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Staff News
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Our office in Mbale is now fully functional. The Programme Coordinator Sarah Nachuha and Assistant Hamidah Namatovu, will temporarily be filling in for Annet Sempala while she's away on leave.
For any inquires or recommendations about our projects in Mbale, contact Sarah on
256 702433126.
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Upcoming Events
The East African Carbon Fair 14-15th July - Sheraton Hotel,Kampala
The first of its kind event will act as a platform for discussion on how the financial viability and marketability of mitigation activities in the East African region can be increased. It will set the stage to further explore innovative financing instruments for project development and investment opportunities in the region. Several project developers from East Africa, funding agencies, buyers, investors and companies interested in green growth will be present. Project developers shall learn about innovative financing models for their projects and have a chance to market their emission reduction projects.
- Trail opening - July 2015
- Training of guides - July 2015
- Tourist information centre is being updated and improved
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Equator Snow Lodge
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Equator Snow is a sensational destination for the experienced
mountaineer, the casual trekker or the ordinary traveller. Working in close collaboration with the Ruboni Community, and Rwenzori Mountaineering Services, a selection of mountaineering activities can be organised from Equator Snow Lodge, ranging from guided mountain walks with low endurance hikes, to climbing the mountain peaks for the technically more competent.
You may choose just to rest and relax at Equator Snow Lodge with its spacious mountain cabins, and wooden decks, it is designed for comfort and relaxation.
The Rwenzori Mountains have been declared a World Heritage Site. Accordingly, the public restaurant, lounge and bar areas are designed around the history of the Rwenzori Mountains, with displays of significant historical illustrations.
Come and experience the legend that has surrounded the Mountains of the Moon, as they were named by Greek historians more than two thousand years ago.
For inquiries and bookings; Contact Jimmy Muheebwa on 256 772550177 or 256 704550177
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Solvatten
Solvatten is a solar water treating system which uses energy from the sun to purify water, making it safe for drinking. It is an 11 litre jerrycan made from Sweden which uses filtration, heat and UV from the sun to kill all the micro - organisms in the water, making it safe for drinking and personal hygiene.
It reduces the burden of water-borne diseases thus improving health, promotes sanitation and hygiene, and reduces costs on electricity and wood fuel needed to boil water among others.
You can get yourself a Solvatten unit from our main office in Entebbe or any of our branch offices in Masindi and Mbale. For any information regarding sales. Please contact Priscilla Nabuyemba on 256700150426 or 256787031149
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About Us
The Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST) is a non - governmental environmental conservation organization established in 1999. ECOTRUST has developed a valued niche in 'conservation finance' and pursued relentlessly a clear vision of 'a healthy environment with prosperous people' and a mission,' to conserve natural resources and enhance social welfare by promoting innovative and sustainable environment management in Uganda.'
ECOTRUST's core values of' accountability and transparency in all our dealings, Creating value for our stakeholders, Pursuit of excellence and continuous improvement, Commitment to personal integrity, creating a culture of teamwork' remain the jealously protected business principles of the organization, guiding all business decisions and entire management ethics.
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www.ecotrust.or.ug
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I'd like to start by thanking you for the great feedback on the new design of our newsletter,it is well received and appreciated. In the next newsletter, we will introduce a segment that profiles a TGB farmer each month giving you a personal look at the impact this tree growing scheme has had on the lives of these farmers. We will also have a similar segment on the success stories of Solvatten users.
June has been quite a busy one, we took part in the World Environment Day celebrations in Rakai District, hosted IUCN Stakeholders in a field visit to one of our TGB sites, participated in the Masindi 2015 Farmers' Expo and most recently embarked on a new round of farmer trainings in Eastern Uganda.
This and more in our June Bulletin.
Pauline Nantongo Kalunda
Executive Director
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ECOTRUST Hosts UNDP Monitoring Team in PES Pilot sites
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ECOTRUST is implementing a UNDP funded project in partnership with the local governments of Bulambuli and Sironko districts, Eastern Uganda. On 17
th
to 19
th
of May ECOTRUST hosted a monitoring team from UNDP. The team was conducting its routine monitoring to establish the progress of implementation of the designing and piloting of an incentive scheme for payment for environmental services (PES) in the districts of Bulambuli and Sironko. The monitoring which was participatory in nature and involved local government staff from the two districts.
The overall objective of the project is use an incentivized approach to strengthen Uganda's capacity to promote ecosystem based adaptation options and to reduce the vulnerability of communities to climate change impacts.
Some of the environmental benefits expected out of implementing the project include watershed protection and carbon storage which will contribute to mitigating climate change, biodiversity conservation, soil stabilization hence contributing to making the landscape less prone to landslides, soil conservation for improvement of soil fertility, and improved crop yields for food security. The activities being implemented by the communities include; tree planting, construction of trenches / channels, construction of contours / terraces, planting of napier grass along the dug trenches and mulching.
