My Trees Trust

What My Trees Trust does

My Trees Trust is a Zimbabwe-registered nonprofit trust founded in 2019 that operates community-based indigenous tree planting, wildlife conservation, and alternative-technology programs to combat catastrophic woodland loss in Zimbabwe, where up to 250,000 hectares of natural woodland are lost annually. The organization runs four integrated program areas: restoration (indigenous tree planting via contracted rural farmers paid over a three-year period to maintain 1,000 trees per hectare), conservation (management leases on 120,000 hectares across Gache-Gache and Charara South concessions in the Kariba region of the Zambezi Valley), alternative technologies (distribution of 120,000 fuel-efficient stoves independently assessed to use 70% less wood than traditional three-stone fires), and education (a 5-day Community-Based Environmental Protection workshop curriculum). Cumulative outputs since founding include over 1.5 million indigenous trees planted, USD $836,000 paid to growers, training of 300 rural households in climate-smart farming, and removal of 195,000 metres of nylon nets from Lake Kariba.

My Trees operates with a 7-person core leadership team led by Country Director Dr Rory Pilossof, supported by a workforce of over 2,500 employees and contractors (over 50% women in 2024/25). The organization holds formal partnership agreements with Zimbabwean government entities including the Forestry Commission, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, and the National Herbarium and Botanic Gardens, alongside technical partnerships with the US Forestry Service and TIST. The organization has been recognized as one of Africa's Top 100 Tree Planting Programs by AFR100 and was selected as one of 12 winners of the World Economic Forum's Carbon Uplink Challenge.

My Trees generates revenue through diversified donor and grant funding from institutional partners (British Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, USAID, One Tree Planted, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Danish Church Aid), foundations (Beit Trust, Great Plains Foundation, Rieschel Foundation), and private sector sponsors, supplemented by individual donations via Qgiv and the development of a carbon credit revenue stream in partnership with FCDO and TIST. Its beneficiaries are rural Zimbabwean communities across Hurungwe, Honde Valley, Magunje, and Deve, contracted farmers, and households receiving fuel-efficient stoves.

Name

My Trees Trust

Legal name

My Trees Trust

Website

https://mytreestrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

My Trees Trust is a Zimbabwe-registered nonprofit founded in 2019 that runs community-based indigenous tree planting, 120,000-hectare wildlife conservation concessions in the Kariba region, fuel-efficient stove distribution, and environmental education programs, serving rural farmers and households across Zimbabwe with funding from institutional donors and emerging carbon credit revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Forestry and Logging (113), Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry (115)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Forestry & Indigenous Land Stewardship Services (IMAMAJAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD), Tree Planting & Establishment Services (Manual/Mechanized) (AFAMACAE)

Keywords

• Community tree planting
• Indigenous reforestation
• Wildlife conservation
• Fuel-efficient stoves
• Environmental education

Headquarters

HQ city

Kariba Region

HQ country

Zimbabwe

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor and Grant Funding: My Trees Trust generates revenue through donations and grants from institutional donors including British Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office, One Tree Planted, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Danish Church Aid, USAID, and private foundations such as Great Plains Foundation and Rieschel Foundation. Total USD $836,000 has been paid to growers through tree planting programme since 2019.
2. Carbon Credit Development: The organization is developing carbon projects in partnership with British Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office and through the Carbon Uplink Challenge (World Economic Forum Initiative) to generate carbon credit revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

My Trees Trust contracts rural farmers in Zimbabwe to plant and maintain indigenous trees (1,000 per hectare over three years of paid care), manages wildlife conservation across 120,000 hectares in the Kariba region of the Zambezi Valley, distributes fuel-efficient metal woodstoves that use 70% less wood than traditional three-stone fires, and delivers a 5-day environmental protection workshop curriculum to rural communities. Operations are funded by donations and grants from institutional donors, foundations, and private supporters.

