Tree Talk, April 2005

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A TRAINING IN 2005 Do you run a CBO that grows trees? Are you a teacher growing school trees? Win a 3-day training at Nyabyeya Forestry College. Send photos and a letter about your tree growing to Tree Talk, Box 22366, Kampala by July 31.

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Do not plant Eucalyptus in wetlands. Wetlands are water granaries and home to the swamp palm. Swamp palms are useful and important trees that are threatened by over cutting.

Wood-saving stoves Hungry pupils? Students angry over food? Eating is a big issue in schools. Make your school happier. Improve learning with better feeding.

A wood-saving stove will save your money and preserve the environment. If your school uses four trucks of firewood per term with the three stone fire, you will only need one truck with a wood-saving stove!

How? Grow fast growing trees. And buy or build a wood-saving stove. Do not waste wood by cooking on three stones.

World Food Programme has installed woodsaving cookers in 40 schools in Karamoja.

This issue of Tree Talk comes with Eucalyptus seed, the fastest growing tree type we have in Uganda. Grow your woodlot! And on page 2, learn more about wood-saving cooking stoves. Fuelsaving stoves use wood much more efficiently than the traditional three stone fire. There are small wood-saving stoves for homes and big ones for schools. Every school needs to aim at buying or building one. Put it in your school plan.

The wood-saving stove at St Mary's SS, Madera, Soroti. Wood is fed into an oven below the "sufuria". Energy from the burning wood is held inside the brick structure. The bottom and sides of the saucepan are exposed to intense heat. Wind cannot reduce the heat. Cooking is fast, and less wood is used.

Students, build a wood-saving stove for your mother. It reduces smoke and heat in the kitchen. It also reduces the time spent while collecting firewood. This gives you more time for books!

Remember to grow indigenous trees! Teacher and pupils of Kiboota PS, Fort Portal caring for Mvule seedlings grown from Tree Talk seeds.

As we grow Eucalyptus woodlots, let us also grow indigenous Ugandan trees for shade, biodiversity, fruit, culture, heritage, medicine and as homes for birds and animals. Indigenous means "local" or "born of a certain place". Indigenous trees have great value. We need both fast-growing foreign trees like Eucalyptus and local trees like Mvule. In July Tree Talk sent Mvule seed to schools in 34 districts. Win an extra sachet of seed, by writing and telling us how many you planted, how many germinated and how many are doing well. Remember to protect them from livestock!

With this Tree Talk, we are sending Eucalyptus seed to 18,000 schools, churches, mosques and NGOs. With the July Tree Talk, we will send Musizi seed. Get ready!

Our Mvule is doing well! Teacher and pupils of Hima PS, Kasese at the nursery where they have grown about 300 Mvule seedlings.

2 Tree Talk, April 2005

Wood-saving stoves conserve forest Say "no" to three stone cooking! We are using four lorry loads of firewood for cooking in a term. This is too much!

Yes, we cannot continue using the three stone fire. We will build a wood-saving stove. We will need just one lorry load a term.

According to the just COnsider a released Census, 97% of Ugandans cook using firewood. Almost all food is cooked on threestone fires. This is a very serious waste of wood: 85% of the heat from the fire goes into the air and not into the food. Abandon three stone cooking for your home and family. Make or buy a wood-saving stove.

Forest is also being lost to agriculture: high tropical forest recently cut near Budongo.

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Fuel-saving stoves for home can be made from clay, anthill, dry chopped banana leaves, sand and mud bricks. These materials are free!

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The following are numbers of ministry-trained and recommended manufacturers of of wood-saving stoves in your region:

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NORTH 077877252, 075877252 WEST NILE - 078329695 CENTRAL 077938841, 078441097 WESTERN 077442557, 078580044 EASTERN 077466205, 077318479 COUNTRYWIDE 077640073, 077586822

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For more information contact: The Energy Advisory Project, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, P. O Box 10346 Kampala. Tel: 031-262 788 Email: [email protected]

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wood-saving stove, write to Tree Talk, PO Box 22366, Kampala.

Efficient cooking practices

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In contrast, it will cost you or your school some money to buy or build

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For a Ministry of Energy book on how to build a

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There are two types of woodsaving stoves for schools. One is made of bricks and fixed into the ground. The other is made of metal and can be moved. Both can hold a saucepan of 100 litres or more.

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It costs nothing to find three stones to cook on. But the wood consumed by a three stone fire is very expensive in terms of money and damage to the environment.

Fuel efficient stoves are also safer. They produce almost no smoke and are much less likely to cause burns to children.

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Boniface Mugoli makes a woodsaving stove at St. Angela Magale Girls PS, Mbale. Headmistress Sister Mary Goretti explains how the schol has cut firewood costs.

