Native Plants for Environment and People

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Native Plants for Environment
and People

NATURE IS NOT A PLACE

TO VISIT, IT IS HOME

Drylands cover more than 40% of the world’s land surface and are home to more than two billion people. These areas, and the people, plants and animals that live in them, are predicted to face unprecedented threats due to climate change

Native Plants for Environment and People(NATIVE PEP)

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WHAT WE DO?

Native PEP_Marigat plot Staline
Knowledge Management

Knowlede Management about the sustainability of native grasses, forbs and trees for land restoration

Native PEP Siha Nursery
Demo Trials

Establishing demo trials, creating awareness and training front actors about the benefits of native species for land restoration

strip seeding in grassland
Practices

Seed collection, plant propagation and land restoration

Marigat fodder trial July1
Land Restoration

Mainstraming the use of native plants for land restoration

STRENGTHENING LIVELIHOOD SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

Native Plants for Environment and People (Native PEP) was conceived in 2022 by Dr. Urs Schaffner (CABI) and Prof. Fritz Häni in response to the growing need for community-led restoration of degraded landscapes in East Africa. Together, they developed the project’s vision of combining scientific research, local knowledge, and community participation to restore ecosystems while strengthening rural livelihoods.

The concept was subsequently refined with consortium partners and local stakeholders, leading to implementation across Kenya and Tanzania.

The NATIVE PEP project aims to strengthen livelihood security and environmental health in selected regions in Kenya (Baringo and Isiolo counties) and Tanzania (Arusha and Kilimanjaro region) that are facing challenges such as rangeland degradation, deforestation, water scarcity and the spread of invasive alien plant species.

Through a participatory, community-based approach, the project empowers local stakeholders to identify and prioritize areas of the communal land for the implementation of nature-based solutions that also open up new income-generating opportunities.

To promote holistic and sustainable land use, Native PEP works with women, men and youth to restore native plant diversity across degraded rangelands, crop fields, forests and wetlands. Drawing on traditional and indigenous knowledge, complemented by modern scientific evidence, the project promotes mixtures of locally adapted plant species that improve food and fodder production, increase soil health, enhance resilience to drought, and support development of natural products.

THEORY OF CHANGE

Project Statement

Improving rural livelihoods in East Africa by selecting and using native plants for land regeneration and community forests within a holistic and sustainable land use approach

Inputs

Existing collaboration with stakeholders form national to local scale in both Kenya & Tanzania.

National Prosopis Strategy in Kenya & National Invasive Species Strategy in Tanzania

Scientific & practical expertise in grassland restoration

Outputs

Habitat-specific perfomance of native trees.

Grassland seed mixture and seeding technologies.

Align land management plans.
Dissemination through media & face-to-face exchange.

Training of frontline actors.
Monitoring and evaluation.

Outcomes

Collect and share knowledge of the value of native trees & grassland species for sustainable livelihood.

Real-life demonstrations.

Local stakeholders’ capacity & knowledge enhanced & applied.

Monitoring and evaluation of environmental benefits and proof of business concept.

Impact

Livelihood security & environmental integrity are strengthened in areas affected by deforestation & rangeland degradtion in Kenya & Tanzania, particulary in the target areas.

Mission

To strengthen livelihood security and environmental health in selected regions in Kenya and Tanzania affected by rangeland degradation, deforestation, and invasive alien trees.

FEATURED NEWS

Latest News, News, short stories

Community Leadership Strengthens the Foundation for Scaling Native PEP in Kilimanjaro Region

February 18, 2026
Community Leadership Strengthens the Foundation for Scaling Native PEP in Kilimanjaro Region Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania; A recent engagement between the Native Plants for Environment and People (Native PEP) Project team and Maasai community leaders in five  villages (Magadini, Kandashi, Mawasiliano, Ashengai and Karansi) in Siha District, Kilimanjaro Region, has reaffirmed strong local ownership of the […]
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Latest News, News, short stories

Advancing Ecological Restoration through Fodder Trials and Community Engagement in Ariemet, Nasuulu Community conservancy- Isiolo

August 6, 2025
Advancing Ecological Restoration through Fodder Trials and Community Engagement in Ariemet, Nasuulu Community conservancy- Isiolo Ariemet, Isiolo County, Kenya – In the arid landscapes of Northen Kenya, a modest plot in Ariemet is transforming into a beacon of ecological restoration and resilience. Led by local woman, Teresiah Amogo, under the Native Plants for Environment and […]
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Latest News, News, short stories

Reviving Ecosystems, Restoring Livelihoods: How Native PEP is Transforming Lives of Communities in Baringo County

July 30, 2025
Reviving Ecosystems, Restoring Livelihoods: How Native PEP is Transforming Lives of Communities in Baringo County Amid the arid plains and resilient communities of Baringo, a quiet transformation is underway; led not by machines, but by the people who are rediscovering the native species that once thrived on this land. Thanks to the project Native Plants […]
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Latest News, News, short stories

