Each year Rwanda celebrates a tree and forests planting day which mainly takes place in between tree planting season that runs from October to November. This year, the launch of the tree planting season 2023/2024 will coincide with the celebration of the 48th anniversary of tree planting day due on 28th October in, Kiruhura village, Kagomasi cell, Gashora sector- Bugesera District. The event will focus on enhancing community involvement and ownership in landscape restoration for long-term impact and sustainability. At least 62,843,695 seedlings that include native and exotic tree species of various uses, such as agroforestry, forestry, fruit, bamboo and ornamental trees, have been prepared to be planted not later than December. 

To ensure lasting and sustainable trees, residents are being encouraged to plant the seedlings on consolidated lands for agroforestry or woodlots. They are, furthermore, planting ornamental trees in their compounds to beautify their households, and fruit trees on agricultural lands to contribute to food security. Ornamental trees will be planted in urban areas, IDP model villages and on roadsides with special attention to the City of Kigali and the Eastern Province, which face significant forest cover shortages.

Special community work sessions (Umuganda) have been organized until April 2024 to engage local communities in preparing planting sites, creating contour lines, planting trees, and establishing grasses to combat erosion on agricultural lands. Local administrative entities have been, as well, playing a crucial role in sensitizing communities to conduct these activities in accordance with the 2023/2024 tree planting season.

Across the country, new forests will be planted on 2,500 hectares, bamboos on 240 hectares, ornamental trees on 500km on roadsides, agroforestry trees on 50,000 hectares, production and distribution of nearly 4.5 million of fruit trees, rehabilitation of degraded forests on 1000 hectares, establishment of 30 hectares of new tree seed stands, maintaining of existing seed stands on 148 hectares and small forest plantations on 580 hectares.  

The aim is to produce and plant at least 62,843,695 seedlings composed of 63.5 percent of agroforestry trees, 19.9 percent of classic forests, 6.51 percent of fruit trees, 0.240 percent of bamboo and 9.81 percent of ornamental trees.

To add further to that, significant effort is being put into maintaining existing forests and raising awareness amongst communities to plant and sustain their own forests. And the Rwanda Forestry Authority (RFA) and the Ministry of Environment (MoE) have been, closely, collaborating with their stakeholders and partners to make it a memorable ceremony.