The map shows that 83% of the land surface is influenced by the one or more of the following; human population density greater than 10km square, agricultural land use, built-up areas, access with 15km of road, major rivers or coast, and nighttime light bright enough to be picked up by satellite sensors.
Most of the human activities on the earth affect the environment which is based on balance ecology.
Songota River it among the small rivers flow from the volcanic mountain, Mount Meru (4565m). The river rejoined another river as it flows towards the Maasai plains and latter turns to the Indian Ocean. South -West, South, and South –East of Mt. Meru as well as most of the mountain in East Africa which receives the wind from the Indian Ocean experience enough rainfall. The rainfall makes a crucial contribution to supporting the lush green forest the source of the catchment and several rivers.
The distribution of the people in East Africa up to 20th century was (and still is to the great extent) determined by the variables such as elevation, distribution of lakes and rivers, vegetation, and climate. For stance; the farmer communities were consecrated and still are, in the fertile soil in the high land. These communities went trough fast-growing population because the region is free from Malaria and other contagious.
The utilization of natural resource in these areas was high and still are. They to have to clear the forest to extend farms in order to increase the production for substance and for exchange, get more space for building space and building material, and for energy (firewood).
Due to these limit consideration activities, areas such as the Songota rivers valley started to erode because of trees cutting and unplanned farming systems. According to local people around the valley was characterized by unpetrateble riverine forest. Slowly people start to exploit it. Today there are no trees and grasses used to stabilize the soil such as bamboo or fig. trees.
Songota Falls Lodge is ecolodge established nearby in the valley and make the use of the falls. The management conserves and protects a small area of the valley. The conservation of this area gives an example.
The first time when I was doing bird watching in this and went down to rest at the waterfalls I was excited with the conserved area. I have been disappointed by the bare areas which started to react by eroding. I went to the lodge we discuss the matter with the owner Joyce Kimaro, the owner decides that we will arrange the trees planting in the valley.
As we were still working on the tree planting the lodge receives three clients. Brian Canadian man with his two children. Mike who is now doing research on agroforest in Kenya. And Shana a postgraduate student in Canada. Mike admires our ideal as he says he would like to participate in this event.
We decide to plant trees on 14th May 2019. Songota Falls Lodge contributes 100 trees and organizes the participation of the villagers, I myself I contribute 30 trees, Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (WCST) 20 trees, and villagers apart of participating the contribute a lot of grasses which also can be used to feed their livestock on the future.
A total of 150 trees and lots of grasses were planted. The villagers promise to make a follow up of the progress of the trees.
