Bringing smiles across the miles, this large scale mangrove planting exercise helps battle climate change and wins our support!
Project Update – All of the mangrove planting has now been finished – read more about its success
The final phase of mangrove planting has now taken place at Tanbi Wetland, and we’re thrilled to announce the completion and success of this amazing project, which has resulted in the planting of 150,000 saplings over 25 hectares of wetland! Congratulations to organisers CAPED- Gambia and all who worked hard to achieve this incredible exercise. It has been a pleasure to support such a worthwhile cause. Thank you to all our customers for their carbon offset contributions which helped us raise £25,500. Over 200 women who are rice and oyster farmers, fishermen, and the entire Soma community are expected to benefit directly from the project. A hectare of mangroves can produce over four tonnes of fish, three tonnes of oysters, and crabs, as well as other seafood.
Through our Carbon Offset Scheme, we’re thrilled to support a large-scale mangrove planting operation in The Gambia in collaboration with *CAPED (Community Action Platform on Environment and Development). At Soma, south of the River Gambia, over 150,000 propagules will be planted to restore 15 ha of degraded wetland.
Planting began on December 27th and 28th and will continue this month, bringing together the young and old. The goal is to restore the damaged ecosystem within the area and to help combat and mitigate the effects of climate change by: increasing the availability of fish, crabs, and oysters; providing a safe habitat for marine life; supporting biodiversity; and reclaiming vast hectares of rice fields that were lost to salt intrusion.
Over 200 women who are rice and oyster farmers, fishermen, and the entire community are expected to benefit directly from this great project. A hectare of mangroves can produce over four tonnes of fish, three tonnes of oysters, and crabs, as well as other seafood.
From its base in rural Gambia, *CAPED-Gambia operates as a grass roots non-profit organisation, which was founded by inspirational conservationist Momodou Inkeh Bah. Aged just 36, Bah received the Commonwealth Point of Light 200 award in October 2021 from 10 Downing Street, in recognition of his shining example of making positive environmental change. CAPED’s focus on agriculture, environment, public health, education, and youth empowerment within The Gambia has had great impact, and its mangrove planting project is the latest one of several impressive schemes we have supported in recent years.
In addition to supporting tree planting, which, as well as offsetting carbon emissions, provides vital food, fruit, and medicine for communities, we have taken pride in demonstrating our ethical ethos through our own Community Development Fund (CDF). Set up to provide funding and support to villages by matching customer donations and contributing funds in exchange for completed customer holiday questionnaires, our projects have also included the implementation of solar power to villages along with the construction of school facilities.
And so, we’d like to say a very big thank you to all our customers who help us in our mission to give something back to The Gambia!
For more information on The Gambia Experience’s Carbon Offset Scheme and Community Development Fund click here.
A recent BBC short documentary, reported and produced by Jean Otalor, BBC, highlights the plight of the oyster farmers. Our carbon offset scheme and the work undertaken by CAPED is so important to these women.