Product overview

My Trees Trust operates as a community-based environmental organization with four integrated program areas: (1) Tree Planting Programs - indigenous tree planting where contracted rural farmers plant and maintain 1,000 trees per hectare over three years; (2) Conservation Management - wildlife protection across 120,000 hectares of wildlife concessions; (3) Fuel-Efficient Stoves - distribution of metal woodstoves that reduce wood consumption by 70%; and (4) Community-Based Environmental Protection Workshops - a 5-day curriculum on environmental protection. These programs work holistically with rural communities to restore woodlands, protect biodiversity, reduce deforestation, and build climate resilience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Indigenous Tree Planting Programs Indigenous tree planting initiative contracting rural farmers in Zimbabwe to plant and maintain trees. Farmers receive three years of payment to tend a hectare of trees at a density of 1,000 trees per hectare; only indigenous species are planted to maximize survival rates.
• Conservation Management (Gache-Gache and Charara South) Wildlife and wilderness protection initiative covering 120,000 hectares across the Gache-Gache and Charara South concessions in the Kariba region of the Zambezi Valley, part of the 2-million-hectare lower Zambezi protected area. Includes biodiversity monitoring, anti-poaching, and habitat rehabilitation.
• Fuel-Efficient Stoves Distribution Free distribution of metal woodstoves to rural households in Hurungwe and Honde Valley. The stove has been independently assessed to use 70% less wood than traditional three-stone fires; 120,000 stoves have been distributed, expected to save roughly 160,000 hectares of woodland over five years.
• Community-Based Environmental Protection and Social Cohesion Workshops A 5-day workshop curriculum developed by My Trees Trust covering sustainability, resilience, planting trees, seed collection, and environmental and biodiversity protection. Delivered through participatory and action learning activities to rural communities in Zimbabwe.
• Climate-Smart Farming Training Agricultural training program teaching conservation farming techniques to increase food security and income for rural smallholder farmers in Magunje and Deve. Has been provided to 300 rural households.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,500,000 indigenous trees planted since 2019
• +7 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• US Forestry ServicecoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnical partner assisting My Trees with improving seedling quality and production process for tree planting programs.
• TIST (The International Small Group & Tree Planting Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIY partner with TIST who have successfully implemented similar projects in India, Kenya and Uganda, helping My Trees with technical aspects of the carbon model.
• Forestry Commission (Zimbabwe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational government body with partnership agreement. My Trees works with the Forestry Commission on tree planting and conservation initiatives.
• Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational government body with partnership agreement for wildlife and biodiversity protection in conservation concessions.
• National Herbarium and Botanic GardensmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational institution with partnership agreement supporting botanical and environmental work.
• The Rift Valley GroupminorOthersPrivate sector partner supporting My Trees Trust.
• Sustainable Afforestation AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting sustainable afforestation efforts.
• FuchsminorOthersPrivate sector partner listed on partners page.
• CABSminorOthersPrivate sector partner (likely Cold Agricultural Business Services or similar).
• SPARminorOthersRetail partner supporting My Trees Trust.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Greenpop: A Southern Africa-based nonprofit focused on reforestation and environmental education, active in South Africa and neighboring countries. Shares My Trees' community-based planting model and donor-funded nonprofit structure.
• TIST (The International Small Group & Tree Planting Program): A direct strategic partner of My Trees Trust with an identical small-group farmer contracting model for tree planting. TIST has implemented similar projects in India, Kenya, and Uganda, and provides technical carbon model support to My Trees.
• WeForest: An international science-based nonprofit that restores degraded forest landscapes through community partnerships. Operates in Africa and globally with a comparable donor-funded model focused on nature-based climate solutions.
• One Tree Planted: A global reforestation nonprofit that partners with My Trees Trust as a financial partner. One Tree Planted runs community-based tree planting programs globally with a similar donor-funded model focused on reforestation and ecosystem restoration.
• Eden Reforestation Projects: A global nonprofit focused on reforestation through employment of local communities. Uses a comparable model of employing local villagers to plant trees, with similar donor-funded structure and multi-country operations.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: A large international environmental nonprofit with operations in Africa focused on forest conservation, climate mitigation, and biodiversity. Shares My Trees' focus on nature-based solutions but operates globally with a much larger asset base and donor pool.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: A large international conservation organization operating across Africa with similar wildlife protection and habitat management objectives. Operates at much greater scale and geographic scope than My Trees but shares the conservation concession model and government partnership approach.
• Great Plains Foundation: A conservation-focused foundation that is a financial partner of My Trees Trust. Operates a broader conservation portfolio across multiple African countries, with a similar focus on wildlife and habitat protection but a wider geographic and programmatic scope.

Regional players

• Painted Dog Conservation: A Zimbabwe-based nonprofit focused on wildlife conservation and community engagement in protected areas. Operates in a similar geographic and community-based conservation context as My Trees but focuses on a specific species rather than landscape restoration.
• BirdLife Zimbabwe: A Zimbabwe-based conservation nonprofit focused on bird and habitat conservation within Zimbabwean ecosystems. Shares My Trees' operational geography and biodiversity protection mission but is focused on avian species rather than woodland restoration.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MyTreesTrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/MyTreesTrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/mytreestrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/my-trees-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about My Trees Trust