Fieldwork 2025 Begins

Biochar training with a community-based agroforestry group in Imvepi

Dear All,

Welcome back! I hope this finds you doing well.

It has been several months since my last blog post at the end of the 2024 field season. I spent the winter months in the US, including several weeks of quality time at home in Ann Arbor with my parents and their adopted black lab "Rudy Juster." I also spent time in Blacksburg to meet with my PhD committee, take a seminar through the Global Change Center, start cleaning and analyzing my data, and catch up with friends. While in Blacksburg my dear friend Arlean and her cat "Sweetie Pie" graciously hosted me.. and as usual, there was never a dull moment.

My parents with Rudy (left), and Arlean with Sweetie Pie (right)

Upcoming projects

In late March I travelled back to Uganda where I will stay until mid-August to work on a few projects. One is to share initial research results from last year with refugee and host community members in Imvepi. We will do this through 1) a series of community mapping meetings with research participants from last year's study to view and discuss maps of firewood collection routes, as well as firewood access challenges and opportunities, and 2) developing a pilot school curriculum focused on the importance of forest resources with refugee and host students in the Torit Primary School in Imvepi.

We are also are setting up an agroforestry research experiment to test whether nitrogen fixing tree can improve soil conditions when planted alongside annual crops in Imvepi. Our experiment includes three species of nitrogen-fixing trees and shrubs which will be planted alongside staple crops of maize and cassava in test plots. Our experiment also tests the impact of biochar, a carbon-rich material created through high-temperature burning of organic material which can improve soil health, structure, and sequester carbon within soil. Both agroforestry and biochar are "climate-smart agriculture" (CSA) practices and our goal is to find out whether they can contribute to food security and climate change resilience in Imvepi and refugee-hosting areas in northern Uganda.

Reuniting with friends

When I arrived to Uganda I spent a few days in Kampala buying supplies (including four huge pumpkins), and securing a letter of permission to work in Imvepi from the Office of the Prime Minister Department of Refugees. Then I hired a driver to bring me, my two suitcases and four pumpkins eight hours north to Arua, where I spent the weekend swimming and enjoying time with Grace, one of my closest friend in Imvepi who works as a nurse with International Rescue Committee (IRC). A driver brought us and our supplies to Imvepi, where I found my room tidy and rearranged by my IRC friends, which was an incredible gift!

Enjoying a weekend in Arua with Grace

The next morning I met up with my wonderful research assistants, Robilert and Alex. The two of them have been hard at work during my absence, measuring host timber woodlots and producing biochar for our CSA experiment. It was a very happy reunion for all of us, and we celebrated by sharing coffee at the home of our dear friend Lilly, a refugee and expert agroforestry practitioner. Robilert and Alex have also engaged a Lugbara host named Raymond to assist with biochar production process.

Raymond, Alex, and Robilert on the research motorcycle (left), and Lilly preparing coffee (right)

Biochar making

We need a very large quantity of biochar for the CSA experiment: 29 cubic meters, or 174 big sacks. To make the biochar, we have been purchasing organic material in the form of cassava stalks from nearby host farmers. Recently a bush fire ruined many acres of cassava crop, but left the stalks intact. By purchasing the stalks from farmers, who are mostly women, we are able to provide at least a small income source to make up for some of the lost crop.

Once purchased, the cassava stalks have to be laid out to dry. It is critical during biochar production that materials be extremely dry to ensure low levels of oxygen when burning, preventing oxidation of carbon. As I described in a previous post, the materials are then burned in a pit with long sticks used to move materials around and dry grass added at times to enhance the burning process. Robilert, Alex, and Raymond have mastered biochar production and are producing around 12 sacks per day, or the equivalent of two large pits.

The biochar is left to cool after it is produced, and then shoveled from pits into sacks for storage. A local landlord and village councilperson has graciously given us the space to make and store the biochar. In exchange, we are constructing a small storage shed for his family. As we wait for the shed to be completed, Robilert constructed a temporary biochar storage shed from tarps and poles. As of last week, we hit our target of 174 bags which are ready to be spread on targeted experimental plots later this month.

Robilert and Alex in the biochar shed

Training with TRAYOL

Last year we met a refugee and host-led community-based organization called TRAYOL (Tree Replantation at Young Ornamental Level), which has been promoting tree planting and agroforestry with neighbors in both the refugee and host communities. TRAYOL staff have become good friends and we are very inspired by their grassroots efforts to raise tree seedlings for distribution and promote environmental conservation in Imvepi.

TRAYOL tree nursery at the home of a refugee member, and members planting White Teak seedlings

While visiting TRAYOL last week, group members expressed interest in learning about biochar production. We invited them to a special training at our biochar production site to share some of our experience and knowledge. The training was attended by ten TRAYOL members who directly involved themselves in the biochar process and seemed keen to spread information on biochar among their participants. We agreed to continue engaging TRAYOL in the various stages of our agroforestry experiment.

Biochar training with TRAYOL

Land preparation for the CSA trial

Before I left Imvepi in December, we signed land-use contracts with two host landlords in villages within Imvepi. The contract-signing process was facilitated by the Office of the Prime Minister, and the terms allow us to use land for our research experiment at no cost, yet provide all crops and trees we grow to the landowners for their use. The land which has been provided for us to use is divided into two separate 1.5 acre plots, both of which required primary cultivation before planting maize and cassava. Rains have been increasingly consistent since the beginning of April so we went ahead and hired a mixed team of hosts and refugees to hand cultivate the cumulative 3 acres in anticipation of planting trees and crops early next month. The team was very enthusiastic and primary cultivation was completed within a period of just 3 days.

Our recruited team of refugees and hosts for primary cultivation of experimental sites

I will leave off here for this week. I really appreciate having the opportunity to share our fieldwork experiences through these blog posts and look forward to posting regularly again in the coming months!

Wishing you all the best for the end of April,

Sarah