Cet Kana Primary

School in Gulu
received 1800
seedlings from
Tree Talk. They
now have a young
but thriving
woodlot and fruit
trees! You can
On June 22, Tree Talk paraded grow your own
through Adjumani with students trees with the
9
and community leaders and
ptem ber 200 seeds included
planted 100 Mvule trees along the o.2 Se
road to town. Thanks, Adjumani Vol. 8 N with this Tree Talk.
schools!

Reduce charcoal impact

•Protect trees, forests • Stabilise weather/rains
eat. Charcoal brings short-term income
C harcoal is taking a terrible
toll on the environment.
But people who live in cities
but soon the environment will work on
us. In many districts, large woodlands
have been greatly reduced because
need it for cooking, and many of charcoal production. These trees
rural people earn income from used to bring regular, plentiful rains,
selling it. We need to think prevented soil erosion, and were homes
critically about charcoal. for many different birds and animals.
Two possible ways of going Without these woodlands, rains have
forward are: become unpredictable. Crops are failing
• using less charcoal due to drought.
• producing charcoal with
fewer wasted trees Charcoal production is
not a solution to poverty.
People in cities need Charcoal prices are high
charcoal because it gives but still the profit for the
more energy for its small producer is low.
size. It is transported more Akena John Bosco (Left)
easily and cheaply than makes charcoal from Omoro
firewood, which is large and County, Kitgum. He says,
bulky. In cities, people do "Trees are scarce since we
not have access to trees: are very many involved in
they need to buy charcoal making charcoal. If you do
that is produced in rural not have land, you must buy
areas and trucked into trees at a cost of 5000-
towns. 8000/= per tree, depending
on the size of the tree."
Charcoaling is hurting
our environment by Akena sells one sack
reducing trees. Ugandan of charcoal at 9000/=
cities are growing very - that means a profit of
quickly; more and more only 1000/= per sack!
people need charcoal. ABOVE: Combretum is a small tree with hard wood that makes very
Akena says, "This work good charcoal. It also has many other uses. Its flowers produce good
But we do not want to is tiresome but there is nectar for honey. Medicine from the roots treats worms, fever and
spoil the environment no other alternative." dysentery. Its wood is useful for tools. Replant if you cut. Open the fruits
in rural areas because What would you do in to get the seed; if difficult, soak in cold water and then open. Sow
we in the towns need to his place? immediately. It germinates easily.

But if we used improved charcoal

Using traditional methods, charcoal pro- production methods, a single tree
ducers in Nakasongola use two Combre- could produce one sack. That
tum trees to make one sack of charcoal. would decrease by half the dam-
age done to the environment.

If every charcoal-producer followed the improved charcoaling

guidelines in this Tree Talk, and every charcoal-user cooked on an
energy-saving stove, Uganda would save 4,375,000 tons of wood a year.
That is equivalent to almost half the trees (42%) in Mabira Forest!
2 Tree Talk, September 2009

Improve charcoaling
Charcoal is made from trees. First, trees are eventually turns to ash. When making
cut, collected and gathered into a large heap. charcoal, there is no oxygen and so the
The wood is usually covered with a layer of wood burns slowly through a process
dried grass, a layer of soil, and then it is lit. called carbonization; when the wood
The grass and soil act like a barrier, prevent- has finished burning, charcoal remains.
ing air – and the oxygen (O2) in the air - from Charcoal is carbonized wood. To pro-
reaching the wood. This is different from duce it more efficiently, follow the direc-
firewood, which burns in the open air and tions below.
1. It is best to cut trees 2. Cut trees 3. For a “kasisira” kiln, lay thin pieces of wood
from a man-made woodlot into logs of pointing towards the center. Lay more pieces
that can be replanted. Do 1-1.5 metres across to make a platform. Stack the largest
not cut natural forests – in length. logs first, as closely as possible. Follow with
they bring rain, protect wa- 30 cm Dry in a medium and then small logs. Fill remaining
ter catchment and are home well-cleared spaces with smaller logs.
to many birds and animals. area for 3-4
Natural forests take long to weeks. Dry
grow back. Cut a tree trunk wood is
30cm from the ground. Do lighter to
not cut lower: allow the carry and
stump to grow again. Use a yields more
saw to make a direct cut; an charcoal.
axe cannot cut directly and 1-1.5 m
wastes wood.

