Help research and conserve Tanzania's Sansevierias

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Sansevierias (snake plants) are extremely important plants for ornamental and medicinal uses. East Africa, especially Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique, is the center of distribution for these plants. These plants are still poorly known and there are still many undescribed species. In Tanzania, most of them grow outside of national parks in areas that are rapidly under conversion to agricultural, housing, and commercial uses. Despite the fact that many species are known to be effective in treating several diseases of livestock and humans, there is no effort to conserve these plants and organize them for research. We see that the sites where these plants grow are disappearing within the blink of an eye. Collection sites that seemed secure a year or two ago are already gone.

We have now identified nine undescribed species in our collections. Six of these are in the process of being described and published. This is being done in cooperation with the National Herbarium of Tanzania. We host herbarium workers and students to collect data as plants come into bloom

Since early 2017 Barry Yinger, an American citizen resident in Tanzania, and Robert Sikawa, a Tanzanian citizen, have been traveling throughout Tanzania and some adjacent areas, collecting known and unknown Sansevieria species. This work is being done in an organized, professional way. Each collection bears a unique collection number which applies to the plants, field notes and photos. The plants are being held at Robert's farm pending the acquisition of a permanent site for conservation and research. There are currently 1258 unique collections in hand.

To date, we have spent more than $250,000.00 US from personal funds in support of this project. Robert Sikawa has allowed the use of his farm for the project without compensation. Barry intends to continue personal financial operating support, but we need money for a dedicated facility in the Arusha, Tanzania, area. We already have bought 8.5 acres of land outside of Arusha. We have bought and refurbished a used Land Cruiser for fieldwork. We have built four greenhouses at Robert's farm to hold our collections.

Land bought by the Foundation for research and a botanical garden focused on Sansevieria

Greenhouse Number 3, 4500 sq. ft.

Going forward, the work will continue as the Tanzania Sansevieria Project under the auspices of the Tanzanian Sansevieria Foundation, a not-for-profit organization established in Arusha, Tanzania. There is a Board of Directors, and planning continues for an international advisory committee of scientists and hobbyists. We have established a formal working relationship with the National Herbarium of Tanzania in Arusha, and the Potsdam University Botanical Garden in Germany.

Foundation and Herbarium workers at the farm, recording data for the Herbarium.

This is the only dedicated Sansevieria project in Africa. We believe it will be a model for such projects in Africa.

We are currently raising funds for these items:

1. Basic improvements at the new garden site: driveways ($1000), fence ($25,000), and well ($10,000.) Total: $45,000.

2. A series of in-depth explorations to find new species in the southern and western parts of the country. $10,000.

We will keep a list of contributors to our project. In the future, we will make plants from the collection available exclusively to contributors.

All funds will be used for the project as shown above.

We will continue as volunteers.