Album Notes

At the heart of Austin New Church lies a passion to serve our city and our world. In doing so, we have partnered with various non-profit organizations that are making an impact that far outreaches what we can do on our own. For a complete list of our partners and service initiatives go to www.SouthAustinCares.org or www.AustinNewChurch.com

Eden Reforestation Projects "Plant Trees and Save Lives"

Reforestation is about more than trees. It’s about digging wells and providing fresh water. It’s about the Gospel being good news to all. It’s about investing in communities and providing jobs. It’s about meeting needs and healing lives. It’s about partnering, giving back, and making a difference through stewarding our resources to maximize our impact.

The Eden Reforestation Projects began its first reforesting work along the Udo Escarpment, which is near Lake Awasa in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia. This once lush forested region in Southern Ethiopia has become a dust bowl in the last twenty years as a result of total deforestation. The regional government has declared the need to relocate the 12,000 villagers living in the region if the land is not healed. The need is truly urgent.

In the first year of operations, we were able to quickly place over 200,000 seedlings along the southern edge of this 15-mile long escarpment. In 2005, over 600,000 seedlings were transferred from the nursery to the Udo Watate village area of the escarpment. In 2006, the number of seedlings planted increased by another 800,000. The effort to restore the Udo Escarpment is progressing with the nursery currently raising another 1,000,000 tree seedlings that will soon be transferred from the nursery to the escarpment during the spring short rains and the summer long rains in 2008. With a seedling and sapling survival rate in excess of 65%, there are now over 250,000 trees on the escarpment that exceed 12 feet in height. An additional 500,000 trees now stand between 6 and 12 feet tall, and their younger sapling siblings will soon tower alongside. A significant portion of the Escarpment now resembles a forest again. Predictably, the bird life is returning to the region in increasing numbers. It is remarkable to see that some of the smaller mammal life has already found its way back. The erosion is checked and the soil nutrients are being restored. The springs will begin to flow again in a few years as the forest watershed is restored. The people will stay on their lands. The healing of lands and lives are linked.

Since the the beginning of the Udo Escarpment Initiative, Eden Projects began new nurseries and new reforestation sites in the Sidama highlands of Ethiopia, the Kenya Rift Valley of Kenya, the Mahabana Mangrove and Fianar initiatives in Madagascar, and the Bor Agroforestation Initiative in Sudan. In addition to the development of the reforestation nursery sites, Eden is also taking advantage of the opportunity to collaborate with schools in an effort to educate the next generation (as well as the current generation) in environmental care.

To find out more and how you can help, go to www.edenprojects.org.