Agilité supports the charity committed to preserving the world’s mangrove forests

At Agilité, we’re no stranger to charitable initiatives — having committed to donating 2% of our profits each year to help projects close to our hearts. And, recognising the harsh reality that construction creates a vast amount of CO2 — of which mangroves are a significant consumer — earlier this year, the Agilité team resolved to make a conscious effort to preserving such a precious resource.

We joined forces with the Mangrove Action Project (MAP), a 30-year-old cause which exists to preserve, conserve, and restore the vital ecosystem. We were impressed by the organisation’s grassroots, bottom-up approach to mangrove issues, and decided to make a sizable donation in support of the numerous initiatives all over the globe.

Since our donation, the charity has had a busy calendar of activities, and we caught up with executive director, Dominic Wodehouse, to understand what our money has helped the team achieve…

Highlighting change in the Mangrove Photography Awards

The annual photography competition — organised and held by the Mangrove Action Project — aims to celebrate the beauty and diversity, while also shining a spotlight on the fragility of the world’s mangrove forests, and this year's entries were no exception.

The series of photographs — shot from all over the world — captures the rates of reforestation, deforestation, and climate change, and highlights the impact these issues have on plant populations. Referred to as ‘blue carbon ecosystems’, mangroves help to sequester and store carbon dioxide, but as such deforestation occurs, much of this carbon is instead released into the atmosphere — further advancing global warming.

A mangrove restoration workshop in the Bahamas

In April, the MAP team joined Waterkeepers Bahamas and Earthcare in Grand Bahama to lead a restoration workshop at the Rand Nature Centre — home to a thriving mangrove nursery.

After Hurricane Dorian destroyed over 70% of the island’s forests in 2019, community groups have been working hard to restore such vital ecosystems and educate the public on their important environmental role, too.

Restoration projects in Kenya

Collaborating with not-for-profit, Wetlands International East Africa, representatives from MAP travelled to Eastern Africa to lead a restoration session for members of the community.

Lamu County is home to over 60% of Kenya’s mangroves, which protect against coastal erosion and storm surges as well as providing a home to vast populations of fish and other wildlife. In addition, the plant has cultural and heritage significance in the region, with many structures, boats and other amenities being built using mangrove wood.

The workshop aimed to enhance understanding of mangrove ecology and improve project efficiencies across coastlines and was met with plenty of enthusiasm and discussion around further measures to protect such a precious resource.

To find out more about the Mangrove Action Project, head to the website. And, keep your eyes peeled for more details about our various charitable initiatives.