KETSO's 8 acre Mohogany plantation (Khaya Senegalensis). The trees are 4 years old.

MADAM's office in Makali, Tonkolili District.

The HUGHES FRANCO GARDEN

 "The best time to plant a tree is 10 years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is today!" With this slogan in mind the founders of KETSO purchased tree seed and set up tree nurseries in Sierra Leone. At present, KETSO has developed the capacity to nurse and plant tree saplings that can be used for several purposes: reforestation, plantations, and fruit orchards. Trees can serve as stores for carbon, fruit and medicine, but also as sources for firewood, timber and natural fertilizers. Unfortunately there is a tension between sustaining trees as "stores" or harvesting trees for consumption. It is in the management of this tension that KETSO has found a niche to ensure sustainability of our global community with its changing environmental and energy needs.

Investing in trees is investing in the future and it sends out a positive message to the communities in Sierra Leone. KETSO's enthusiastic team is able to convey this simple message. In its activities, KETSO truly considers the needs of the local communities. The trees should continue to produce products that are demanded locally. It is the needs of the people that will determine how forests are managed.  Through experience, KETSO has found that agroforestry techniques may be the most sustainable solution to industrial contracts for carbon sequestration.

Communities can plant cash crops like rice or ginger within the rows of trees ("alley cropping") in the agroforestry plantations developed by KETSO. KETSO ensures that a diversity of the trees is planted. Besides the forestry products like fruit and timber, certain tree stands (plantations) attract animals and bees which can serve as an additional source of food and honey. Because of these agroforestry techniques and the associated non-timber forestry products, there is less risk of losing income and the associated forced migration. This balance between trees and people is KETSO’s solution towards sustainable forest management.

KETSO also partners with other silviculturists and horticulturists in Sierra Leone: Our main partner is the HUGHES FRANCO GARDEN at Hill Station in Sierra Leone.