Sustainable Forest Management Solutions
Educational forestry services for ecological and economic restoration
About Mpingo Restoration Initiative
Our Story
Our Restoration Approach
Why Mpingo?
Restoring Kenya’s African Blackwood — One Seed at a Time
Mpingo Restoration Initiative (MRI) is a collaborative national movement started in 2023, working to restore Dalbergia melanoxylon—African Blackwood, locally known as Mpingo—across Kenya.
We bring together foresters, researchers, nursery operators, conservationists, communities, stud
Restoring Kenya’s African Blackwood — One Seed at a Time
Mpingo Restoration Initiative (MRI) is a collaborative national movement started in 2023, working to restore Dalbergia melanoxylon—African Blackwood, locally known as Mpingo—across Kenya.
We bring together foresters, researchers, nursery operators, conservationists, communities, students, musicians, institutions and restoration champions to build the knowledge, partnerships and capacity needed to secure the future of this remarkable indigenous tree.
Why Mpingo?
Our Restoration Approach
Why Mpingo?
More Than a Tree
Mpingo (Dalbergia melanoxylon), internationally known as African Blackwood, is one of Africa's remarkable indigenous trees.
It contributes to biodiversity, soil improvement and dryland ecosystem resilience while supporting cultural traditions, livelihoods and an internationally important timber value chain.
Its exceptional
More Than a Tree
Mpingo (Dalbergia melanoxylon), internationally known as African Blackwood, is one of Africa's remarkable indigenous trees.
It contributes to biodiversity, soil improvement and dryland ecosystem resilience while supporting cultural traditions, livelihoods and an internationally important timber value chain.
Its exceptionally dense and durable wood is valued for fine carvings, luxury products and world-class musical instruments, including clarinets, oboes, recorders and bagpipes.
Yet Mpingo faces a serious conservation challenge. It is a slow-growing species that can take decades—around 60 years—to reach maturity, while decades of overharvesting, habitat degradation and poor natural regeneration have placed wild populations under increasing pressure. This is why MRI is committed to restoring Mpingo: to help rebuild populations of a species that takes generations to mature but can be lost within a fraction of that time.
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Our Restoration Approach
Our Restoration Approach
Our Restoration Approach
MRI takes a whole-system approach to Mpingo restoration, strengthening the restoration chain from quality seed to successful landscape establishment.
We support quality seed collection, handling and availability, strengthen nursery capacity to produce healthy seedlings, share practical propagation and restoration knowledge, encourage rese
MRI takes a whole-system approach to Mpingo restoration, strengthening the restoration chain from quality seed to successful landscape establishment.
We support quality seed collection, handling and availability, strengthen nursery capacity to produce healthy seedlings, share practical propagation and restoration knowledge, encourage research and innovation, build partnerships across the restoration community, and support the transition from seedlings to established trees in suitable landscapes.
By strengthening each stage of the restoration process, MRI is building the capacity, knowledge and partnerships needed to restore Mpingo sustainably across Kenya.
Our goal is not simply to plant more trees, but to restore a species whose ecological, cultural and economic value deserves to endure for generations
join the movement
Planting Our Future One Tree at a Time
There Is a Place for Everyone
Whether you are a farmer, nursery operator, researcher, student, conservation practitioner, institution, community group, musician, development partner or simply someone who cares about Kenya's indigenous forests, you can contribute to Mpingo restoration.
Then use six action boxes:
GROW
Raise Mpingo seedlings and establish demonstration plots.
PLANT
Integrate Mpingo into suitable farms, schools, institutions, conservancies and restoration programmes.
LEARN
Build your knowledge through technical resources, training and knowledge exchange.
SHARE
Help raise awareness about the importance of Mpingo conservation.
PARTNER
Collaborate on research, restoration, community engagement and capacity building.
SUPPORT
Contribute resources, expertise, equipment, funding or volunteer time.