International Tree Foundation

International Tree Foundation Restoring forests through local communities 🌱 ITF has been pioneering community led forest restoration since we were founded in 1922.

We work across Africa and in the UK, with communities planting trees, restoring forests, and strengthening communities.

At ITF, care and quality are vital to our work. We are focused on making every pound go further. Our model is built on p...
12/06/2026

At ITF, care and quality are vital to our work. We are focused on making every pound go further.

Our model is built on partnership, working with trusted local organisations who understand their landscapes and can deliver efficiently. Rather than short-term planting, we invest in skills, systems and local ownership so trees survive and benefits continue long after funding ends.

With over 80% tree survival rates and a strong track record of increasing incomes and yields, we prioritise approaches that deliver multiple outcomes at once. Careful monitoring, community-led design and a century of experience mean we focus resources where they make the greatest difference. The result is practical, lasting change that represents strong value for money, both for communities and for funders seeking meaningful impact.

As climate impacts intensify, the need for restoration that is thoughtful, locally led and built to last has never been greater. Our work tells the story of trees planted with purpose that bring lasting prosperity for people and nature.

Planting trees with  to rewilding a historic monoculture plantation in Romania.UPS are on a mission to plant 50 million ...
08/06/2026

Planting trees with to rewilding a historic monoculture plantation in Romania.

UPS are on a mission to plant 50 million trees by 2030, and we're proud to support them all over the world to reach this goal.

By planting a mixture of native trees here in Bucharest, over time, a natural woodland will be created, increasing local biodiversity, improving soil ecology and creating habitat for wildlife as the trees grow.

Our poetry competition is all about celebrating trees and time in nature. And we love reading all your entries! From wax...
06/06/2026

Our poetry competition is all about celebrating trees and time in nature.
And we love reading all your entries! From waxing lyrical about dragonflies to writing from the perspective of a fox, submissions are always creative and delightful!

📸 This tree in Marmanet Forest, Kenya, is used by elephant to have a good scratch.
30/05/2026

📸 This tree in Marmanet Forest, Kenya, is used by elephant to have a good scratch.

What if planting a tree did more than grow a forest? Swipe through to see why the right trees, planted in the right plac...
27/05/2026

What if planting a tree did more than grow a forest?

Swipe through to see why the right trees, planted in the right places, change lives.

At International Tree Foundation, we work alongside communities to plant trees with purpose, so they deliver lasting benefits for people and nature.

Before trees can be planted in the forest, invasive species like Lantana camara must be cleared. It can be back-breaking...
25/05/2026

Before trees can be planted in the forest, invasive species like Lantana camara must be cleared. It can be back-breaking physical work which continues long after the trees are planted, to ensure unwanted shrubs don’t outcompete the trees for nutrients. That’s where people like Elijah Nyakundi come in.

Elijah is a Forest Scout. “My role as a scout is to take care of newly planted forest sites,” he says. “I've done this job for quite a while. We ensure that the site is protected from threats, especially fires and illegal grazing. We also replace any dead trees in the planted site to enhance forest establishment.

“I have received training on tree maintenance and site management. Through this project we receive a monthly income that enables us to sustain our families.”

📸 Ruth Kimunto’s donkey transports trees to locations inaccessible to tractors

Protecting these trees for the long term starts with community engagement and showing the difference a healthy thriving ...
21/05/2026

Protecting these trees for the long term starts with community engagement and showing the difference a healthy thriving forest makes.

W***y Kipkoech is a Forest Ranger in charge of the Kobujoi Community Forest Station.

“Our partnership with ITF has been very productive,” he says. “Because it has helped us in sourcing suitable endangered tree species for this area that had disappeared as a result of overutilisation by the local community.

“We also sensitise the community on the importance of this project to their livelihoods and on local weather. I have witnessed, as a Ranger, how the community has embraced the project with a lot of joy and they have realised how important this project is to their lives.

“So for me, the project has led to positive development in this area. I urge for continued support to this project to ensure that the ecosystem is restored to its original state.”

Peninannah Kawira is a farmer who lives next to the forest. She has seen the difference the trees are making, “The rivers in our area now have more water,” she says. “Even the rains have improved. There used to be a longer dry spell, but now rains come early. Because of forest restoration planting threatened tree species.”

As Elijah Nyakundi says, “We now understand how important it is to take care of trees.”

To grow trees, we first need to gather their seeds. Seeds are collected from ‘mother trees’, often the largest and oldes...
17/05/2026

To grow trees, we first need to gather their seeds. Seeds are collected from ‘mother trees’, often the largest and oldest trees in the forest. Seed collectors like Simon and Jacinta spend days in the forest, locating mother trees. Once they’ve been found, they’re monitored to track their flowering and fruiting cycles so that seeds can be harvested at just the right time.

“I was trained by ITF on how to identify and source quality seeds,” says Simon Thairu who is based in Dundori Forest. “We are trained to be indigenous seed collectors because we realised that in our forest the number of indigenous trees is decreasing rapidly.

“Now we have been trained we are able to identify many indigenous tree species. The information helps us collect the seeds. There were so many species that we did not know. But through ITF we have learned the names of different tree species.”

The work doesn’t just help restore the forest, it also brings in an income. “I am a seed collector from Meru Forest Station,” says Jacinta Karoki. “As a seed collector through ITF, I receive a monthly income that enables me to improve my livelihood, including educating my children and meeting my basic needs.

“We are doing well in this work of collecting seeds. We enjoy every aspect of the work to restore our forests, thank you.”

📸 Jacinta Makena harvesting Rytiginia eickii seeds

Our poet-TREE competition for primary school aged children is back once again!  5- to 11-year-olds are invited to write ...
15/05/2026

Our poet-TREE competition for primary school aged children is back once again!

5- to 11-year-olds are invited to write an original poem on the theme of trees and nature. Poems can be in any style and of any length, written or typed - let the creativity flow!

The winning poem will be published in our annual journal, trees.

Visit internationaltreefoundation.org/poetry to find out how to enter.

Edwin meets pest controlThere are many ways to control pests and keep seedlings healthy as they grow. At Kithoka threate...
14/05/2026

Edwin meets pest control

There are many ways to control pests and keep seedlings healthy as they grow. At Kithoka threatened tree nursery in Meru, chameleons have turned up to help. They act as natural pest control by eating insects.

When the ITF team visited to check on the project’s progress, they were delighted to see the chameleons, as their presence shows the nursery is healthy and free from disease.

Address

The Old Music Hall, 106-108 Cowley Road
Oxford
OX41JE

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+441865922430

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