Where the Water Came Back, Springs of Hope

June 5, 2025
Where the Water Came Back, Springs of Hope In semi-arid landscapes, water is not just life; it’s survival, memory, and magic. So, when the springs dried up in places like Kiborgoch, Leparua, and Nasuulu, it felt like more than just a drought. It felt like the land was giving up. But the people didn’t. In […]
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Latest News, News, short stories

Feeding the Future, One Acre at a Time

May 27, 2025
Feeding the Future, One Acre at a Time In the dry zones of TingaTinga and Mawasiliano, West Kilimanjaro, where trees once stood tall and shade was abundant, the landscape had slowly thinned. Overuse of woodlands and relentless grazing left the soil bare and brittle. In Mawasiliano, the ground cracked and withered under the hooves of […]
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Latest News, News, short stories

Guardians of the Springs: How Communities in Isiolo Are Breathing Life Back into Water Sources

April 28, 2025
Guardians of the Springs: How Communities in Isiolo Are Breathing Life Back into Water Sources Nestled in the arid landscapes of Isiolo County, where water is not just a necessity but a lifeline, two springs (Darajani in Leparua and Nomad-Esmit in Nasuulu) are reclaiming their vitality, not through external intervention alone, but through the dedication […]
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Latest News, News, short stories

Restoring Nature: How Native PEP Featured at World Wildlife Day in Kenya

March 7, 2025
Restoring Nature: How Native PEP Featured at World Wildlife Day in Kenya On 3 March, Kenya joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Wildlife Day 2025. The event/ceremony took place at Kiborgoch Community Conservancy, hosted by Lake Bogoria National Reserve in Baringo County, under this year’s theme, “Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People […]
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IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS

About CABI

Project Management & Coordination

  • The project co-lead
  • Collect & share knowledge on native plant species
  • Proof of business concept
  • Monitoring and evaluation
About BvAT

Communication & Training

  • The project co-lead
  • Documentation, fact sheets & dissemination
  • Implementation of the management practices
  • Raising awareness and capacity building
About Cetrad

Capacity Strengthening

  • Face to face exchanges
  • Training of frontline actors
  • Raising awareness and capacity building
About UON

Rangeland Knowledge Management

  • Seed mixtures and rangeland seeding techniques
  • Real life demonstration & awareness raising
  • Protocol & monitoring
About TAFORI

Community Forest

  • Habitat-specific performance of native plants
  • Real life demonstration & awareness raising

ALL PARTNERS

RESOURCES

POLICY BRIEFS

PROJECT BRIEFS

PROJECT REPORTS

SUCCESS STORIES

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

Dr David Amudavi Executive Director Biovision Africa Trust

The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing which stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity, and by these I shall not regulate my propositions. And some see no nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself

TEAM

Dr. URS SCHAFFNER

CABI

Head Ecosystems Management; designed and co-leads the project, providing scientific leadership and strategic direction.

Dr. DAVID AMUDAVI

BvAT

Expert in sustainable agriculture, providing strategic leadership and partnership development.

Dr. BONIFACE KITEME

CETRAD

Expert in water management and capacity building of community-rooted organisations; leads activities in Isiolo

Dr. STALINE KIBET

UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI (UoN)

Rangeland ecologist, expert in ethno-botany; leads activities in Baringo

DICKSON XAVERY

TAFORI

Expert in invasive species management and community engagement, leads activities in Arusha/Kilimanjaro

DR JONAS KIZIMA

TALIRI

Forage/fodder production specialist supporting sustainable livestock and rangeland restoration.

SIMON NJOROGE

BvAT

Communications and knowledge management specialist, co-leading project coordination, strategic communications, media engagement, and knowledge sharing.

DR TUTILO MUDUMBA

CABI

Specialist in community-led sustainable land management.

WINNIE NUNDA

CABI

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DR JUDITH KOSKEY

CETRAD

Specialist in community-led sustainable land management

DR ELISHA NJOGHOMI

TAFORI

Expert in forest ecology and biodiversity supporting ecosystem restoration and conservation.

PROF EM. FRITZ HÄNI

HAFL

Expert in agronomy and plant protection, co-designed the project, providing strategic guidance and philanthropic leadership.

DO YOU HAVE A
QUESTION?

+254 719 052 113

call us!

Send us an
email?

info@nativepep.org

Areas of Implementation

Kenya

  • Baringo County (central parts of the county except Kerio River Valley and northern parts of Tiaty Subcounty).
  • Isiolo County, including bordering regions in Laikipia, Meru, Samburu and Marsabit Counties.

Tanzania

Northern Tanzania in Arusha Region and adjacent areas in Kilimanjaro (Hai District) and Manyara Regions (Simanjiro District), mainly covering a belt from Lake Manyara to Arusha and Moshi (Kilimanjaro Region).

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