The Importance of mangroves

Mangroves are magic and often under-appreciated. Most people do not realise their true value to the overall health of our communities and our entire planet.

The roots build up the muddy bottom near the base of the trees, which stabilises the coastline by reducing erosion from storm surges, currents, waves and tides.

Mangroves serve to protect marine habitats from harmful nutrients, the roots help filter water coming off from the land, including pollutants, heavy metals, pesticides and agricultural runoff, and they bolster animal and fish populations.

The intricate root systems provide critical nursery habitats for many marine creatures, allowing them to forage and grow while remaining protected from predators and the nutrient-rich layer of decay they form amongst the roots, serve as the "foundation of the coastal food web.

And critically, mangroves serve as a major "blue carbon sink", meaning they are excellent at absorbing and storing carbon from the atmosphere. Like all trees, they sequester carbon as they grow and turn it into their leaves, roots and branches. And when they die, the carbon stored falls to the seafloor and becomes buried in the soil. Trapped here, it doesn't reenter the atmosphere if it remains undisturbed.

The last planting site on the Kenya & Tanzania Reforestation Project is a mangrove restoration project on the Tanzanian coast near the historic town of Bagamoyo.

So, lets get muddy and plant mangroves!!