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a woodsaving stove. But it is worth it! You save so much on firewood that you get back what you spent in just seven months. By using a fuel-efficient stove, you triple the amount of energy transferred from the wood to the food being cooked. You use less than half of the wood you were using before.

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Invest in a wood-saving stove

• Always use dry firewood split into thin pieces. Wet firewood loses its heat value in drying off excess water. It also produces a lot of polluting smoke. • Always use a saucepan lid to cover food when cooking. This creates cooking pressure leading to faster softening of food and thereby saving fuel. • Soak dry beans or peas for at least five hours before starting to cook. This cuts down the amount of energy to cook the food. Wood-saving stoves for schools: Fixed and mobile

• Avoid putting too much water into the saucepan. It takes a lot of energy to boil it, thereby wasting a lot of fuel.

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Tree Talk, April 2005

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TT: How much money can I make by selling those trees? F: It depends on the tree. At 20 years, you should have 250 mature TT: Why will government pay Musizi trees on each of the 25 people to plant hectares. A Musizi timber? sells for about F: Because we need 100,000/= at "We have not the timber yet it can today's prices. That planted since be hard for people to makes about 600 1972 yet we have million shillings, have their money continuously tied up in trees that which is a lot of take 20 years to money. harvested. We mature. Governare exceeding TT: Which tree ment wants longour annual types can I plant? term investment in allowable cut F: We have chosen trees. from the natural six fast-growing TT: So how much forests. If we do timber trees: money do you not plant, we will Eucalyptus, Musizi, give? Terminalia, have to rely on F: We give you Auracaria, Cypress timber from 600,000/= per and Pine. Congo" hectare. You must TT: How long does plant 25 ha. So 15 it take before I million/= in total. can harvest? TT: Does that cover all the F: Pines and Musizi take about 20 costs of planting? years. Eucalyptus, however, takes F: No, it covers half the costs. It only about 10-15 years to reach costs about 1.2 million to plant a timber size. hectare. You have the costs of TT: What if I want to grow buying seedlings and paying labourers to dig holes, plant, weed and protect the young trees from animals.

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of timber from Congo is illegal. It would also be bad for the environment of Congo.

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TT: Where can I get seedlings? F: Order them six months before planting from a National Forestry Authority nursery in your area. Seedlings cost 100-500/= each. Or start your own nursery with seed from the National Tree Seed Centre. Here are contacts for NFA zonal nurseries: Mubende ............... 078527898 Mbarara ................ 077466498 Lendu .................... 077452630 Katuugo ................ 077595545 Mwenge ................. 077553991 Tree Seed Center ... 077561227 NFA headquarters .. 077625387

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For more information, contact your NFA zonal office or Allan Amumpe at the National Forestry Authority on Tel: 078-673899 Email: [email protected]

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small poles and fuel wood? F: We cannot help you. We support only timber. But you can get small poles and fuel wood from thinning and pruning of the plantation trees.

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TT: Who owns the trees? F: You. The trees are yours and you get all the profits.

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TT: When do you give the money? F: Once you have signed a contract with us, you start planting. We pay you (after inspections) in 3 installments over the first 2-3 years.

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TT: Can schools apply? F: Yes, schools, institutions, religious bodies, CBOs and companies.

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TT: How many trees do I have plant per hectare? F: It ranges from 625 trees per hectare for Musizi to 1372 for Eucalyptus and pine.

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TT: What happens if we do not plant plantations? F: We will have to rely on the timber from Congo. That would be bad for Uganda's reputation. A lot

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TT: Why can't we use timber from natural forests? F: The forests would get finished. We have already surpassed our "annual allowable cut". They cannot produce enough timber.

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Tree Talk: Why does Uganda need tree plantations? Forester: The demand for timber for building and furniture is very high. Yet our last serious planting was in 1972! Since then we have never planted yet we have continuously harvested.

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Does your family, church or school have 25 hectares of land? Yes? Well, the government is so keen to promote growing of timber that it will give you 600,000/= per hectare if you grow 25 hectares. Tree Talk asked forester Allan Amumpe about the scheme.

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Allan Amumpe: in charge of tree plantations at NFA.

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Earn big by growing trees

Musizi, a fastgrowing indigenous tree: great for timber and loved by birds.

More eucalyptus seed for woodlots This Tree Talk comes with Eucalyptus seed. Use dark soil with organic manure to prepare a seedbed. Mix equal portion of seed and fine sand grains. Broadcast the mixture on the bed. Cover with more sand and grass. Erect shade for your seedbed. Water daily in the morning and in the evening. Transplant seedlings into pots two weeks after germination. Keep them in a nursery bed until when you are to transplant to the woodlot. Water them if rain is not enough.

