ABCEO
Implementing tree planting and conservation education programs in Tanzania since 1996
About us
African Blackwood Conservation Project
Since 1996 the African Blackwood Conservation Project (ABCP) has been committed to replanting the tree species Dalbergia melanoxylon – more commonly known as grenadilla, African blackwood or mpingo (Swahili) – in its native habitat of eastern Africa. The wood of this tree, which is the national tree of Tanzania, has been treasured since antiquity for its elegant appearance and remarkable properties. Many exquisite furniture pieces made of mpingo have been recovered from the tombs and temples of the ancient Egyptians from as far back as 5,000 years ago, and it has been considered a precious species in numerous cultures around the world ever since. In modern times its primary uses are in the manufacture of woodwind instruments, the creative wood carvings of east African artists and the artform of Ornamental Turning. Many of its users consider it irreplaceable.
The heartwood of the mpingo tree derives its remarkable properties from its inherent oiliness, density, and tight grain. It is an extremely slow growing species, adding only an incremental amount of wood each year, and takes an estimated 70-100 years to reach harvestable size. Because of this, when there is excessive use of the species, far more is harvested than can be naturally regenerated. Although there is historical indication that the species was once quite widespread geographically, in modern times it is only available in commercial quantities in southeastern Tanzania and northern Mozambique. Although it is listed as ‘near threatened’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, this assessment has not been updated since 1998, and its current users think its conservation status may be far more precarious than this designation would indicate.
Since its creation, the ABCP has been dedicated to ongoing replanting programs for the species in northern Tanzania, an area in which it once thrived, but is now commercially extinct. In order to raise awareness about the international importance of the tree it has instituted educational programs and enlisted the assistance of other concerned conservationists, who have assisted in replanting efforts for the species. Through the cooperative efforts of schools, churches, municipal organizations and private landowners, the ABCP has distributed several hundred thousand mpingo seedlings from its tree nursery in Mijongweni, to the south of Mt. Kilimanjaro. In addition to African blackwood its nursery also supplies indigenous tree seedlings for domestic use to improve the standard of living in communities where we work and for environmental remediation in the Mt. Kilimanjaro watershed.
Our Trusted Partners
Our organization truly believes that by working together, we can save more lives than ever before.
Useful links
Contact us
OFFICE
African Blackwood Conservation
P. O. Box 26
Red Rock, Texas 78662
MOSHI - TANZANIA
Moshi Kilimanjaro
P.O.Box
Tanzania
Copyright 2025 © By ABCEO