Communities that are piloting these activities have been mobilized and are working in groups. By the time of the monitoring, twenty one (21) groups had been mobilized, thirteen (13) in Sironko district and Eight (8) in Bulambuli district. So far 2,245 trees have been planted and 1,087 metres of trenches dug. With the incentives in place, a lot of interest has been generated in the communities in which we are piloting these activities.
In addition to the above activities, small grants have been allocated to support the construction of small water infrastructure, specifically the extension of the gravity flow schemes in Bulegeni and Lusha sub-counties in Bulambuli District, as well as water harvesting structures in Bugitimwa Sub county and Budadiri Town Council in Sironko Districts
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Inspection of the dug trenches and planted grass in Bulambuli District
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ECOTRUST participates in World Environment Day Celebrations in Rakai District
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The World Environment Day (WED) celebrations in Uganda were held on the 5th of June at Kiteredde Secondary School, Rakai district under the theme "35 million people, limited resources, consume with care"
with specific emphasis on sustainable actions. The focus of the WED activities was on re-awakening people's need to advocate for, speak out and take action to save and improve on our environment and natural resources specifically wetlands, water resources, riverbanks, lake shores, soils and the landscape. The day saw a number of exhibitions from different environmental organizations, we were glad to have taken take part in the celebrations with an exhibition to sensitize members of the local community including students, and other participants on the benefits of tree growing and use of clean energy as an alternative to wood fuel. The guest of honor, State Minister for Water & Environment - Flavia Munaba in her speech cautioned that wildlife in the area should be protected rather than being hunted down and killed.
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Alice Muwanguzi, ECOTRUST Programme Assistant tells a guest more about the Solvatten - water treating jerrycan
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ECOTRUST leads a field visit to TGB Site - Mt Elgon Stakeholders Forum Meeting
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The Mt. Elgon Stakeholders Forum meeting was organised by IUCN, and held at Wash & Wills Hotel, Mbale district on the 17th - 18th of June. The aim of the forum was to provide an opportunity for discussing Mt Elgon issues at a landscape level with various stakeholders getting a common understanding of the issues within their landscape, how they affect or are affected by various interventions and hence the various inter-linkages within the landscapes which then would guide strategic interventions.
The main goal of the forum was to restore the quality and or the productivity of the landscape in Mt. Elgon, improve the perceptions and indeed the values and resources of the ecosystems for local communities through shared goals and objectives.
It was a two day event that involved site visits to some of these areas within the Mt Elgon landscape in order to get a better understanding of the challenges faced by the farmers, local communities and institutions . Nyondo subcounty in Mbale, one of the Trees for Global Benefit project sites was visited, under the guidance of the ECOTRUST team.
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The team that paid a visit to Nyondo subcounty - Mbale district, comprised of members from various organisations involved in the conservation of the Mt Elgon Landscape
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After the visit,there was a general consensus that collaboration amongst the institutions within the region should be enhanced and interventions should incorporate livelihood benefits for both individuals and the community as a whole.
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ECOTRUST Participates in Masindi District Farmers Expo 2015
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Masindi District hosted this year's district farmers expo at the Masindi Agricultural Demonstration Centre on the 26th-27th of June. ECOTRUST, having one of the biggest tree growing/carbon offsetting projects in the district was invited to participate. The theme of the event was "Increasing Food Security & Farm Incomes Through Innovation,Finance & Technology". It was a two day event to showcase the innovations in agriculture from different farmers and organizations throughout the country. Hundreds of participants,including farmers turned up to exhibit their agricultural innovations such as improved pesticides, fertilisers, seeds and seedlings,fish ponds, modern farm machinery, banking/loan facilities and much more. It was a day to benefit from knowledge sharing amongst the participants. We used this as an opportunity to increase farmer participation in the Trees for Global Benefit project by visually demonstrating the adaptation and mitigation effects of trees and clean energy technologies (solvatten) in a changing climate.
The guest of honor, Minister of State for Fisheries, Hon Prof. Nyiira Zerubabel Mijumbi opened the first day of the expo. One of the highlights of the day,was his purchase of a Solvatten Solar water treatment Jerrycan from ECOTRUST.
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A crowd gathers to listen in on ECOTRUST programmes at the Expo
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Banyoro traditional dancers perform at the Expo
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Photo of the month
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Hon Prof. Nyiira Zerubabel Mijumbi, Minister of State for Fisheries gets a first hand look at a solvatten unit at the recent Masindi Farmers Expo. He then proceeded to purchase one for himself.
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