campaign 2024-2025
Save our Cedar
Each Donation Can Make a Difference
Your support will fund:
Mapping & land preparation
Clear planting sites by removing invasive species and dense vegetation.
Seedlings purchase
Purchase of seedlings from certified Community Cedar tree nurseries.
Transportation & planting
Transport seedlings from community nurseries to the planting areas.
Ecological monitoring
Assessment of seedling survival rates. Ensuring protectetion from fire.
About Us
Mount Mulanje Conservation Trust
Based at Mulanje Mountain Biosphere Reserve in south-eastern Malawi, we are a registered conservation organization that was established in 2002. Our mission is to protect the mountain’s biodiversity and natural resources, while enhancing the well-being of the surrounding communities.
What is Mulanje Cedar?
The National Tree of Malawi, Mulanje Cedar (Widdringtonia whytei) is a towering conifer that can grow up to 50 meters in height. It is unique to Mt Mulanje and found nowhere else naturally on earth. Renowned for its fragrant resin, high-quality and termite resistant timber, this ecologically significant tree is prized for construction and artisanal crafts.
Threats to Mulanje Cedar
Illegal logging, fires, population pressure and climate change have driven this iconic tree to the brink of extinction. Only a handful of mature coning trees survive today. This threatens the species ability to sustainably reproduce. Mulanje Cedar is now classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of species.
Each Donation Can Make a Difference
Why restore Mulanje Cedar?
Biodiversity:
Mulanje Cedar is a keystone species that provides habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals, some of which uniquely evolved on the mountain landscape creating high levels of endemism.
Water regulation:
Through its extensive root system, Cedar forests can keep moisture in the soil, reducing surface run-off, and regulates water quality. This is critical for maintaining the water catchment areas on the mountain.
Cultural significance:
Important forest plants and animals associated with the Mulanje Cedar habitat are negatively impacted by its exploitation. This threatens the communities dependent on the mountain’s natural resources.