Uganda's "Pet a Tree" project teaches children to love, name, and nurture trees — all to help fight climate change.

Kampala

In Uganda, a new environmental initiative is encouraging children to adopt trees as pets, fostering a personal connection to reforestation efforts. Participants, such as Condoleezza and Sophie, plant and care for their own trees, naming them and nurturing their growth as part of the Pet-a-Tree project led by the organisation ATEI.

Uganda has lost much of its original forest, with only 12% remaining and significant annual deforestation. The initiative aims to address this by ensuring young saplings receive ongoing care, as most planted trees do not survive beyond three years. By treating trees as pets, the project hopes to instill responsibility and long-term commitment among the younger generation.

Kids in Uganda adopt trees as pets

Condoleezza is watering her pet. She has about 2,000 of them, all trees she planted herself. I believe that the more we plant trees, the more we get to connect to nature, the more we get even more pets. Because I believe that all those 2,015 trees are my pets and I love and care for them. That's why they have got to grow so big. It's an environmental initiative in Uganda that's proven popular among young people especially. In the capital Kampala, Sophie is celebrating her birthday. She receives a birthday cake and a tree. I'm giving you this tree as a Pet-a-Tree Ambassador to symbolise your 12th birthday. I hope you can take it as your pet, take care of it. I'm going to make it my pet and name it and care for it and help it grow. I'm going to name it Sorbe because when it gives me mangoes, I'm going to use those mangoes to make Sorbe, which is a dessert. Uganda has only 12% of its original forest left today. Some 120,000 hectares are felled every year for firewood or farmland. That accelerates global warming and climate change because fewer trees are left to absorb CO2. I believe that climate change is real because I've experienced it here in Kampala during floods and other natural disasters. I'm going to plant a tree and I'm going to name this tree Margaret Brenda. There are many reforestation initiatives, but planting trees alone is not enough. Young saplings need water, care and protection. That's why the organisation ATEI started a Pet-a-Tree project. You cannot have a pet that you're not ready to take care of. So have a tree pet and be ready to take care of that tree. So we are saying that if you want to plant a tree, make sure that tree grows. Most trees that are planted, over 79% of the trees that are planted, they don't live up to their third birthdays. Birthday girl Sophie plants her tree right away in the garden, making good on her promise to help care for it. And because it's just so good, Kondoliza gives all of Sophie's birthday guests a tree pet. And I want to encourage my fellow peers to do the same activity that I'm doing, because if we want to make a change, it has to start with us.

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