Saving Ethiopia's Church Forests

[MrILoveTheAnts]

Saving Ethiopia's Church Forests

Most church forests are concentrated in the northern reaches of the country, especially in the Lake Tana area. Here, most of the Afromontane forests have been cut down to make clearings for agriculture, pastures for livestock and settlements. It is said that if a traveler to the area spies a forest, it surely has a church in the middle. Many also have freshwater springs.

With Wassie’s help, Lowman gave a PowerPoint presentation to about 100 men, most priests. Some had traveled for days to attend the meeting. She showed them images of their church forests.

Though some had never seen a computer, they recognized their forests and she says they gasped audibly at the pictures showing the woods shrinking inwards over time. Lowman says they intuitively grasped the value of ecosystem services because, for them, it fell under the purview of their spiritual duties to protect the biodiversity around their places of worship.

This is a neat approach to conservation. If only churches in America did this.

[Gloria]

Anyone willing to take on helping with a project such as this is to be admired. So much to do and so few willing.

The google aerial shot of one of the church forests shows clearly how verdant they are compared to surrounding areas.

[sprucetree]

In Ethiopia it's forests and churches, In Michigan it's Subdivisions and Retention Ponds, Since the areas that have city water and sewer get their water from lake Huron or the Detroit River and likewise use these waterways to recycle treated waste water [Don't know how it's done on the lake Michigan side but Chicago is similar to Detroit/Windsor] all newer Subdivisions have Retention Ponds even if built near a large stream,,This accomplishes 3 things, First it allows roof, street, and driveway runoff to be diverted from sewage treatment saving treatment costs and unregulated discharge into waterways. Second it allows heavy rainfalls to be moderated and prevents flooding, And third creates Migratory stopovers for waterfowl. Of course the Canada Goose has found these ponds ideal habitat and the bluegrass lawns provide plenty of food. Of course if you have an older home you can help by installing rain gardens near your downspouts which I have seen some of you have done. In Havalota's case with the gravel "Spillway" leading to the bay the Engineers figure the area [SQ FT], [AVG PREC] and let the soil bacteria clean the water of road grime before it enters the lake.