Native PEP Project

In Tiaty, Baringo County, a 16-acre restoration site is showing what is possible when communities bring native grasses back to the land.

Through the Native PEP Project-supported reseeding programme, residents of Atulayan are restoring pasture, improving soil health and creating new sources of fodder, income and thatching material.

The benefits go beyond livelihoods. With more pasture available closer to home, residents say they have been able to reduce migration in search of grazing, helping ease competition and conflict over scarce grass and water.

For the community, every blade of grass means more than a greener landscape. It means stronger livelihoods, healthier land and greater resilience.

Read the story: Tiaty’s Green Promise, how restoring native grass is helping restore livelihoods and reduce pressure that can fuel conflict.

https://nativepep.org/tiatys-green-promise-how-native-pep-is-restoring-drylands-and-livelihoods/

Tiaty’s Green Promise: How Native PEP Is Restoring Drylands and Livelihoods - Tiaty’s Green Promise: How Native PEP Is Restoring Drylands and Livelihoods In Tiaty, Baringo County, a community-led restoration effort is showing how bringing native grasses back to degraded land can restore pasture, improve soil health, human health and create new opportunities for pastoralist ...

Our communities are restoring nature, one landscape at a time.

We are proud to see the work of the Native Plants for Environment and People (Native PEP) project in Tiaty, Baringo County, featured on Citizen TV’s 9pm News Climate segment.

The feature highlights how communities are restoring degraded rangelands, protecting natural resources and using native plants to build healthier, more resilient landscapes and livelihoods.

This is the power of local knowledge, community action and nature-based solutions. By restoring the land, communities are also strengthening their resilience and creating a better future for generations to come. 🌍

We are grateful to Citizen TV for helping bring these community-led efforts to a wider audience.

🎥 Watch the full feature and see the work in action:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uvaqn3qvXo

Feel free to watch, share and help amplify the voices of the communities leading this change.

Citizen Planet: Tiaty community restores degraded land amid climate crisis JEFF: Citizen Planet: For years, Baringo County has endured the har...

What happens when children, teachers, and communities come together to restore nature?

At Chelaba Primary School in Baringo County, Kenya, a remarkable transformation is taking place. Through the Native Plants for Environment and People (Native PEP) project, learners are raising indigenous tree seedlings, restoring saline soils, establishing school gardens, and inspiring their families and communities to care for the environment.

More than a school project, this is a story of hope, resilience, and the power of restoration to create healthier landscapes, stronger communities, and brighter futures.

In this video, you'll discover:

1. How indigenous tree nurseries are restoring local ecosystems
2. How seedling sales are supporting learners with educational materials
3. Innovative approaches to restoring saline soils and establishing school gardens
4. Community-led efforts to remove invasive Prosopis juliflora
5. Why schools are becoming champions of ecosystem restoration across Kenya and Tanzania

Together, we can grow a future where nature and people thrive.

▶️ Watch, like, share, and subscribe to support community-led restoration.

https://youtu.be/cqaq5WiOvS0?si=kyW6koIW_IC6kcso

From Bare Soil to Hope | How Chelaba School is Growing the Next Generation of Restoration Champions What happens when children, teachers, and communities come together...

From bare soil…
To tiny shoots…
To a thriving landscape.

Every healthy ecosystem starts with one decision: to restore, protect, and give nature time to heal.

This transformation is proof that when communities work with nature, not against it, degraded land can become productive again.

Nature knows how to recover. Sometimes, it just needs a helping hand.

Restoration is not magic. It’s a commitment.

Healthy rangelands are more than grazing areas, they are a source of quality livestock feed, improved livelihoods, and resilient communities.

This illustrated guide demonstrates the key steps in hay production, from selecting and protecting rangeland areas, harvesting at the right stage, drying, baling, and storing hay safely to maintain its quality. When managed well, hay production not only provides nutritious feed during dry seasons but also creates new income opportunities for pastoral communities.

Through the Native PEP project, we are promoting sustainable rangeland restoration and practical innovations that improve livestock productivity while conserving natural ecosystems.

🌱 Restore landscapes.
🐄 Improve livestock nutrition.
💰 Create sustainable livelihoods.

At Chelaba Primary School in Baringo County, learners are transforming a challenging saline landscape into a thriving hub of restoration, learning, and hope. Through the Native Plants for Environment and People (Native PEP) project, students are raising indigenous tree seedlings, restoring degraded land, sharing knowledge with their families, and even generating income to support their education.

The story of Chelaba reminds us that restoration is about more than planting trees—it's about empowering communities, nurturing future environmental champions, and creating lasting change.

Read how one school is proving that even the most challenging landscapes can flourish with knowledge, commitment, and collective action.

Read more:
https://nativepep.org/from-bare-soil-to-hope-the-story-growing-at-chelaba-primary-school/

We had an inspiring engagement with teachers from Kilimanjaro Girls, where we explored a collaboration to actively involve students in dryland restoration activities. The goal is clear — to nurture behavioral change and instill a deep understanding that today’s learners are tomorrow’s custodians of our environment.

The school warmly embraced the Native PEP project and pledged full support for this initiative. Beyond restoration, this partnership will create a dynamic learning platform where students gain hands-on experience, connect with nature, and become champions of sustainable land management.

Empowering young minds today is key to securing a resilient and restored tomorrow.

Yesterday marked a powerful step forward in community-led conservation.

We had a meaningful engagement with Maasai leaders in Mawasiliano and Tingatinga villages, where they unanimously agreed to take ownership of protecting the pasture trial sites. The leaders committed to formulating by-laws that will hold anyone accountable for allowing livestock into these protected areas.

These sites are more than just plots of land — they are living classrooms. Spaces where communities are learning, experimenting, and building a more sustainable future together.

This collective commitment is a strong reminder that lasting change begins at the community level. When local leadership takes charge, restoration efforts become stronger, more resilient, and truly transformative.

Across Kenya and Tanzania’s drylands, communities are restoring degraded drylands using indigenous knowledge and native plants; improving biodiversity, livelihoods, and climate resilience.

The Native Plants for Environment and People (Native PEP) project is a community-driven initiative supporting ecosystem restoration, dryland regeneration, and sustainable livelihoods in three conservancies in Kenya and two villages in West Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

Over the past three years, Native PEP has:

Promoted restoration of degraded drylands using native species

Strengthened community conservancies and local stewardship

Supported livelihoods through sustainable land use practices

Increased awareness on the importance of indigenous biodiversity

Now, we are seeking support for the third phase — focused on scaling impact within existing communities, engaging schools for long-term behavioral change, and strengthening measurable community-level outcomes.

This is a call to partners, donors, and institutions committed to:

Climate adaptation
Ecosystem restoration
Community resilience
Youth engagement in environmental stewardship

Join us in restoring drylands — and hope.

For partnership and funding inquiries, contact: [email protected]

https://youtu.be/Bf9ugw4Ty5U

Native PEP: Restoring Drylands, Reviving Communities | A Call to Fund the Third Phase