In Ingung Kapia, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we plant native tree species on degraded soils to restore biodiversity and create meaningful employment for local communities through manual planting work. Since we began in 2022, our reforestation program has taken on the challenge of restoring the natural environment and preventing further des...Read more
In Ingung Kapia, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we plant native tree species on degraded soils to restore biodiversity and create meaningful employment for local communities through manual planting work. Since we began in 2022, our reforestation program has taken on the challenge of restoring the natural environment and preventing further desertification of the region. Looking ahead, our long-term vision includes well-considered forest management, designed to relieve pressure on DR Congo's precious old-growth jungle.
Our planting target is 1,000 trees per hectare at survival, achieved by initially planting 1,250 trees per hectare to account for natural loss. The species mix is intentionally diverse, combining native forest trees to support soil recovery and ecological resilience. The full list of species planted includes:
Millettia laurentii (Wenge)
Cassia siamea & Cassia floribunda
Pentaclethra macrophylla (Owes)
Piptodeniastrum africanum (Osing)
Hevea brasiliensis
Uapaca mole (Ontang)
Canarium schweinfurtii (Mbidi)
Prioria balsamifera (Mwana Mpembe)
Ricinodendron heudelotii (Ongiel)
Erythrophleum gabonensis (Onkok)
Guibourtia demeusei (Ladzum)
Paramacrolobium coelucum (Obwar Osur)
Prioria oxyphylla (Tshitola)
Pterocarpus soyauxii (Padouk)
Ceiba pentandra (Obel)
Milicia excelsa (Mulundu)
Leplaea cedrata
Pachira aquatica (Nguba Mindele)
Staudtia kamerunensis
Ongokea gore (Ndeke)
Acacia auriculiformis
Acacia mangium
Maesopsis eminii
Gilbertiodendron dewevrei (Labong)
Dacryodes normandii
Celtis tessmannii
Pycnanthus angolensis
Nauclea diderrichii
Pericopsis elata (Afromosia)
Millettia drastica
Coffea arabica & Coffea robusta
Autranella congolensis
Entandrophragma gabonense (Tiama Blanc)
Khaya grandifoliola
Treculia africana
Combretum welwitschii
Afzelia bipindensis
Millettia versicolor (Ablo)
Olong
Obol
Mbem
Dileka
Nkokoking
The full reforestation plot spans 52.5 hectares. We began planting in 2022, and by the end of 2024 the entire plot was fully funded, a milestone we are incredibly proud of.
This work is made possible by a dedicated team of 150 day laborers (136 men and 14 women) from the local community, ensuring that forest restoration directly translates into livelihoods and long-term investment in the land by the people who depend on it most.