Day 1 – Day of Departure — Some Background to the Church Forests

“… Conservation International currently estimates that one species is now going extinct every twenty minutes, which is a thousand times faster than the norm during most of the earth’s history. It is understandably hard to imagine what it means that we humans are causing something in the natural realm to happen a thousand times faster than normal. That is a big number. “ — Tom Friedman (In: Hot, Flat and Crowded)

Ethiopia boasts a rich and colorful history – home to the ancient bones of our most famous hominoid ancestor, Lucy; headwaters of the mysterious Blue Nile; the only African country to retain independence throughout its history; home to eight World Heritage sites; and now a global example of a unique partnership between church and conservation. This east African country holds 70 million people and occupies about twice the size of Texas.

Like most countries where residents seek a higher standard of living, much of Ethiopia’s natural landscape has been cleared for agriculture and timber. One notable exception is the green swathe surrounding churches protected as sacred sanctuaries, some over fifteen hundred years old. In Ethiopia, the Orthodox church advocates that part of its mission is to retain a green necklace around the place of worship, a veritable “home for all God’s creatures.” Now jeopardized by encroaching human activities, these church forests have become the centerpiece for conservation of the country’s last-remaining biodiversity. Over 31,000 church forests exist throughout Ethiopia, most surrounded by forest. The church site of Hiruy dates back to 360 AD, arguably some of the oldest forests in the world. In contrast, few churches in America directly conserve biodiversity as part of their mission, and our county has cut down over 99% of its primary forest. In stark contrast, many American churches feature enormous cement parking lots, quite the antithesis of biodiversity conservation.

Church Forest as seen from Google Earth
Church Forest as seen from Google Earth

It makes good sense to surround churches with forests. As true stewards of biodiversity, Ethiopian churches not only serve as spiritual centers, but also as living museums ranging in size from 15 to just over 650 acres. Flying over this developing country, I was awed by the green spheres dotting the landscape amidst expanses of brown, arid agricultural fields.

Ethiopian church forests are under threat. Villagers plant coffee in the understory or harvest timber. Even more threatening, neighboring farmers till around the church forests, shrinking the perimeter with every planting. In a country where resources are extremely scarce, there are no funds to buy fences for these biological treasure-troves. But thanks to Google Earth, it is now apparent that these last-remaining biodiversity sanctuaries may disappear within the next two decades.

Educational workshop given to priests of church forests
Educational workshop given to priests of church forests

What are the solutions? First and foremost, the local people need educating about the role of their church forests to enhance their quality of life. These green necklaces provide important ecosystem services for the people: conservation and purification of water (many church forests also house the local spring); pollinators of crops (that often spend part of their life cycle in the forest canopies); homes to birds and animals that otherwise would be extinct; prevention of soil erosion; and of course, a vital spiritual place. I recently was given the opportunity to present an educational workshop to the priests of the south Gondor district of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Over 80 priests walked long distances, took public buses, or hitched rides to the dusty town of Deber Tabor for their first-ever workshop on church forest conservation. Not only was the sight of a lone white woman scientist unique to these clergy, but my aerial Google-Earth images of their church forests both astounded and delighted them. Perhaps the most sobering observation was the evidence of shifting boundaries – Google Earth highlighted the changes in soil color that reflected the shrinking boundaries of their church forests.

After the workshop, I visited the church forest called Gebrsena just outside this town. This cool, shady oasis was literally buzzing with insects and birds, an obvious contrast to the dry, parched fields surrounding it. Many native and endangered tree species are found nowhere else on earth except in these church forests, and are justifiably listed on the United Nations red list. What other secrets of mother nature exist in these shrinking green necklaces? Ethiopian ecology is vastly uncharted, with few professional ecologists per square mile. Surveys, conservation action, and public ecology education are desperately needed, to save their irreplaceable genetic libraries.

Can the Ethiopian Orthodox church find funds for the relatively simple solution of fencing their church forests? Could their Sunday school children become young stewards of the forest, trained to survey their local biodiversity? Can the local agricultural practices use new technologies to increase productivity so that church forest are not threatened? Deforestation is an insidious force in Africa, as well as on other continents where human populations exceed the carrying capacity of the landscape. The loss of biodiversity is a global challenge that requires global solutions shouldered by all of us, not just those who live nearby. As Tom Friedman explains, the world is not only flat in terms of its economy, but also with regard to the global consequences of its biodiversity conservation.

Insect survey at Ethiopian church forest
Insect survey at Ethiopian church forest