Environmentalist are arguing that the more difficult task is establishing what happens after the planting events and whether the seedlings survive long enough to contribute to forest restoration.
Dr Isaac Kalua Green presents his new book, Come Back and Check, during his meeting with Prince Albert II of Monaco at the Prince’s Palace on September 12, 2026. Photo Kalua Green Dr Isaac Kalua Green, Chief Steward of the Green Africa Foundation, has now called for greater focus on what happens to trees after planting, saying survival should be treated as a key measure of the success of environmental campaigns.
Dr Green made the remarks in his new book, Come Back and Check, which challenges governments and organisations to return to planting sites and establish how many of the trees recorded during planting campaigns are still alive.
Environmentalist raised questions about Kenya’s tree-planting campaigns, arguing that the country must go beyond recording the number of trees planted and establish how many survive and continue growing.
The concern emerged amid the government’s push to increase tree cover through nationwide tree-growing initiatives, with millions of seedlings planted under various programmes.
KFS officers and Rangers planting trees to conserve forests in Kenya. Photo Justus Kiprono The book was presented to Prince Albert II of Monaco during a meeting at the Prince’s Palace on Saturday, September 12, 2026. The visit also provided an opportunity for the two sides to discuss more than two decades of cooperation between the Green Africa Foundation and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation on climate and conservation initiatives.
Dr Green’s argument also turns the spotlight on his own Plant Your Age campaign, which reports a central estimate of more than 981 million tree-growing contributions since 2011.
He argues that the figure should not automatically be interpreted as meaning that more than 981 million trees are currently standing. Establishing how many have survived would require systematic monitoring and verification after planting.
Trees can be lost after planting through drought, pests, disease, fires, poor maintenance and other environmental factors. Without follow-up checks, planting figures may therefore provide an incomplete picture of the actual impact of tree-growing programmes.
Dr Green has proposed what he calls the Count What Survives Standard, which would require programmes to monitor trees beyond the planting event and record their survival over time.
The approach also includes an Evidence Ladder and a Living Tree Account, which are intended to help governments, organisations and communities document the progress of trees after they are planted. The proposals draw lessons from forest recovery initiatives in South Korea, farmer-led regeneration in Niger and government auditing in the Philippines.
The issue is particularly relevant to Kenya, where the government has made tree growing a central part of its environmental agenda and set ambitious targets for increasing the country’s tree and forest cover.
During his Monaco visit, Dr Green also discussed the Green Africa Villages model, the Plant Your Age campaign and opportunities to deepen climate and conservation cooperation across Africa. He also highlighted his new role as Chair of the Board of the Green Nairobi Company, which is working on environmental infrastructure and services.
The relationship between Dr Green’s organisation and Prince Albert’s foundation spans more than 20 years. Prince Albert visited Green Africa Foundation projects in Kitui in 2010 and later contributed a foreword to Dr Green’s book Green for Life.
Through Come Back and Check, Dr Green is urging governments and environmental organisations to return to planting sites and verify the results of their efforts. His central message is that the success of tree-growing campaigns should ultimately be measured not only by how many trees are planted, but by how many survive.
