# Green Belt Movement

> Community-led tree planting and watershed restoration across Kenya since 1977

Source: https://treerm.org/org/green-belt-movement · Updated 2026-11-07 · Data license: CC BY 4.0 (https://treerm.org/about#license)

## Facts

- Type: Nonprofit
- Scope: National
- Headquarters: Nairobi, Nairobi County, Kenya
- Founded: 1977
- Website: https://www.greenbeltmovement.org
- Volunteer sign-up: https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/volunteer-with-gbm/
- Donate: https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/donate/
- Countries where they plant: Kenya
- Activity types: Reforestation (primary), Agroforestry, Nurseries & seedlings, Education & advocacy
- Trees on record: 51,000,000 (larger of latest cumulative figure and sum of annual figures; trees planted or distributed)

## About

The Green Belt Movement is a Kenyan environmental organization founded in 1977 by Wangari Maathai under the National Council of Women of Kenya. It works with community tree nursery groups, Community Forest Associations and smallholder farmers to restore degraded forest landscapes, mainly in Kenya's major watersheds such as the Mau Forest Complex, Mount Kenya and North Nandi Forest. Its programs cover ecosystem restoration, agroforestry and sustainable livelihoods, and advocacy and policy work. The organization reports more than 51 million trees planted since its founding.

## Programs

- **Ecosystem Restoration Programme** — Reforestation: Plants indigenous tree seedlings in degraded forest and watershed areas such as the Mau Forest Complex, Mount Kenya, Sururu and North Nandi Forest, working with Community Forest Associations. https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/restoration-of-ecosystems-and-forest-conservation-reviving-ecosystems-building-climate-resilience/
- **Sustainable Livelihoods and Agroforestry** — Agroforestry: Distributes fruit and high-value tree seedlings to registered smallholder farmers and trains them in agroforestry, climate-smart agriculture and Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration.
- **Community Tree Nursery Groups** — Nurseries & seedlings: Community groups, mostly women-led, raise indigenous and fruit tree seedlings that GBM buys and distributes for restoration and agroforestry planting.

## Metrics

| Metric | Year | Value | Cumulative | Program | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---:|---|---|---|---|
| Hectares restored | 2025 | 4,000,000 | yes (to date) | organization-wide | Self-reported | [source](https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/The-Green-Belt-Movement-Annual-Report-for-Year-2025-2.pdf) 2025 Annual Report, 'Our Impact': 'restored approximately 4 million hectares of degraded land' since founding |
| Trees planted | 2025 | 1,980,000 | no (that year) | organization-wide | Self-reported | [source](https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/The-Green-Belt-Movement-Annual-Report-for-Year-2025-2.pdf) 2025 Annual Report, p.5-6, '2025 by the numbers': 'more than 1.98 million indigenous, fruit and agroforestry tree seedlings' planted and distributed |
| Trees planted | 2025 | 51,000,000 | yes (to date) | organization-wide | Self-reported | [source](https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/The-Green-Belt-Movement-Annual-Report-for-Year-2025-2.pdf) 2025 Annual Report, 'Our Impact': 'Since its founding, GBM has planted over 51 million trees across Kenya' |
| Hectares restored | 2025 | 209 | no (that year) | Ecosystem Restoration Programme | Self-reported | [source](https://www.greenbeltmovement.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/The-Green-Belt-Movement-Annual-Report-for-Year-2025-2.pdf) 2025 Annual Report, p.12: 1,157,261 indigenous seedlings planted in watershed focus areas, 'we have restored 208.7 ha of degraded forest lands in 2025' |

Confidence: self-reported is the organization's own published figure; independently verified means a third party confirmed it; estimated means TreeRM derived it and the note says how.

## Links

- x: https://x.com/GreenBeltMovmnt
- instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenbeltmovement/
- facebook: https://web.facebook.com/greenbeltmovement
- linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-green-belt-movement/
- youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGreenBeltMovement

JSON: https://treerm.org/api/v1/organizations/green-belt-movement