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Project "Watu na Msitu" - Tanzania's Links with Italy

The resources of Botanic Gardens can often be useful to improving the well-being of very distant communities, usually through working with local organisations in these areas.

The botanic gardens of the Trento Natural History Museum, Italy, illustrate this well. They are part of a project near the Uzwanga Scarp Forest Reserve in Tanzania, in partnership with Tanzanian NGOs, forestry and park authorities, and local authorities.

This project "Watu na Msitu" (which means People and Forest) began in 2004 and will run until at least mid-2006. The project has many aspects, including: environmental education activities, micro-projects for income generation alternatives to forest exploitation (such as fuel-wood saving brick-making, and the keeping of small livestock), the establishment of community tree nurseries, and eco-tourism.

The museum is also introducing its local community about Tanzania: a greenhouse especially dedicated to the Tanzanian flora is being developed in the museum new main site and will be open to the public in 2009.

Source: C.Bonomi (survey response).