4. For a “bus” or “kinyankole” 5. Cover the kiln with metal sheets, if you have them. 6. Monitor the kiln at all times.
kiln, lay thin logs crosswise into Otherwise, cover with grass and then with a layer of soil of at If cracks or holes appear, fill with
a long, rectangular platform. Top least 20 cm. Make at least eight air inlets at the base of the soil. When the kiln falls in on it-
with large logs, filling the gaps kiln. To light the kiln, self, the wood has finished burn-
with smaller logs. put burning charcoal ing. Seal all cracks with soil.
into the lighting hole Allow the charcoal to cool for five
at the top of the kiln. days before harvesting. Use a
Let it burn for 1½ to pitchfork
Lighting hole
2 hours before sealing to har-
the lighting hole. Build vest the
a ditch or a barrier of charcoal
Air hole thorny branches around without
the kiln to protect it picking
from cattle. up soil.

CHARCOAL PRODUCTION DOES NOT HAVE TO Wood and

WASTE WOOD: Every year, Uganda cuts seven million tons of wood charcoal are not the
to make charcoal: that is like cutting 40% of Nakasongola's woodland! If only fuels
all charcoal were made properly, following the above guidelines, we would
only need half as many trees to make the same amount of charcoal.

M any people are not practiced in

charcoaling. It is only a part-
time occupation. Because of this,
they may not know the best, safest
way to make charcoal.

Says Richard Kisakye, Academic

Registrar at Nyabyeya Forestry College
and energy specialist: “The way
charcoal is being produced, there is so Mr. Abasi Kazibwe Musisi of
much waste: for every 10 kilograms of Kampala is an award-win-
wood that are burned, you only get one ning entrepreneur who makes
kilogram of charcoal. At the rate that briquettes from waste materi-
Uganda is cutting trees, I don’t think the als. He says, “You find heaps
forests will last even 10 years.” of G-nut husks just waiting to
be burned. I compact these
BE CAREFUL! Making charcoal is as well as sawdust, coffee
difficult, and sometimes dangerous pulp and maize cobs into bri-
work. Okello Stephen, 15, from Omoro quettes with a machine. They
in Gulu, dropped out of school because burn very cleanly and the heat
of school fees. Now he is helping his aunt goes directly to the pot.”
in piling logs to make charcoal.
These briquettes are good
He says, "Last because they re-use waste
week I got injured materials; do not need trees;
when I was felling burn for a long time; and are
down a tree. The less costly than charcoal.
tree sliced and They need to burn in a special
hit my hand and A boy in Nakasongola helps his grandmother produce charcoal Masisi stove, which is soon
now I cannot lift using a traditional kiln. The kiln must be supervised at all being finished. You can
anything with my times. If cracks are not filled with soil, heat can escape and contact Mr Musisi
right hand.” you will get less charcoal. on 041-4-270887.
 3 Tree Talk, September 2009

C harcoal is sometimes
called “black gold”
because it is so valuable: it
allows us to cook food. Save charcoal as you cook
Eco-hero
Soak beans for Cook food with
Here are six ideas to use the lid on
4-5 hours before
less charcoal and make your
cooking
charcoal last longer. (Most John Kuteesakwe, energy
of these ideas also apply to expert and project coordinator
firewood) with the German Development
Corporation (GTZ), says
1. Store your sack of we all need to think about
charcoal in a dry place, It the consequences of using
takes a long time for wet charcoal and to use it carefully.
charcoal to begin burning.
"The charcoal consumer
2. Use a fuel-efficient stove, in Kampala is not only
like the ceramic sigiri. It cooking a meal for eating,"
lasts for many years and Use a ceramic says Kuteesakwe. "By In March, Kuteesakwe's
uses only half the charcoal beans for 4-5 hours: they energy-saving stove cooking with charcoal, project won an international
of a metal sigiri! You will will cook faster! they carry responsibility for prize for work in promoting
save money over time 5. Put out the fire as soon as environmental degradation energy saving stoves.
from buying less charcoal. 4. Make a plan for cooking. you have finished cooking. and destruction of huge areas
Do not light a stove until of forest. If he or she was not In the last five years, 500,000
3. Split foods like cassava, you have prepared your 6. Put a lid on your cooking providing the market, the improved stoves have helped
potatoes and meat into ingredients and are ready pot to prevent heat from charcoal producer would not households in Uganda.
smaller pieces. Soak to begin cooking. escaping. cut the trees." Do you have an improved stove?

