Project documents may give weight to local participation and facilitatory extension, but all too often financial and other support are lacking. This paper gave an example of a successful participatory extension programme, part of the Turkana Rural Development Programme funded by NORAD, in which local people and the Forestry Department of Kenya combined their knowledge and ideas during a series of workshops to improve local management of trees. The author stressed the importance of recognising the distinctive ecology of drylands, building on indigenous practices and giving projects the foundations to perpetuate themselves once funding expires.