Collecting the seeds of our 40 local tree species is the very first step of a reforestation campaign. It’s the job of the representatives of the 250 “seed families”: in each village, the women involved in the arboRise project collect the seeds of their seed tree. Each woman has a tree of a different species, to ensure the best possible biodiversity.
Each harvester then brings her 20,000 seeds to the village centre, where they are counted and paid for. This is also an opportunity for our partner GUIDRE to assess the quality of the seeds delivered.
Then all the seeds from the different seed trees are mixed together and divided into piles, which are then put into bags and given to the “field families” who will be responsible for sowing the seeds.
Do the math: collecting the seeds means 5,000,000 seeds ! Spread over 500 hectares, that’s 10,000 seeds per hectare, or one seed per square metre.
