Launched in 2022, FSC Forest Week is a global campaign that highlights the importance of sustainable forestry. This year’s celebration took place from 20–26 September under the theme “Do One Thing for Forests.” Whether online or on-site, participants took meaningful actions to support and protect forests.
The celebrations began on 22 September 2025 at the amphitheater of Millfield Runda School in Nairobi, where the Little Forest Stewards Environmental Club, a student-led initiative with nearly 200 members, opened the week with imagination and conviction. For the fourth year running, the club set the tone for Eastern Africa’s Forest Week not through speeches, but through personal commitments.
Eight-year-old Leila Gao pledged to remind her family to carry reusable shopping bags. Her classmate Ayden Karauri, also 8, described helping set up a recycling corner for used notebooks. Other children spoke about planting trees, conserving electricity, or encouraging parents to choose FSC-certified products.
“These are not just school projects,” said Ms. Grace Otiende, the school’s Head of Curriculum. “They are commitments that ripple into families and communities.” Their words were matched by drawings and collages visual promises to care for the environment. Looking ahead, the students and FSC plan to establish a permanent “Do One Thing for Forests” bookshelf project in the school library. Once completed, it will be stocked with nature-themed books donated by families and partners, creating a lasting resource for environmental learning.
Kisumu: Forestry Society of Kenya (FSK) National Scientific Conference
On 23 September 2025, attention turned to Kisumu at the Forestry Society of Kenya’s National Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM), themed “Forests for People, Planet, and Prosperity: Catalyzing Innovation and Resilience in Kenya’s Forestry Sector.” At a dedicated Youth Side Event, FSC, represented by Frida Nduku Salim, Communications and Marketing Specialist, FSC Eastern Africa, and Paul Opanga, Senior Manager, Labour Affairs, worked with partners to host mentorship sessions and an Oxford-style debate.
The motion “Kenya’s forests will only be saved by technology, not traditional knowledge” was argued passionately by 35 youth participants from universities, professional associations, and community groups. Some argued that drones and artificial intelligence were indispensable tools, while others insisted that traditional practices were the foundation of resilience. The outcome was not about winning but about finding common ground. Hybrid solutions emerged: apps digitizing oral forest knowledge, reforestation guided by satellites, and AI tools designed to complement indigenous practices. Mentorship circles followed the debate, giving young participants the chance to ask questions, connect with professionals, and picture their place in forestry’s future. With 75 percent of Kenya’s forestry workforce under 30, the event highlighted a generational shift already underway.
Forest Week in Kampala
On 24 September 2025 the focus shifted to Kampala, Uganda, where discussions turned to policy and markets. In a workshop organized by Uganda’s Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development which included top 30 manufacturers from the furniture industry, government officials, and development partners, FSC Eastern Africa held a session where it talked about sustainability and responsible sourcing. Lawrence Semakula, Accountant General at Uganda’s Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, underlined the stakes. “Forests are banks you can’t keep taking without giving back,” he told participants.
The session, led by Annah Agasha, FSC Africa’s Deputy Director, demonstrated how certification and Chain of Custody standards provide the transparency and accountability needed in timber supply chains. Participants, including Nina Interiors Ltd., explored what responsible sourcing could mean for their sector. The workshop featured a documentary on Uganda’s sustainable public procurement reforms, showing how deliberate choices by government agencies can reshape national markets and ensure that timber use supports restoration instead of degradation.
FSC Eastern Africa’s “one thing for forests” giveaway
Forest Week did not end in Nairobi’s amphitheater, Kisumu’s debate halls, or Kampala’s workshop. It continues online through FSC Eastern Africa’s “One Thing for Forests” giveaway, which runs until 10 October 2025. The campaign invites people across the region to share their pledges, whether planting trees, choosing FSC-certified products, or reducing waste, for a chance to win one of five shopping gift cards. More than a contest, the giveaway is a way of translating awareness into personal action, connecting the pledges of schoolchildren, manufacturers, and young professionals into one shared movement.
From children sketching their first promises, to manufacturers rethinking supply chains, to young professionals shaping the future of forestry, Forest Week 2025 in Eastern Africa showed how “one thing” can ripple outward into thousands.
These ripples are already measurable: millions of hectares under FSC certification, stronger policy frameworks for sustainable procurement, and a new generation stepping forward to lead. Yet the true legacy is still being written in every child’s pledge, every business decision, and every voice raised for forests.
Your one thing matters, too. Join the chain: share your #OneThingForForests, tag fsc_easternafrica, and become part of the movement. One action sparks a thousand. Let’s make them grow.