Key facts
Only One members are funding the planting of one million mangrove trees in Port Reitz creek.
The project is revitalizing the environment, lifting local communities out of extreme poverty, and combating climate change.
The El Niño ocean warming event of 1997 to 1998 led to widespread loss of mangrove forest in Port Reitz, so restoration is more important than ever.
Across Kenya, our mangrove planting partner Eden Reforestation Projects is transforming the lives of over 670 employees!
How the project works
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Eden Reforestation Projects connects with a community and creates relationships with local leaders who want their environment to thrive.
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The local community guides Eden Reforestation Projects to planting opportunities, builds citizens’ commitment to reforestation, and creatively overcomes restoration obstacles.
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Eden Reforestation Projects uses its Employ to Plant methodology, providing economic incentives and simple planting techniques to help the community restore its local environment and economy.
Become a member of Only One today to fund Eden Reforestation Projects’ work and take direct action to save the planet — planting your own ocean forests and coral reefs, and removing plastic and carbon pollution.
Project impact
All projects on Only One help save the ocean and fix the climate, and 100% of our members’ funds go to impact. Keep reading to discover how our “Restoring mangrove forests in Kenya” project is having a positive effect.
Biodiversity and ecosystems
Port Reitz creek is home to mangrove forests and exquisite reefs wrapping around the coastline. The El Niño ocean warming event of 1997 to 1998 destroyed many mangroves, and Port Reitz has been affected by illegal tree cutting, pollution, coral mining, and conversion of mangrove forest for aquaculture and bridge construction. Through mangrove planting, local Eden Reforestation Projects employees are helping restore Port Reitz’s coastal and marine ecosystems back to health.
Climate solutions
Mangrove trees are crucial allies in the fight against climate change. Growing in tropical and subtropical areas where land and ocean meet, mangrove forests are powerful greenhouse gas sponges and can store four times more carbon than rainforests on land. Over its 25-year growth lifetime, a mature mangrove tree removes roughly 0.3 tonnes of carbon. The one million mangrove trees planted in Port Reitz on behalf of Only One members will remove around 300,000 tonnes of carbon over their growth lifetime!
Community development
At the heart of Eden Reforestation Projects’ work is building relationships with local communities to inspire great commitment to tree planting in their country and a sense of ownership to protect their forests long term. Eden Reforestation Projects keeps its systems simple so they can be easily replicated and used by people with limited resources. Across Kenya, over 670 employees are empowered with fair wages.
Mangrove species
The mangrove species being planted in Port Reitz are native to Kenya and include Avicennia marina, Ceriops tagal, Rhizophora mucronata, and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza.
Sustainable Development Goals
By supporting the “Restoring mangrove forests in Kenya” project, Only One members’ funds go toward these 10 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Project reporting
Eden Reforestation Projects will send Only One an annual report on how the mangrove planting project is progressing. New photos of the tree planting site will be shared approximately every six months, so members of Only One will see their impact come to life as their mangroves grow! The number of employment days provided will be reported, and once planting has been completed, Eden Reforestation Projects will document the site using drone and/or ground photography, embedding GPS coordinates.
More about our mangrove planting partner
Eden Reforestation Projects works with local communities to restore forests on a massive scale, creating jobs, protecting ecosystems, and helping reverse climate change. Today, they operate in 11 countries and maintain planting levels even when faced with civic unrest, extreme weather, or wild animals. As Eden Reforestation Projects’ local employees restore the forest canopy, leaf litter, water, and wildlife return, and nature begins to heal. At the same time, communities facing extreme poverty have new opportunities for economic self-sufficiency, improved health, and education. Eden Reforestation Projects continues to scale and is on track to go from planting nearly a million trees per day to more than a billion trees per month!
