Energy harvesting is a process that captures small amounts of energy that would otherwise be lost as heat, light, sound, or vibration. This paper presents the fabrication, set up, experimental operations and output characteristics of a vertical vibration based electrostatic micro-power generator for harvesting ambient vibration energy from the environment. A vibration based cantilever-electret micro energy harvester was set up whereby an electret was used as an electrostatic inducing generator; and the fabrication of the upper electrode was carried out in the form of a T-shaped cantilever from materials of copper with embedded glass epoxy. Vertical vibrations of the cantilever in non-contact mode; and close to contact mode of operation were investigated. Maximum output power was realized towards the contact point of both the upper and the lower electrodes, after which there was distortion of signals. The maximum output power in close to contact mode of operation that was realized with electret surface potential of-171V was about 48nW.