Trees for Zambia: taking an axe to deforestation – in pictures

Zambia's severe deforestation in recent decades is mainly as a result of bad land management, slash-and-burn farming methods, unsustainable logging and tree cutting for charcoal. In July, social enterprise group Greenpop led a three-week tree-planting project (pdf), Trees for Zambia, to combat the trend
Photograph: Sydelle WIllow Smith

A charcoal burner cuts down a tree to put in a makeshift kiln. It will produce about 20 bags of charcoal, which are sold at $1-$2 a bag Photograph: Sydelle WIllow Smith

Jeremy Hewitt, one of Greenpop's founders, holds a piece of charcoal as he explains to volunteers the reasons for planting trees Photograph: Sydelle WIllow Smith

This charcoal seller will travel between Livingstone and the Zimbabwean border at Victoria Falls selling bags of the coal Photograph: Sydelle WIllow Smith

A charcoal stove outside a house in Livingstone. Most people can't afford to use electrically powered stoves, so rely on firewood and charcoal as their main sources of fuel Photograph: Sydelle WIllow Smith

Local volunteers prepare nshima (maize porridge) during a planting day at a farm on the outskirts of Livingstone, where Greenpop planted trees, ran solar-cooking workshops and encouraged farmers to build micro nurseries Photograph: Sydelle WIllow Smith

A cook prepares nshima on a solar cooker. Solar cooking is being promoted as an alternative to using firewood and charcoal Photograph: Sydelle WIllow Smith

Greenpop's Jeremy Hewitt, right, awaits volunteers during the tree-planting project Photograph: Sydelle WIllow Smith

The project also focuses on conservation education and involves schoolchildren in the planting days. Deforestation changes the ecosystem and reduces food security and valuable forest resources, so a large proportion of the trees planted are fruit and Moringa Photograph: Sydelle WIllow Smith

Volunteers work with children to come up with pictures, words and designs for wall murals Photograph: Sydelle WIllow Smith

People from all over the world can join as volunteers through Trees for Fees, a scheme that allows anyone to raise funds for trees within their own community in order to cover their stay in Livingstone Photograph: Sydelle WIllow Smith

A local women's group joins forces with Greenpop to ‘regreen’ Dambwu forest on the outskirts of Livingstone Photograph: Sydelle WIllow Smith

Lion Encounters is a local organisation running a repopulation programme in Livingstone. Deforestation results in a loss of biodiversity and the decline of the natural habitat of endangered animals such as the African lion Photograph: Sydelle WIllow Smith

Lloyd Maanyina used to be a charcoal burner and decided to start growing trees instead. He now sells saplings to Greenpop for their planting project. Maanyina is the lead character in an award-winning short film, Amazing Grace, about his change of direction Photograph: Sydelle WIllow Smith

Victor Chiiba, from the Zambian Ministry of Forestry welcomes the project: 'The trees we have now should not be taken for granted. Many voices and innovations from stakeholders such as Greenpop need greater support. The impact of efforts made so far are already yielding results as the number of participating communities and institutions continue to increase. The forestry department alone cannot manage to fight deforestation. Tree planting and managing of existing trees is a sure way of ensuring that the future generation shall still find and use these trees. I hope, in the near future, these could be replicated elsewhere.' Photograph: Sydelle WIllow Smith