But afterward, natural regeneration often takes over within two or three years, with significant growth and biodiversity increase.
Whenever possible, we prefer natural regeneration, as it aligns with the forest’s own evolutionary processes. Our role is to jump-start this process and create conditions that allow nature to thrive independently over time. This mix of intervention and natural succession is key to long-term sustainability.
Q: Looking back at one of your oldest sites, how has it developed over time? What other positive side effects have you observed beyond just reforestation?
Andrew: Some of our oldest sites are in Madagascar, where we have seen the benefits of restoration over many years. In mangrove estuaries, for instance, the need for our active intervention has decreased, as natural processes have taken over. Economically, restored mangroves have revitalised fishing, making it a profitable trade again. Environmentally, we’re seeing multi-aged stands of mangroves and increased biodiversity, including bird species returning to the area. These developments indicate that the ecosystem is thriving independently, which is our ultimate goal.
A commitment to transparency
Our visit to Kenya reinforced our commitment to transparency and accountability in the neon green initiative. Seeing the on-the-ground impact of every tree planted confirmed that we’re making a difference not only environmentally, but also socially. We had left with a backpack of questions, sometimes a suspicious eye, and we came back highly motivated from the impact we all observed on site.
Our neon green user Arnaud also spontaneously wrote his own testimonial of the trip and how it raised his awareness of the impact the neon green account has. You can read his blog post here. Please note that this article was not requested nor rephrased – you read Arnaud’s words, simply translated for non French-speaking readers.
If you are looking for more evidence or more transparency, you can learn more about neon green in our blog or read this interesting, if somewhat older, Forbes article.