Figure 7: Tree planting day at Govera Primary School, 6 July 2023 - Understanding community engagement in forest restoration in rural Zimbabwe through intercultural dialogue and participatory action research

<p dir="ltr">The decades-long decline of certain tree species in previously densely forested areas of Zimbabwe suggests that the forest’s capacity to regenerate itself sustainably is at risk. In an ecologically depleted, rural region outside Harare, Zimbabwe, community members created a tree nursery site, Trees of Hope (https://treesofhopeinzimbabwe.org), in 2019, where indigenous saplings now flourish as part of a locally valued sustainability plan. From 2023 to 2025, an intercultural, cross-disciplinary, learning initiative—Exploring and Exchanging Communications about Trees (EECAT)—investigated how reforestation practices are understood locally with partners comprising a primary school, a permaculture organisation, researchers from universities in Zimbabwe, South Africa and the UK, a UK community interest company, and an advocate of youth-led climate-resilient agriculture. Participatory action research captured shifts in understanding the value of trees between generations, and between formal and informal sectors engaged in climate change response. Participants’ reflections both on and through their actions include tensions between respecting and adapting traditional cultural practices within their communal lands.</p><p dir="ltr">This item contains:</p><p dir="ltr">Figure 7: Tree planting day at Govera Primary School, 6 July 2023, from the multi-authored article: ‘Understanding Community Engagement in Forest Restoration in Rural Zimbabwe Through Intercultural Dialogue and Participatory Action Research’, by Amanda Bayley, Nick Clough,Crispen Dirwai, Philemon Manatsa, and Jane Tarr.Published in the <i>Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa</i>. Fall 2025.</p><p dir="ltr">Figure copyright © Crispen Dirwai.</p><p dir="ltr">The project title is: Exploring and Exchanging Communications About Trees (EECAT). Funded by Bath Spa University.</p>