At the Nyongoro-plantation the operation is mechanized compared to the way things are done in Kiambere. One reason is the fact that the area is sparsely populated, which means Better Globe Forestry has a hard time to find enough workers.

Still, it would be hard to mechanize operations such as land clearing, pitting (that is, drilling holes for the seedlings), weed control and watering if the lands were rocky and/or very muddy.  Luckily, it isn’t. The soil conditions are just right for mechanization!

This bulldozer is part of the fleet of heavy equipment at Nyongoro, consisting of three bulldozers and eight tractors. There is still a need for manual labor though, especially for planting, pruning, seedling production, and security. The trees at the plantation are planted with just the right distance so the bulldozer can manage weed control in an efficient way, and the tractors can supply the seedlings with water (only necessary for the first year, after that the young trees can manage on their own).

There is a story about this bulldozer, one I would love to share with you, but it’s better suited for verbal than written storytelling. If you wanna hear it, reach out and I’ll set up a Zoom-call with you, ok? Curious?

Advent Calendar for 2019: sharing pictures and stories/reflections from my trip to Kenya in June. I went to visit “my trees” and get a hands-on experience of the social entrepreneurship of the Kenyan forestry company that I buy trees through.

Full disclosure: I am proud to say I am both a customer and an ambassador for the company. If you are curious to find out more, let me know and I’ll gladly get in touch with you! Here’s my sponsored link: https://betterglobe.com/27216