Big Plans for June: Tree Planting, Ski Trips & Exciting Growth at Ski Club Uganda!
- Florian Knollmann
- Jan 6
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 7
Hello everyone!
Can you believe we’re already at our 10th newsletter? Time flies when you're building something incredible. We’ve got some exciting updates to kick off the year, and we can’t wait to share them with you.
TL;DR:
We’re planning a pilot tree planting project this June, followed by our second ski trip up the mountain.
Lucas Decrinis is hard at work on merch – expect gear soon!
Pauli Riener and I kicked off our social media campaign. Our latest video reached 1,500 viewers!
Tree Planting & Skiing: The June Pilot Project
I recently spoke with Edson Kuloe, our local guide at RTS, to learn about the community’s tree planting goals. They’re already gearing up to plant 5,000-10,000 eucalyptus trees this spring and plan to add bamboo along the riverbanks this summer.
Here’s the exciting part – Dr. Ivory from Penn State has offered to bring three students to help in June, alongside Dr. Bob and students from Makerere University. This will be an amazing opportunity for American and Ugandan students to collaborate on sustainability projects.
At the same time, interest in another ski trip is growing. We’ve got a professional drone pilot, non-profit team members, and friends eager to join. A Swedish volunteer travel agency is even considering offering this experience to their clients, pending more details.
This is why we’re putting together a pilot project:
The Plan:
Step 1: Spend two weeks planting 10,000 bamboo trees with Edson, Hannington, and their team, while doing community outreach.
Step 2: Head back up the mountain for another ski adventure!
This time, we’re bringing more academics, adventurers, and better gear – including drones and professional cameras to capture footage for our documentary.
Why This Matters:
By June, we expect our 501(c)(3) status to be approved, which will let us approach outdoor companies like Black Diamond for gear donations. With the right equipment, we could make history by organizing the first Ugandan ski trip in Uganda – a milestone with national significance.
If you’d like to join this unforgettable adventure, send me an email! We’re targeting late June.
Merchandise Update
A huge shoutout to Lucas Decrinis and Magnus Liljeblad from LIFT-BORNE for developing our first round of Ski Club Uganda merch. Magnus will feature our story in his newsletter, reaching 2,000 ski racers. All proceeds will support our tree nursery project.
Social Media & Website Progress
Pauli Riener and I launched our social media campaign. Our recent posts and videos are gaining traction – 1,500 views so far! We hope to inspire more members and drive merch sales to fund our activities.
Ricky added a new “How to Join” page to our website, making it easier for curious visitors to learn more about upcoming trips and costs. Some tweaks are still in the works, but it’s coming together nicely.
Challenges (and Wins!)
We had a Wikipedia scare over the holidays when someone tried to delete our page. After a battle to keep it alive, we’ve decided to take it down temporarily for edits and re-upload it soon. Pauli’s leading the charge on this.
Looking Ahead to Early 2025:
More interviews for the documentary with Max
Dr. Bob & Dr. Ivory developing detailed plans for the tree planting project
Fundraisers to keep our momentum going
The whole team – Morgan, Pauli, Klemen, and I – spreading the word about Ski Club Uganda
A Special Thanks
We couldn’t do this without our amazing supporters – Dr. Jotam Pasipanodya, Nubia Eschevarria, Anne Dix, and Nicole Dreon. Your generosity fuels our growth, and we’re deeply grateful.
If you’d like to support Ski Club Uganda, please consider donating. Every contribution makes a difference!
Thank you for being part of this journey. Much love to start the year!
- Florian
Ski Club Uganda ‘24
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