African Blackwood Conservation Project

It promotes tree planting and educational initiatives in northern Tanzania directed towards 3 purposes: 1) conservation of the near-threatened tree species Dalbergia melanoxylon/African blackwood, used internationally in the manufacture of woodwind instruments and locally by African carvers, 2) reforestation of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and 3) poverty alleviation in the Kilimanjaro area by supporting eco-friendly occupational endeavors. The ABCP project leader in Tanzania is Sebastian Chuwa, a botanist with over 30 years of experience in implementing environmental programs. He has founded over 100 conservation youth groups and overseen the planting of more than one million trees.