Plant 10,000 trees to grow resilience in Amhara

To ensure the restoration of forest landscape is sustainable, our projects involve active participation of the communities residing near the forest areas concerned. Amhara in Ethiopia is no exception. In October 2017, representatives of WeForest, district level government experts, village development agents and members of the local community got together for another joint meeting on forest restoration activities and future plans.

It was decided that the sites should be a minimum of 10 hectares and five new villages were proposed for inclusion in the project. The meeting also focused on strengthening the existing village task forces responsible for many of the project activities and identifying new task forces for the new villages. Moving away from the traditional annual cropping system towards integrated and more resilient tree-based landscape was also agreed, and some of the elders were very enthusiastic about it.

Earlier in 2017, members of the local community also made the preliminary selection of 23 sites for the 2018 planting season. WeForest, THP and the village task forces are currently reviewing their suitability and the feasibility of restoration and social fencing.

When working together with the communities, keeping motivation and engagement of the community members high is key. Engaging a community with limited experience in forestry or environmental protection often requires staying flexible and adapting the project priorities to the community’s needs. In the 2017 planting season, the villagers of Amhara asked us to restore a large number of gullies - trench cuts into land created by soil erosion. While this resulted in a much higher planting density than originally planned, we were pleased to see the members of the community starting to take ownership of the project and even spreading the word to the neighbouring villages. Thank you for Making Earth Cooler for people, planet and climate with us!

Hunger is a problem for people and planet. It puts immense pressure on our forests, which are cleared to harvest food, farm crops, raise livestock and make a living. In Ethiopia, where large numbers of people are living below the poverty line, easing the pressure on forests goes hand in hand with increasing food security.

As part of our project in Ethiopia’s Amhara region, we are tackling the root causes of deforestation and addressing the dietary needs of rural communities. We plant grazing trees that feed livestock on community land and fruit trees in designated areas on farms.

Among the tree species we plant is Moringa (Moringa stenopetala), considered a new superfood. Its small, round leaves contain an incredible amount of vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, potassium, protein and other nutrients. Besides its leaves, Moringa is cultivated for oil extraction and for its ability to purify water in the ecosystem, and locals especially value its medicinal properties.

Landscape restoration is not just about planting trees. It also requires making sure that local communities are involved and benefiting from our efforts. Thanks to your support, we revive the forests of Amhara with all the amazing natural benefits they bring to climate, people and planet.