Tom Skirrow

CEO of @TREEAID - tweeting about development, land restoration and solutions to the climate crisis in Africa's drylands.

[Tom Skirrow @tomskirrowtrees]

@UNCCD Report on The Great Green Wall sets a marker down for how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go to make this a reality. My take on the report here:

https://t.co/t5uPz2xe92

[Tom Skirrow @tomskirrowtrees]

In Dubai with the @TreeAid team for #COP28, making the case for scaling up community-led #NatureBasedSolutions in Africa’s drylands.
Global leaders must stop deflecting and start taking action. Communities across the Sahel are dependent on it, and time is running out.

[Tom Skirrow @tomskirrowtrees]

@guardianeco Seems like weird breaking news?! Monocultures are bad for biodiversity! In other news, turns out the pope is indeed catholic and bears… well… you know…

[Tree Aid @TREEAID]

#NatureBasedSolutions in action! 🌳 We've been trialling a new cost-effective mold to protect #trees - using mud! 🌱

We've discovered the best way to make make the walls strong enough stand the test of time & weather ☔ 👇

[Global EverGreening Alliance @EverGreeningA]

Introducing our newest member, @TREEAID! 💚🌍💙 Led by local people, their projects are tackling poverty and the effects of the climate crisis by growing trees, improving incomes, and restoring and protecting land. Welcome to the Alliance, Tree Aid 🤗

#GenerationRestoration

[Annie Schultz @SchultzAnnie1]

To Accelerate #Adaptation in #Africa, @JohnKerry & #cop27 President Samey Shoukry announced a set of support initiatives for farmers and local level solutions.

Cool - but we’re far from the trillions 💵 we need.

[Annie Schultz @SchultzAnnie1]

🇸🇳Fantastic to hear Sénégal’s Minister of Environment Alioune Ndoeye affirm the importance of the @GreenWallAfrica in the new “Programme pour un Sénégal Emergent”

👩🏿‍🌾Looking forward to hearing how the #pse will enable civil society to build the GGW further!

#cop27egypt #Africa

[Tom Skirrow @tomskirrowtrees]

25% of the worlds soil is degraded. “We can’t continue as business as usual - we have to work together to change this”.

Great to hear from @lawinowiecki inspire us to come together for #soilhealth

[Tom Skirrow @tomskirrowtrees]

Inspiring to hear from @ibrahimthiaw at @UNCCD talk about what’s needed to accelerate the #greatgreenwall on the ground:

Decentralise to harness the power of local govt & local civil society orgs.

A mosaic of land restoration across the region is the only way.

@TreeAid

[Tom Skirrow @tomskirrowtrees]

Scaling up land #restoration in Africa is key for the delivery of the FCLP.

Good to hear @EmmanuelMacron & @Macky_Sall @COP27P ask for a scale up of locally led projects in @GreenWallAfrica, crucial tool for #climate & #biodiversity action, food sovereignty and jobs

[Tree Aid @TREEAID]

At the launch of the new #Forests & Climate Leaders partnership #COP27

We’re glad civil society was invited & we welcome this new means of holding govts to account on their #COP26 pledges to reduce & reverse #deforestation by 2030

@RishiSunak @AlokSharma_RDG

[Tom Skirrow @tomskirrowtrees]

💵Reassuring to hear commitments from @SandraRulliere @afd, @GautierQueru @mirova, @EricAndrieuEU @Europeanparl
& @europeancommiss to fund #agroecology & #agroforestry at this year’s @DesertifActions conference

✊🏾This is vital to combat #desertification in the drylands of Africa

[Tom Skirrow @tomskirrowtrees]

Proud that @TREEAID took part in this important study highlighting the potential for value chains across the #GreatGreenWall. I’m in New York Climate Week with @wef and @1t_org to push for the acceleration of reforestation and restoration across the Sahel and beyond.

[World Economic Forum @wef]

Our latest report, commissioned by the @wef’s @1t_org initiative, explores the untapped opportunities from tree crop value chains in the Sahel’s Great #GreenWall – one of the most ambitious land restoration projects in the world. @SOS_SAHEL_

Read here https://t.co/5veKOsvF6J

[Tree Aid @TREEAID]

3/"I can’t talk about women’s rights without talking about community rights. I can’t talk about community rights without talking about the environment we live in and depend on” 🌱✊🏾

📸: @hindououmar with CEO @tomskirrowtrees & Policy & Advocacy Advisor @SchultzAnnie1 at #COP15

[Tree Aid @TREEAID]

2/Preventing #wildfires is a key part of our work in #Africa's drylands - as well as planting new trees, we must ensure communities have the tools & training needed to protect existing forest & tackle #deforestation

More on our forest gov approach here > https://t.co/O8DDUEJ846

[Tree Aid @TREEAID]

Soil and water conservation practises such as digging these colossal #boulis have a jaw-dropping impact on the fertility of the soil. Find out more about how we work with communities to #restore land 👇 https://t.co/hHdeosNbi6

[Tree Aid @TREEAID]

1/For Sadio, a lack of shade and humidity due to
#deforestation and the #climatecrisis are making daily tasks exhausting. During her work as a medical
assistant, the #heat has even stopped medications from working on occasion 🌡️

#Heatwave2022 #UKHeatwave

[Tree Aid @TREEAID]

Grassroots action has always been at the 💚 of our approach

In the next 5 years, we'll be raising the voices of local families & communities, to ensure that wider systems support them to grow a green and thriving future 🌱

Read our new strategy here > https://t.co/eOQw1n3MIq

[Tom Skirrow @tomskirrowtrees]

Let’s use our success to broaden our impact. Nationally, this means moving towards local, inclusive, and gender-sensitive land governance. Internationally, it means more accessible finance for civil society organisations and local communities, who are core to restoration efforts!

[Tree Aid @TREEAID]

2/“Local success & the evidence it brings is essential in the fight to regreen & restore the Sahel. But it must be used to help catalyse systemic change, which our new strategy advocates for, drawing on 35yrs of experience" @tomskirrowtrees

https://t.co/gGTrprohqM

[Tom Skirrow @tomskirrowtrees]

What an absolute privilege and pleasure to meet with @JoannaLumleyUK yesterday to update her on the work of @TREEAID and our future plans. She even taught me a thing or two about tree growing that I didn’t know!

[Tree Aid @TREEAID]

"It is the one who sleeps in the house, who knows where the roof is leaking. The communities are at the forefront, they have the knowledge and great capacity to adapt." 🔥🙌

Alexis Sompougdou Tree Aid Forest Governance Advisor speaking at @SOS_SAHEL_ side event @Cop15Abidjan

[Tom Skirrow @tomskirrowtrees]

Absolute privilege to be a part of this event. Thanks to @ICRAF / @RegreenAfrica for the invite. Now… we know what works… so let’s get to it!