Silibwet Secondary School

Planting for the future: How this school is tackling climate change

Silibwet Secondary School, a government school in Nyahururu Town, Nyandarua County, Kenya, has been a game-changer in the fight against local deforestation, soil erosion, and the effects of global warming. By planting over 15,300 trees, the school’s Evergreen Environmental Movement club has directly contributed to increasing the forest cover in the region, which was previously only at 10%, and has positively impacted ecological resilience in the local environment and beyond. All this despite limited resources such as transport, seedlings, maintenance, funding, and water.

In a region hit by the worst drought in 40 years, and where most students walk between 5 and 15 kms to and from school, the school saw staff members donating their own vehicles to transport the trees, and building a nursery to grow seedlings to save on the cost of having to buy new ones every year. It also adapted its programme to the seasons, to plant during the rains, and used an ‘adopt a tree’ approach, where students and community members were taught how to take care of newly planted trees and then took responsibility for them.

The school's efforts have boosted ecological resilience in the area and created a habitat that has brought back many native animals and species. What’s more, the school's collaborative and community-building efforts have garnered widespread support, re-landscaping the local police station, for example, and other initiatives that enhance the quality of life in the community.

The school has already won numerous awards, including winning the Anthem Awards Silver Category for exemplary work in climate action and environmental conservation, and was among 250 schools globally to be recognised for excellence in climate action. By planting 100,000 trees annually, the project aims to reduce at least 2,000 tonnes of carbon per year and contribute to increasing the forest cover from current levels.

If Silibwet Secondary School wins the World's Best School Prize for Environmental Action, it intends to use the prize money to expand its environmental education programme to more schools in the region and purchase more equipment to support sustainable agriculture practices. The school also intends to start a tree nursery to supply seedlings to other schools in the area.