Soche Mountain is one of the forest reserves in Malawi. It is situated right on the edge of the City of Blantyre and is one of the several isolated peaks that form part of the Shire highlands on the eastern side of the Rift Valley in southern Malawi. It rises to a height of 1,533 metres a.s.l. and supported some 150 hectares of mid-altitude rainforest in the early 1980s. The Brachystegia woodland on the lower slopes provided a buffer zone against human pressure but the south-east (both woodland and forest) have been laid bare now. The 30-metre tall forest on the ridge is fairly luxuriant and still largely intact, with Albizia schimperana, Chrysophyllum gorungosanum, Drypetesgerrardii and two strangling Ficus spp. as dominant trees. According to Birdlife International, 75 bird species have been recorded in Soche Mountain.

Presently, Soche Mountain lies bare to a large extent. Trees have been cut down because of proliferation of biomass-based enterprises - fuel wood, timber, beer brewing and brick making among others have contributed significantly to loss of tree cover. These non-farm activities are among the few options available for resource-poor households to earn cash for food and other basic needs. According to Blantyre City Assembly about 414 hectares of forest cover has patches of bare ground and about 50 hectares of land is completely bare. The boundary of this forest reserve covers a distance of about 8.2 kilometres whose slopes are being cultivated by communities surrounding the mountain. Land clearing for agriculture on the slopes of Soche Mountain can be seen even from afar. These fields are encroaching towards the mountain top. The most worrisome situation is that those cultivating on the slopes lack resources and support to integrate sustainable land management practices into their farming systems. This has resulted into declining forest cover, loss of top soil, depletion of nutrients and organic matter, reduced moisture holding capacity, decreased micro-fauna and flora, annual loss of land and decrease in biodiversity. This has contributed to adverse changes into the mountain?s ecosystem balance. The beauty of the mountain is fast disappearing.
The proposed Soche Mountain Land Care Extension Project intends to respond to some of these challenges by embarking on a participatory extension programme in land care practices particularly tree planting and soil and water conservation with communities surrounding Soche Mountain in Blantyre. Through a Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) community-based action plans will be developed to promote re-establishment of tree cover and conserve soil and water. Both communal and individual woodlots will be established in agricultural fields and homesteads. Building community capacity to undertake these initiatives and providing material support are key components of the project.

Project?s Main Objective
To use participatory extension methods to re-establish forest cover on bare areas of Soche Mountain through tree planting and sustainable agricultural practices.

Implementation Strategy
? Sensitization and training of communities (including youth groups) and government frontline staff on natural resources conservation and sustainable agricultural practices
? Promoting restoration of forest cover of Soche mountain through tree planting
? Promoting benefit sharing from protected areas between Government and communities
? Participatory community-based monitoring and evaluation.
? Promoting learning through cross-farm study visits
? Establishment and management of community seed banks
? Promote involvement of women and youth in community decision making processes.
? Working with government extension workers and existing community structures

Key Project Outcomes
1. Increased public awareness on conservation and sustainable management of Soche Mountain Forest Reserve
2. Increased aesthetic attraction for Soche Mountain Forest Reserve
3. Reduced soil erosion due to increased land cover
4. Increased tree cover on Soche Mountain through tree planting and improved management of existing trees and other types of vegetation
5. Increased levels of household energy security due to individual woodlots.
6. Increased seed supply for agricultural enterprises and natural resource management activities

Sustainability of Project Results
1. Sensitization and training of rural communities on Soche Mountain ecosystem conservation and management will have long lasting impacts
2. Involvement of rural communities through participatory approaches in all stages of the project planning and implementation will ensure community ownership.
3. Use of existing local level development structures and locally available resources such as village influential leaders and extension workers.
4. Establishment of partnerships with other development stakeholders to generate interest in working with people of Soche
5. Benefit sharing between government and communities will increase the community?s sense of value for the Soche Mountain Forest Reserve.