FCC Trains 112 Participants to Improve Digital Tracking of Freetown’s Trees
Sahid Bangura The Freetown City Council (FCC) has commenced an eight-day training programme on the Risa Tree Tracker App to improve the monitoring, geolocation and management of trees planted across the capital under its Freetown Tree Town project.
The training began on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, with 112 participants, including field trackers, monitors, area managers, community-based organisations (CBOs) and members of the Risa data team.
According to the FCC, the capacity-building exercise is designed to familiarise participants with the new digital platform and address challenges associated with the previously used GreenStand system. The upgraded application is expected to improve the accuracy and reliability of tree-tracking data and strengthen the monitoring of planted trees.
Since 2020, tree-planting activities under the initiative have covered 13 catchment areas in Freetown. The Risa Tree Tracker App will enable project teams to record tree locations, monitor growth and identify trees requiring re-tracking, helping to improve the measurement of tree survival and carbon sequestration.
The improved tracking system is also intended to support the project’s preparations for a carbon-certified initiative by strengthening the quality and precision of data used to assess the environmental impact of tree planting.
The initiative is being implemented under the FCC’s Productive Social Safety Net and Youth Employment (PSSNYE) programme, which also promotes youth and women’s empowerment and community development through practical skills training.
The eight-day exercise forms part of the Council’s broader efforts to strengthen digital monitoring systems and improve the long-term sustainability and accountability of tree-planting activities across Freetown.
