Udzungwa Mountains National Park

Environmental Education

Within the partnership project between Monte Rufeno Nature Reserve and Udzungwa Mountains National Park, the twinship between schools has a considerable importance, since both Parks share the belief that environmental education plays an essential role.
As a matter of fact, environmental education is considered one of the main instruments in the conservation and ecosustainable development policies in the territories of the protected areas.
The two schools share some features, like their position in a protected area and the forest ecosystem, which represents the dominating environmental typology in both parks.
The agroforestation project that has been started by the Mlimani Primary School is of great interest to reduce pressure on natural forests: this project regards about twenty arboreal species having different attitudes and used to produce fruits, timber, but also to obtain the benefits linked to the protection from wind and soil erosion, to the conservation of the environment, and to the promotion of an ecosustainable environment carried out by local communities.
The pupils of the school directly take care of a nursery which has been created to produce and spread these vegetal species.
This project is coordinated by the Park. Near the main entrance of the protected area there is a nursery which has been managed for years directly by the Park and which produces a reasonable number of small plants to deliver on demand to the school and the local inhabitants.