Government guidelines: Biological name

Albizia coriaria
4Rs
Musisa
Lusoga
Musita
Ateso
Etak
Luganda
Mugavu
Luo
Latoligo
which trees for charcoal? Combretum molle Murama Ndawa Ekworo Ndagi Okechu/oduk
Environment officers recommend the tree spe- Combretum collinum Mukora Nkotcha Ekuloin Mukora Okechu/odugu
cies in this table as suitable for charcoaling. Terminalia glauce- -- -- -- Muyati Lalera
Trees that produce good charcoal are usually scens
slow growing: they are dense and slow-burning. Albizia zygia Musebega Mulongo Ebatat Mulongo Bedo
Always leave enough trees standing so that Acacia sieberiama Mutyaza Mufuwanduzi Etirir Mweramenyo Achara
the species can regenerate. You can also plant Acacia seyal -- -- Ekaramai Mugano Agagi
these tree species for charcoal. That is called
charcoal farming. Never make charcoal from species like Acacia hockii Rugando Kasone Ekisim Musana Achiru/okeetu
mvule, mango or shea.

Fruit of shea trees

give long-term wealth
T he shea tree is far more
valuable as a fruit-produc-
ing tree than as charcoal.
In Europe and the US, shea
butter is put in sweets. For
example, shea butter is used
as a cocoa butter improver in
When cut and burnt, an chocolate bars. It is also used
average-sized shea tree will in cosmetics.
produce ten sacks of charcoal.
At 10,000/= a sack, this will Uganda has the potential to
earn the charcoal producer export up to 350,000 tonnes of
100,000/=. But this same tree shea butter a year. Currently a
can produce 60,000/= worth kilo is sold for $9.50 or about
of nuts every year for 100 18,000/=.
years. That is equivalent to 6
million/= per tree. The shea tree grows natu-
rally in eastern and northern
Called Yaa/Yao in Acholi and Uganda. It takes 15 years for
Imuru in Langi, shea trees give a shea tree to produce fruit,
nutritious fruits that provide which are harvested from April Nyeko Corina of Loyoajonga
protein and minerals like through June, even in times of village, Gulu, with a plate
calcium and potassium. They drought. Nuts can be stored of shea nuts. She says: “I
are a source of energy in the until January when they can be normally sell shea oil at
months before the rains when sold for school fees. 8000/= a litre. The price
there is a lot of heavy Shea trees can even go beyond that
planting work. grow well when demand increases. My
with other granddaughter of 10 years
The kernels or nuts crops like can now help me to process
of the shea fruit are beans, the oil. It takes me about 2
even more valuable. cowpeas and weeks to collect the fruits
In many They contain an oil, millet. and convert it into oil.”
Acholi com- which is used for
cooking and smearing In Lira over 1600 women have
munities it is in northern Uganda. organised themselves into an
forbidden to This oil can be processed and association called Rwot Ber
cut shea and turned into a "butter". (The Good Leader). In a good
you pay a fine Above: pure shea year they sell two sacks of shea
nuts to a buyer from Kampala
of 50,000/= if butter sold as skin cream
at 120,000/= a sack. This pays
in Kampala. Right: The nuts
you do. being prepared for export. for school fees. They also keep
Photocredit: KFP Ltd two sacks for domestic use.
4 Tree Talk, September 2009

