Ecological Assessment and Evaluation at Wazo Hill Quarry Site - phase 1

Presenting our #qla6 #quarrylifeaward project "Harnessing the Power of Seed Banks for Ecological Restoration: Lessons from Wazo Hill Quarry"

This week, we had the privilege of conducting a site assessment at the Wazo Hill Quarry Rehabilitation Project - a critical initiative aimed at transforming once-exploited land into thriving ecosystems through ecological restoration.

The project's focus on developing a native seed bank is not only strategic for the sustainable rehabilitation of quarries but also instrumental in supplying and donating trees to Tanzanian communities, aligned with real community needs and national climate action targets.

As Wangari Maathai once said:
“You cannot protect the environment unless you empower people, you inform them, and you help them understand that these resources are their own.”

Seed banks are more than collections - they are guardians of biodiversity, ensuring that future generations can restore degraded landscapes, preserve genetic diversity, and recover ecosystems destroyed by extractive industries.

In line with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, our efforts at Wazo Hill are contributing to:
=> Restoring native vegetation
=> Promoting community resilience through tree donation programs
=> Strengthening local capacity in seed collection, propagation, and nursery development
=> Supporting Tanzania’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement

As Franklin D. Roosevelt wisely put it:
“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”

We call on environmental professionals, researchers, NGOs, and corporate actors to collaborate and invest in seed bank initiatives across Tanzania and beyond. Restoration must go beyond planting trees - it must be ecological, inclusive, and community-driven.

Let’s restore, reforest, and revive.

#qla6 #quarrylifeawar #EcologicalRestoration #SeedBanks#ClimateAction #WazoHill #Tanzania #QuarryRehabilitation#Biodiversity #SustainableDevelopment #NatureBasedSolutions#CommunityForestry