Discovery of "extinct" trees offers hope for Tanzania's ecosystem

Bianchi, who spotted the trees while driving through a maize field, has since initiated a reforestation project using seeds from these rare trees.

Millettia sacleuxii, a species with no common name in English, was previously identified in just three forest reserves in the Nguru and Usambara mountains. However, two of these reserves were cleared decades ago for timber and sugar plantations, leaving only a small reserve near Turiani, now surrounded by rice and sugar fields.

Bianchi’s discovery near the Mvaji River was especially notable because the trees had managed to survive despite severe deforestation in the area. The surviving trees, although stunted, produced hundreds of pods filled with thousands of seeds.

These seeds were collected and taken to a nursery managed by Bianchi and the PAMS Foundation. In the nursery, 5,500 of the 7,000 seeds germinated into healthy seedlings.

Local farmers are contributing to the deforestation project by allowing parts of their land to be used for tree cultivation, and the foundation is working to include the project in the voluntary carbon market.

Concerns remain about the genetic diversity of the seedlings, with about 1% exhibiting plant albinism, a condition that can indicate inbreeding. Bianchi hopes to collect more seeds or pollen if Millettia remains in Dunduma.

“Even though we may have saved the species, the genetics are always a worry,” Bianchi said.

The successful cultivation of Millettia sacleuxii seedlings is a big step in preventing the extinction of this rare species and supporting the ecological recovery of Tanzania’s forests.