ECO Design Studio · Tree planting initiative
Let's fill rural Kenya with indigenous trees.
Sponsor a tree to be planted on a family farm, at a village school or on community land. It's a species that belongs here, raised in a local nursery, and a local planter is paid to keep it alive. You choose where it grows, or leave it to us.
Get started today
Choose how you'd like to help
Sponsor a tree yourself, back a planting a school or village group is raising for, or bring your business on board.
Sponsor a tree
Pick where your tree grows: a family farm, a village school or community land. We'll match it with a species that suits the site and tell you when it's in the ground.
Sponsor a treeBack a local planting
Schools, women's groups and youth groups raise money for their own plantings. See who's raising now and help them reach their goal.
Back a plantingBusiness sponsorship
Whether it's a single tree or a whole grove, we'd love to hear from businesses and organisations who want to help green rural Kenya.
Find out moreWhy indigenous
Trees that belong here, not just trees that grow fast.
An indigenous tree does more than add green. Fast-growing exotics are often planted for quick timber, and some can be thirsty. Species that evolved in Kenya suit local soils and rainfall, and give back to the land and the people around them.
Made for the land
Adapted to local soils and rainfall, so once established they need less watering and fewer inputs.
A home for wildlife
Native birds, bees and other pollinators rely on native trees for food and shelter.
Valued by communities
Many are already prized for fruit, fodder, medicine, shade and timber, which gives families a reason to protect them.
Healthier soil and water
Deep roots hold soil in place during heavy rains and help water soak into the ground.
What we plant
The species we're starting with
A shortlist of trees native to Kenya, chosen for different altitudes and rainfall. The final mix for each site is agreed with local nurseries and the community.
Mukinduri
Croton megalocarpus
A shade and windbreak tree that establishes quickly. Its seeds are pressed for oil.
Muu
Markhamia lutea
An upright tree planted along farm edges for poles, timber and shade.
Mueri
Prunus africana
A highland forest tree whose bark is valued in traditional medicine.
Muthiga
Warburgia ugandensis
The East African greenheart. Its leaves and bark are used in traditional remedies.
Mukau
Melia volkensii
A drought-tolerant timber tree suited to semi-arid areas.
Podo
Podocarpus falcatus
A slow-growing native conifer, once common in Kenya's highland forests.
Local names vary between communities. We'll list the exact species planted at each site in our updates.
The planter incentive
We pay for trees that live, not just trees that go in the ground.
Planting a seedling is the easy part. The first year or two decide whether it becomes a tree. So part of every donation is held back as a care incentive, paid to the local planter at each survival check.
- 1
At planting
Each seedling is planted, tagged and photographed with its location. The planter receives the first part of the incentive.
[X]% paid - 2
Six-month check
We visit and count every tree still alive and healthy. The planter is paid for each survivor.
[X]% paid per surviving tree - 3
Twelve-month check
The final payment goes out for each tree that has made it through its first year. Seedlings that died are replaced.
[X]% paid per surviving tree
Why it works
When keeping a tree alive is paid work, watering, weeding and fencing out livestock stop being a favour and become a small, reliable income.
- Paid straight to planters by M-Pesa
- Open to households, schools and community groups
- Care payments are only made for trees that survive
How it works
From your donation to a tree in the ground
You give
Donate once or monthly, by card from the UK or by M-Pesa in Kenya.
We buy local seedlings
Seedlings are raised in community nurseries near each site, so the money stays in the area.
Planting days
Local planters put trees on farms, school grounds and community land during the rains.
We report back
After each survival check we share photos, locations and how many trees made it.
Sponsor a tree
Give what you can towards the next planting.
You choose where your tree grows. Every gift is split between the seedling and the care incentive that keeps it alive. Give once, or monthly to fund a planting every season.
Your sponsorship includes
- An indigenous seedling chosen to suit the site
- Raised in a community nursery close to where it's planted
- Planted by a local planter during the rains
- A care incentive paid to the planter at each survival check
- Photo and location updates after planting and at every check
- Your name, or a name you choose, in the planting report
The exact species can change depending on nursery stock and conditions at the site. Your tree will be planted in the next planting season after your gift.
Where the money goes
Every shilling and pound, accounted for
We'll publish a simple breakdown after each planting season, alongside the survival numbers.
Seedlings
Bought from community nurseries close to each planting site.
Planter incentives
Paid by M-Pesa to planters at each survival check.
Tools and protection
Transport, tools and guards to keep livestock off young trees.
Checks and reporting
Site visits, photos and the updates we send to donors.
For businesses and teams
Plant a grove with your team
Fund a planting as a company, a client gift or an event. We'll send a planting report with photos, species and locations that you can share with your team and customers.
- Named team grove
- Planting-day visit in Kenya
- Shareable planting report
Questions
Good to know
We've tried to answer everything here. Something we haven't covered? Email us at [EMAIL].
Where will my tree be planted?
You choose: a family farm, a village school, community land, or wherever it's needed most. We're starting in [COUNTY], rural Kenya, working with [COMMUNITY PARTNER], and every update includes the exact location. If a site turns out to be unsuitable, we'll plant your tree at the nearest suitable one.
Do I get a choice of tree?
We choose the species to suit the site, because altitude, rainfall and soil decide what will thrive. Tell us if you have a favourite from our list and we'll use it where it fits.
Who plants the tree, and who looks after it?
A local household, school or community group. They plant it during the rains and are paid a care incentive by M-Pesa at planting and at each survival check, for trees that are still alive.
What happens if my tree dies or is damaged?
No incentive is paid for that tree, and we replace it at the next planting, so your gift still ends up as a living tree.
Do I own the tree?
No. The tree belongs to the family, school or community whose land it grows on. That's the point: people look after what's theirs, and the fruit, shade and fodder stay with them.
Can I plant a tree in someone's name?
Yes. Add a name when you sponsor and we'll include it in the planting report. It makes a good gift, or a way to remember someone.
Can a group, school or business sponsor trees?
Yes. Groups can pool their gifts, schools and village groups can raise money for their own planting, and businesses can sponsor anything from one tree to a whole grove. Email [EMAIL] to talk it through.
Can I come to the planting?
Planting days happen during the rains, and we'd love you there. Get in touch before the season starts and we'll let you know dates and how to reach the site.
Can I give by M-Pesa?
Yes. Choose KES in the form, or pay directly to Paybill [NUMBER] with Account TREES.
Is ECO Design Studio a registered charity?
[State your status here, for example: "This is a studio-led initiative, not a registered charity, so donations aren't tax-deductible."]
If it's useful, help us grow something.
ECO Design Studio is planting indigenous trees in rural Kenya. Give what you can towards the next planting, and a local planter will be paid to see it through.
Donate to plant trees A project by ECO Design Studio, London and Nairobi.