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At ITF we’re all wrapping up for a well-earned Christmas break. I end the year with deep appreciation for our hardworking team.

Across Uganda’s degraded hillsides, the land is barren and broken. Strong winds tear down homes. Landslides claim lives. Rivers burst their banks, destroying everything in their path. “The hills are too fragile and the land is too bare, it is prone to landslides and soil erosion.”

On the far western edge of Uganda lie the Rwenzori Mountains. From the district town of Kasese you take a road that follows the Nyamwamba River up into the mountains. The views as you climb are stunning. At around 3,000 metres above sea level you’ll reach Mbunga and will find a one-roomed office with a tin roof.

Earlier this year one of ITF’s supporters asked me what has gone wrong and what have we learnt from it. This simple question caused me to reflect on the fact that we often highlight the successes. But every success story is built on lessons from the challenges that came before.

This autumn promises to be a memorable one. An abundance of nuts and seeds and it is set to be a spectacular year for autumn colours.

Reputable, well-known companies are constantly asking, how cheap can you go? This isn’t just missing the point. It’s actively damaging ecosystems.

Forests are the beating heart of our planet. Yet the decisions governments make – on finance, land use and climate policy – push them closer to collapse.

This spring the roots, woven deep below Hadrian’s wall, are quietly at work. Drawing energy from the soil around them, the tree is sending out tentative new shoots. Year by year we will witness the irrepressible power of nature at work.

These were not just trees. They were cherished landmarks and for many, living symbols of continuity in a fast-changing world.

In 2022, I visited a degraded site in Dundori and witnessed the community's efforts to restore an area larger than Hyde Park, covering the hillsides with fresh seedlings – each of them was about knee-high at the time.

We drove to the edge of the national forest in search of these trees planted back in 1956. And then, suddenly, we found them—majestic East African camphor trees, towering above us. Native to the region but increasingly threatened, these trees are known as “elephant medicine”.

For over a century, a golden thread has run through our work – putting communities at the heart of restoration. We know that when we work hand in hand with local communities, supporting their vision for their landscapes, we see lasting change on the ground.

Your support is the foundation of a special partnership, one that brings together nature lovers, concerned citizens, local grassroots organisations, experts, and visionary communities. Together, we are helping to bring landscapes back to life.

James reflects on the dazzling beauty of fleeting autumn colours.

Forests and habitats around the world are being devastated by the phenomenon known as the “tragedy of the commons”.  

I wish you could visit these areas and witness first-hand the transformation taking place. You would see the forests regenerating and farmers harvesting mangoes from trees they planted with ITF.

To protect nature effectively, we need to spend time in its healing presence.

Read the open letter and discussion paper, compiled from contributions made by attendees of the Beyond Offsets roundtable at University of Oxford, 21st June 2024.

We take our responsibility for thriving trees very seriously! With rigorous planning and monitoring, we ensure our saplings become strong, healthy, life-giving trees.

If you take a trip by plane there is often the choice to ‘offset’ the carbon emitted by your flight. But are these carbon credits actually doing good? And is there a better way?