Earth Day:Teen plans to replant one million forest trees

ENTEBBE: In the forests of Uganda, bare patches of land like this are a common sight.

Forest cover here has depleted from 24 percent to just 8 percent since the 1990s.

It's a problem all over the world, according to Global Forest Watch, which claims more than 12 million hectares of tree cover in the tropics was lost in 2020 alone.

But one young activist is fighting back.

Sixteen-year-old Leah Namugerwa has made it her mission to replant the forests of her nation.

She's planning on putting more than one million trees back in the ground within a decade.

Her birthday each year is the motivator.

"As a way of restoring Uganda's lost forest cover, I decided to start up a project called Birthday Trees. I celebrated my birthday in 2019 by planting 200 trees. That is when I was turning 15-years-old and I did again last year when I was turning 16-years-old, I planted 500 trees," she explains.

"I plant trees on behalf of people who want to celebrate their birthdays by planting trees."

Today, she's joined by Leticia Namulwana.

The young women set about planting more trees in the forest in Entebbe.

A quick photo op captures the moment for posterity - but the young seedling now firmly fixed into the earth should be a long-standing reminder of their work today, as it grows and blossoms into a full size, mature tree.

"I got inspired to plant trees on my birthday because people are cutting down trees and they are not replacing the trees they are cutting down," says Leticia.

"Actually I was inspired by Leah because I met her on social media, then we talked, then she directed me on ways of getting to her and we plant trees."

In fact, Leah's initiative is proving an inspiration far beyond the borders of Uganda.

She uses her social media power to encourage other youngsters to regularly plant trees as they celebrate their birthdays.

"People are really taking on this green idea from all over the world, from the United States of America, Europe, Africa, Asia. I am getting requests from different people to take on this green idea," she says.

"I have planted trees for ambassadors, for my fellow youth. As we have seen, I have been planting trees with my colleague who choose to celebrate her birthday by planting 100 trees. It is spreading all over the world and since I started I have planted over 6,000 trees."

Her target of one million trees is still a long way off.

But with every new planting session, more and more people join in.

"Every time we carry out an activity we teach people, we sensitize people of the dangers. For example when we are cleaning up, lake shore clean ups, you find that people keep on joining you and they stop polluting the lakes," says Leah.

"Every time I am planting trees I get more and more people helping me to plant trees which shows that my activism is impacting the nation and all over the world."

The loss of forests represents a climate crisis that, if not mitigated, will greatly affect biodiversity conservation.

Humans continually destroy the forest in search of fuel and timber.

But Leah is getting her environmental message out there with a regular initiative called Fridays for Future.

"We get involved in activities, like cleaning up lake shore clean ups, planting trees together, spreading awareness in schools. We carry out global climate strikes together as Fridays For Future. Friday for Future consists of over 5,000 people from different schools, universities, communities," she says.

For young environmental activists like Leah Namugerwa, the loss of forests is warning sign and a direct threat to their future.