Churches protect the few old growth forests remaining in Ethiopia.
Population growth in the Ethiopia highlands has fueled the expansion of farming and grazing, which has led to the removal of 95% of its forests. Protecting the remaining forests has become a religious act. To quote one priest, ” When someone plants a tree, every time it moves the tree prays for that person to live longer”.
Click here to watch a short film on the work of these churches. The film was produced by Emergence Magazine, an award-winning magazine and creative production studio based in Marin that explores the threads connecting ecology, culture and spirituality. Feature photo is by Heidi de Vreis, via CC BY 2.0 DEED.