Episode 30: How Christmas Is Celebrated In Rural Kenya

It is time to let a very large and exciting cat out of the bag! On Tuesday 1st April 2025, with great humility and joy, Tracey West handed the baton of CEO to our dear colleague, Simon West, the other co-founder of Word Forest.Listen to our latest episode to hear about all the wonderful work Simon has done over the years and how this changing of the guard will drive us forward to new heights!Read this article here: ⁠⁠⁠wordforest.org/2025/03/31/handing-over-the-torch/Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wordforest.org/donate/

As a small charity with a big mission—reforesting the tropics and protecting communities on the frontlines of climate change—we rarely comment on global trade policy. But when international decisions begin to ripple through the systems we depend on, it’s important to share what that means for our work—and how our supporters can help.Read this article here: wordforest.org/2025/04/07/how-global-trade-turmoil-could-impact-the-fight-against-climate-change/Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wordforest.org/donate/

A new year, a new series. Here you'll find all of our 2025 articles in podcast form!Teach the Future is a campaign led by secondary and tertiary education students to greatly improve education on the climate emergency and ecological crisis in the UK. Word Forest has been a supporter of their mission since they were founded in 2019. Today’s article, written by Nico King, explains what they are doing to achieve their aims.Read this article here: ⁠⁠wordforest.org/2025/02/10/teach-the-future/Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠wordforest.org/donate/

This season comes to a close with our last article from 2024. Christmas in rural Kenya is a joyous occasion, marked by unique traditions, heartfelt gratitude, and a spirit of togetherness that brings communities closer. This episode combines reflections from two distinct parts of Kenya - Garashi and Rusinga Island - to paint a vivid picture of how this special day is celebrated. Both contributions offer an authentic glimpse into the festive season as experienced by the Mothers of the Forest and their communities, supported by Word Forest. Read this article here: ⁠wordforest.org/2024/12/25/how-christmas-is-celebrated-in-rural-kenya/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: ⁠⁠⁠wordforest.org/donate/

Word Forest is an ambitious charity. As well as aiming high to mitigate our climate emergency, we’re also doing all we can to arm the leaders of the future with the information they need to make the best decisions possible.  We’ve been working with Dr Fiona Whitehouse, Head of the Internship Office at the University of Oxford for the past few years. It has been a pleasure to offer their undergraduates a chunky range of internship opportunities that they can really sink their teeth into. In today's episode, find out about their amazing work and the opportunities we provide. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/10/21/our-internship-opportunities-with-the-university-of-oxford/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: ⁠⁠wordforest.org/donate/

Scotland, known for its rugged landscapes, misty lochs and ancient castles, also boasts a rich diversity of tree species that contribute to its unique and picturesque scenery. From the iconic Caledonian pine forests to the delicate rowans scattered across the highlands, Scotland’s trees are an integral part of its natural heritage, besides playing a crucial role in the country’s ecology. But what are these trees and what are they called? Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/08/26/exploring-scotlands-diverse-tree-species-a-glimpse-into-the-countrys-arboreal-riches/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: ⁠wordforest.org/donate/

Here’s a reflection from our Kenyan team on International Day of Forests this year. We mark this day in March by creating awareness of the importance of creating new and conserving existing forests. During this day everyone is encouraged to undertake activities involving forests by highlighting the importance of ecosystems in the fight against climate change. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/08/09/international-day-of-forests/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: ⁠wordforest.org/donate/

Permaculture – the idea of living lightly on the planet – has been around for half a century. For some, it’s a sustainable and environmentally friendly way of living. For those living in countries devastated by climate change, it can be the difference between life and death. In this series of three articles, we explore the 12 permaculture principles and how the communities in Kenya are using permaculture to live securely on the land. Part 1 and Part 2 cover the principles of permaculture. This part describes the challenges the communities in Kenya face and how Word Forest is supporting them as they develop permaculture practices to survive and thrive. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/08/02/permaculture-principles-and-practice-part-3/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: ⁠wordforest.org/donate/

Permaculture – the idea of living lightly on the planet – has been around for half a century. For some, it’s a sustainable and environmentally friendly way of living. For those living in countries devastated by climate change, it can be the difference between life and death. In this series of three articles, we explore the 12 permaculture principles and how the communities in Kenya are using permaculture to live securely on the land. This part covers the second six principles. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/07/26/permaculture-principles-and-practice-part-2/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: ⁠wordforest.org/donate/

Permaculture – the idea of living lightly on the planet – has been around for half a century. For some, it’s a sustainable and environmentally friendly way of living. For those living in countries devastated by climate change, it can be the difference between life and death.In this series of three articles, we explore the 12 principles of permaculture and how the communities in Kenya are using permaculture to live securely on the land. In this article, we introduce the origins of permaculture and the first six principles, which focus on the bottom-up perspective of elements, organisms and individuals. Read this article here: wordforest.org/2024/07/19/permaculture-principles-and-practice/ Donate to our fight against the climate crisis here: ⁠wordforest.org/donate/