Peter Westerveld was born and raised in Tanzania on a sisal farm. Growing up, he learned that the more deforestation that occurred, the more successful one was in agriculture. At the tender age of ten, however, when Westerveld began making forays into the rainforest, he was struck by the sheer number of plants, insects, fish and wildlife, and recognized that there was something wrong if the Africans were all suffering as a result of the Europeans’ success in sisal.
He founded the Westerveld Conservation Trust in 1997, with the goal to one day return snow to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Working together to bring snow back to the summit of Kilimanjaro
“It’s all very simple,” Westerveld claims, while explaining the video that shows how the work the Trust does rehabilitates deserted land. Contour trenches are dug that direct the rainwater below the surface, allowing it to seep into the ground rather than running along the surface and washing away the topsoil. The built-up groundwater reserves support new vegetation, prevent erosion, and enable farmers to handle more cattle per hectare of arable land. “…Which is good for sausages,” quips Westerveld, giving a nod to the previous speakers from the Youth Food Movement.
Westerveld also brought along a visitor from Kenya, who was on his first trip ever outside of Africa.
“My community gave out 2000 hectares of land for rehabilitation,” he said. “Now we have grass, trees, livestock and wildlife once again. I do believe that if we join hands together, we will bring snow back to Kilimanjaro.”
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