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Make a seed bed

Make a shade

Water gently

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2m

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We donate seedlings to neighbouring schools and communities. Pupils of Bishop's East PS, Mukono

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We need more seeds to expand our woodlot. Pupils, Padea Olyeko PS, Nebbi

Our students have formed an environment conservation club. They will benefit greatly from Tree Talk. Headteacher, Kiyuni Sec/ Technical School

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Thank you for the knowledge and skills you have given to the nation. Your seeds will colour our country and improve our environment. Kayemba H, Kibiri PS, Wakiso

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We raised 6000 seedlings from seeds picked from mature school trees. About 3000 were planted at school and the rest given to every teacher and pupil to plant at home. We are proud of the knowledge from Tree Talk. Kitiko Moses, Kyemanga PS, Kapchorwa

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We used to ask pupils to bring firewood from their homes. We now get firewood from our woodlot. Atukunda BM, Nyamiko PS, Bushenyi

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We thank Tree Talk for seeds that we used for planting 2 acres of Eucalyptus woodlot. Send more! Director, White Angels PS, Kampala

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As a CBO, we are proud to be associated with Tree Talk! Chairman Straight Talk and Agroforestry club, Malera Kumi

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Our school is partly bare. We are going to plant a woodlot with Tree Talk seeds. Teachers and pupils, Lugasa CU PS, Kayunga

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Care for and protect your young trees. Teachers and pupils Kitamba PS, Masaka

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After getting Tree Talk, we formed a club. Our aim is to plant woodlots and medicinal plants to fight poverty and desertification. Thank you for the sensitization. Obonyo J, Tree Talk club, Kakiika Prisons, Mbarara

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CBOs and prisons for Tree Talk!

"I see Tree Talk as a guide to conservation and a channel through which one can contribute towards environment protection” Mugabe S, Chairperson Kikonko Community Nature Conservation, Masindi

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Write to PO Box 22366, Kampala. Every letter published wins a T-shirt.

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Your letters

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4 Tree Talk, April 2005

Pupils and teachers of Namukhonge PS, Mbale. Behind is their woodlot.

Great trees we use for medicine In the last Tree Talk, we asked you to write about trees you use for medicine. Thanks for your letters! Medicine is an important value of our trees. Preserve and grow medicinal trees. Learn about medicinal trees from older people. This is knowledge you cannot easily gain from books.

It helps them to defecate well when they get dry. You pick fresh leaves, squeeze and crush them. Give the liquid to the goat. Within a day the goat defecates and starts eating well. A Tumukunder, 20, S6, Chair, Tree Talk club, Kabale Trinity College Here is the drawing of a tree which we normally use for medicine. It treats malaria, fever and stomach pain. We cut leaves and roots. It is the Ekibirizi tree. Sarah Kemigisa, 14, P6, Kabarole Islamic PS, Fort Portal.

Here are some of your letters This tree is called Omusambya. It is medicine mostly to goats. Medicinal tree

Health problem it helps

Part used

Moringa**** Neem *** Eucalyptus ** Mango * Guava Passion fruit Avocado Paw paw Ficus exasperata Omujaja (Luganda) Omusikizi (Rukiga)

Blood pressure, anaemia, ulcers Fever, malaria (over 40 diseases) Cough, Cough, diarrhoea, dysentery Diarrhoea in goats Dehydration Anaemia Cough in chicken Asthma Constipation Removing ticks in cows

All parts Leaves, bark, roots leaves Leaves, bark Leaves Leaves, roots Leaves Roots Leaves Leaves Roots

TREE TALK thanks WFP for its support to this issue.

TREE TALK is a project of:

Straight Talk Foundation, 45 Bukoto St. Kamwokya, PO Box 22366, Kampala Tel. 031-262030/1

All Tree Talk seed comes from the National Tree Seed Centre in Namanve, on the Jinja Rd, just before Coca Cola. Tel: 041-286 049

The Iti or Mukwaju tree is used for treating typhoid fever. You soak the pulp from the seed and squeeze it using clean hands. The solution is then mixed with honey and is given to the person suffering from typhoid. It is very effective and has no side effects. Anguyo M, Teacher, Ojapi PS, Arua

Winners

Baluka D, Kampala; Ahimbisibwe C, Kabale; Tibamakwa T, Mubende; Mbambu EJ, Abaryabangi V, Kobusinge T, Baluku RM, Kipako AM, Kabugho A, Kasese; Draji J & Ajiga PL, Arua; Kintu H & Mukose S, Iganga; Baluku C, Hoima; Ogwang D, Mbarara; Adongu S, Soroti; Drabile I, Yumbe; Sidonyi PD, Mukono

Forestry Inspection Division, National Forestry Authority and National Tree Seed Centre. Editor: C Watson Writers: S

Walaita, SP Amunau, Design: G.b Mukasa, MeB. Kalanzi Photographer: G Awekofua Printer: The New Vision Technical Reviewers:: G Kiyingi, A Amumpe, P Jacovelli, R Kabuleta