The Mulanje Conservation Trust says there has been change in the way people are cutting the endangered Mulanje cedar when compared to the past.
Mulanje cedar is facing extinction due to illegal loggers and bad management of the mountain in the past.
However, Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust (MMCT) is working hard to save the national tree. The Trust organises tree planting campaigns and hopes to plant 1.2m seedlings in the coming four years.
Speaking to local media, Public Relations Officer for MMCT Kondwani Chamwala said with help from the department of forestry they have now engaged Malawi Defence Force (MDF) to protect Mulanje Cedar.
”We have put measures to protect Mulanje Cedar by involving MDF soldiers to discourage people from cutting the trees,” said Chamwala.
He added that people are still cutting the Mulanje Cedar but the situation has been minimised when compared to the past.
”It’s not cheap to get MDF soldiers but it has helped to minimise the situation though the policy is not sustainable as it is expensive,” he said.
Chamwala also said that the other reason why the cutting down of Mulanje Cedar has been reduced is that the trees cannot be easily accessed as they are far away.
According to Chamwala, the Trust believes that the number of trees being cut will keep decreasing and they are currently engaging chiefs to curb the malpractice.
