The Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) has planted 1,005 tree seedlings in Morogoro Region as part of efforts to promote environmental conservation and mark the annual International Day of Forests.
The tree-planting exercise, conducted through the Morogoro Tree Seed and Seedling Production Centre, took place at Dakawa and Mhonda teachers’ colleges and forms part of wider initiatives aimed at restoring degraded ecosystems and strengthening environmental awareness among communities.
Speaking after the exercise, the centre’s head, Chief Conservator Mohammed Msalu, said the agency continues to prioritise tree planting as a key strategy to restore forest cover lost through human activities.
He said Tanzania plants trees on about 23,400 hectares annually, but warned that the country still loses more than 405,000 hectares of forests each year due to expanding agriculture, livestock grazing, settlement development and charcoal production.
Mr Msalu said the scale of forest loss underscores the urgency of strengthening conservation efforts and expanding tree-planting initiatives across the country.
He called for greater cooperation between public institutions, private organisations and local communities to safeguard forest resources and ensure the success of reforestation programmes.
“These efforts cannot succeed without the participation of all stakeholders. Institutions and communities must work together to control forest destruction while increasing the pace of tree planting,” he said.
Environmental ambassador and musician Seleman Msindi, popularly known as Afande Sele, also took part in the exercise and stressed the need for stronger enforcement of environmental laws and policies to address deforestation.
He said the occasion serves as a reminder of the crucial role forests play in sustaining human life, protecting biodiversity and maintaining ecological balance.
“We plant trees not only for today but also for future generations. Protecting the environment is a responsibility we have inherited and must safeguard for those who will come after us,” he said.
Teachers from the participating colleges said they will continue encouraging students to actively engage in environmental conservation activities, noting that trees play a vital role in improving climate resilience and supporting community livelihoods.
The initiative forms part of national celebrations of the International Day of Forests aimed at increasing public awareness and encouraging greater participation in protecting forest resources to support sustainable development.