Districts act on charcoal Tree seed for schools

that trees had gained good girth so
N akasongola has lost
more than half of its
trees to charcoal.
they started charcoal burning to
fetch money in the short run."
For schools in West Nile and Northern Uganda:
Afzelia africana (Meli in Lugbara, Beyo or Baa in Luo, and Azza in Madi)
is a beautiful hardwood tree. It provides good timber
The district banned export of and shade.
About 24,000 bags of charcoal
charcoal to Juba in 2007 but many Remove the orange "hat" from each black afzelia
leave the district every week.
Fields are becoming dry and lorries of charcoal still leave Gulu seed. Plant one seed in each pot or polyethylene bag
bare. Uganda kob have disap- for the south of Uganda. District and cover with a thin layer of soil. Keep the pots in
peared. Bees are fewer, reducing honey Forester Officer Abwola is working to the shade and water lightly every morning and eve-
production and pollination of crops. prevent charcoal burning in conservation ning. Afzelia germinates after 7 days. Two months
Thorny Acacia trees are taking over. and water catchment areas. after germination, gradually decrease the shade.
Termites are causing chaos, looking for
Nyeko would like charcoal burners to get
After two weeks, transplant seedlings to the field. This is best done
water by chewing trees, cassava plants, during rains; otherwise, be sure to water your
organised into groups: "Then it would be
millet and maize stems, and the poles seedlings every day.
easy to train them on efficient charcoal
of houses. The district is fighting back
burning, replanting and sustainable
by promoting more efficient For all other schools: Musizi is a fast-
harvesting so that valuable tree spe-
modern kilns and plans to growing tree for timber and shade. Soak mu-
cies do not become extinct."
plant 2000 ha of Combretum sizi seed in cold water for 3 days, changing the
and Terminalia for charcoal Baale SC in Kayunga is also strug- water daily. Place two seeds in a pot, the way
harvesting. gling with charcoal: 15 lorries leave it is shown in the diagram. When the seeds
loaded with bags every week. germinate, transplant the weaker one to another pot. Musizi germinates
In Gulu, charcoal production
has exploded with the closure within 4-14 weeks. Keep pots under shade and water twice a day for
of the camps. Says Tree another 3-5 months, removing the shade gradually. Transplant to the
ABOVE: a termites' mound in
Talk's Patrick Nyeko: "When Nakasongola. LEFT: Nyeko field. Keep watering if there are no rains.
people went home, they saw with shea nuts in Gulu. All seed with this Tree Talk was collected by the National Tree Seed Center.

raising trees & training in 2009

Tree Talk ran six large
nurseries in the North and
West Nile, raising almost
800,000 seedlings, most
of them indigenous, for
300 schools.
Tree Talk worked with four
RIGHT: pupils take prisons. INSET: Kitgum prison
delivery of seedlings in officers get tree training.
Yumbe. BELOW RIGHT: Openzinzi prison farm's nursery
staff at the nursery in produced 40,000 seedlings.
Yumbe, supported by
NFA and the British High Tree Talk collected
Commission. over 1000 kg of
tree seed. RIGHT:
Forester Edea dries
mahogany seed.
BELOW: Forester
a woman's Sidonyi with helper.
group with
seedlings in
Adjumani.
BOTTOM: A
community
ABOVE: the Kitgum nursery at ABOVE:Tree group
Paloga PS. It generated work Talk goes on near Zoka
for about 50 people. air to mobilise Forest with
communities; mahoganies.

Your letters Write to PO Box 22366, Kampala.

Every letter published wins a T-shirt.
Empafu fruit bring income
Thank you for sending us Tree grow to the right size. Thembo H, 12, uwafu (Canarium schweinfurthii) is
Talk. As an agency whose man-
date is to manage and conserve
Bunyangule PS, Bundibugyo M another great Ugandan tree which delivers
multiple benefits. Growing to the massive height
wildlife in the country, Tree Talk helped us to plant trees in
of 40 m, it is common in forests around Lake
the school compound. But they dried
Victoria. Muwafu does not compete with crops
Uganda Wildlife Authority applauds you because of no rain. That is why we
and is good for reforestation. It produces a fruit,
for your contribution to restoring tree accepted to plant more. I know that
Empafu, that is cooked in banana leaves with
cover and hope that it will help relieve trees help in many ways. Aneno Scovia,
salt and sells like hot cakes in Owino market for
pressure on Protected Areas and provide Padibe PS, Kitgum
500/= a package.
habitat for wildlife. Sam Mwandha, UWA
QUIZ Use this Tree Talk to help
your community make During the holidays, Semwanga Dan, an S6
People who trade in timber, charcoal and charcoal production more efficient. Has vacist from Wobulenzi Target Community College, sells Empafu from
firewood should have permits. Forests your family ever burned charcoal for Iganga and Jinja.
where good trees have been cut should money? Tell your stories. Best letters
be protected so that young trees can win. "I do not want to be idle and am trying to raise school fees. I am an
This issue was funded under the WILD project, supported by orphan who has lost both parents, so life is hard. Sometimes I feel
Tree Talk is
a project of USAID and led by Wildlife Conservation Society. fear that my girlfriend may overlook me for selling empafu. But we
Editor: K Manchester; Contributors: C Watson, P Nyeko, G Awekofua, have remained friends and I feel happy to earn a living."
Straight Talk J Mayanja, I Pike; Design: GB Mukasa; Reviewers: G Kiyingi, J Kuteesakwe
Foundation To grow Muwafu, pick the seeds from the ground,
4 Acacia Ave, Kololo
PO Box 22366, Kampala let the outer coat decompose, immerse in hot water
Tel. 0312-262030/1. and allow to soak for 24 hours. Then sow in pots.