The Abaluyia people of western Kenya usually plant an omuriba tree on every grave, which serves as a marker for the grave as well as claim to land.1 The Abaluyia also grow an omukabakabo tree where a placenta is buried after every birth. This also has a lot of symbolic as well as physical signifi - cance. These practices have ensured that these two tree species are preserved, because they constitute a very important part of the Abaluyia ecology, besides playing many economic, cultural and social functions. The main argument in this chapter is to show that throughout history the Abaluyia have used cultural traits that are friendly to the environment. They have approached their ecology with a considerable reverence for the preservation and sustainability in mind. They evoke culture as text with an almost hermeneutic commitment, and allow society to participate in preservation together, as a team. The main aim of this chapter is to demonstrate that ecologists and environmentalists have ignored African cultures and knowledge systems for a long time, viewing their environmental ethos and philosophies as ineffectual and uninformed. However, recent studies have shown that over the years, many African cultures had properly built-in ecological mechanisms and structures that were responsible for preservation of the environment. Such mechanisms are only starting to be appreciated by scholars and researchers, after many “scientifi c” ecological disasters in many parts of Africa. This chapter illuminates the role of traditions and taboos in the preservation of environment among the Abaluyia of western Kenya, showing that their culture has preserved certain plant and animal species.