June 2026: Daily Snapshot

Hey Everyone!

We have wrapped up our June 2026 trip with lots of progress, updates, and plans for the future!

RTS worked hand-in-hand with Dr. Bob and his students from Makerere University, leading reforestation efforts, community and leadership engagement, and conversations around progress and next steps.

We will be sharing a more in-depth review of the trip in the next few weeks, but here is a snapshot of our daily activities to give you an idea of the amazing work that went down in Kilembe.(Click on the photos to visit our updates on social media)

Day 1

The team hit the ground running as students and scientists arrived in Kilembe and received a warm welcome from RTS.
The day focused on auditing last year's planting sites, assessing seedling survival, and capturing lessons learned to guide this year's restoration efforts.

Day 2

Armed with insights from the field, the team evaluated planting methods and confirmed an important finding: seedlings planted directly along the riverbank face significant survival challenges. Future planting efforts will focus on higher elevations where trees have a greater chance to thrive.

Day 3

More than 500 trees found their new home in the ground, with locations carefully mapped along the way.
With porters away for Sunday, students took on much of the heavy lifting while also preparing for the community engagement activities ahead.

Day 4

The focus shifted from trees to people. Through household surveys, the team gathered community perspectives on preferred tree species and opportunities for local involvement. The afternoon was dedicated to reviewing findings and shaping plans that put community voices at the center of future work.

Day 5

Restoration efforts continued with mapping and planting activities concentrated on the priority side of the riverbank, resulting in ~3000 trees planted total. RTS also held planning sessions to explore future collaborations and strengthen long-term impact.

Day 6

The team expanded mapping efforts to the opposite side of the riverbank and met with community leaders to discuss one of the biggest threats to young trees: hungry goats.
The conversation sparked ideas for protecting seedlings and improving survival rates.

Day 7

The week concluded with a focus on partnerships. Meetings with Kilembe Secondary School explored opportunities to engage students in conservation efforts, while discussions with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) opened the door to potential collaborations in research, restoration, and community engagement.

We’d also like to give a special thanks to Dr. Sarah, who despite being unable to join in-person herself with her students from Penn State, remained highly engaged throughout the planning and execution process.

And a huge thank you to all of our supporters, who have kept this project rolling and continue to help us spread the word and take things to the next level.

Cheers,

Ski Club Uganda

P.S - Coming Soon: Article in ‘Outside Magazine’

ne of our team members, Max Eihausen, submitted an article that will be featured in ‘Outside Magazine’, an American magazine about outdoor adventure, travel, and the environment, with around 1.3million subscribers.

The article shares about skiing equatorial Africa’s powder before it disappears forever, the unique stories of Ugandans skiing the mountains, and the reforestation projects conducted by Ski Club Uganda and Rwenzori Trekking Services.

He is currently working with the editors, awaiting final feedback and edits, and determining when to publish the piece.

Stay tuned!