In March 2022, Kamuthe Wildlife Conservancy teamed up with Save Giraffes Now to combat the invasive Prosopis Juliflora.
Locally referred to as mathenge, the invasive tree grows rapidly, hampering the growth of native vegetation.
This aggressive spread and colonisation of other plants leads to the loss of biodiversity and pastures for the largely pastoral local community.
The mathenge tree also tends to block critical access to waterways as well as pose a great danger to the local community and livestock due to its broad leaves that contain poisonous thorns.
In addition to learning how to effectively manage the invasive mathenge trees, the local communities are being engaged on how to enable the natural regeneration of beneficial indigenous trees.
Following a successful exercise, the joint team made a commitment to carry out the exercise every so often to keep the invasive bushes at bay.
It was also agreed that there was need to keep learning and incorporating the best management practices of the mathenge trees from borrowing from similar programs across the region.
