Tree Planting for the Millenium

My Flickr.

Mums for Mums (www.mumsformums.com) had a tree planting session this morning, in the new Millenium Park beside the Hawelty (monument) in Mekelle. I think the government is encouraging 'tekle' or planting as a way to celebrate the upcoming Ethiopian millenium (it's 1999 here, 2000 will begin on September 11th - Ethiopian calendar has 12 months of 30 days each plus a 5 day month at the end, 6 in a leap year).

Mums for Mums have sponsored 250 trees. The staff dug the holes on Saturday and by this morning the earth was nicely watered after a downpour last night. About 40 MfM staff, counsellors, helpers and friends got down and dirty planting tree seedlings this morning, myself included. ETV were on hand with a camera and a reporter (I have a feeling I'll be on the news some day this week, as the token ferenji :)).

Tree planting is not just a random millenium event, it is necessary - deforestation has caused alot of land erosion and associated problems. Eucalpytus is not a native tree species but is everywhere - it's used for firewood but damages the soil (I think because it drains the soil of moisture - maybe any tree experts reading this can expand on this in a comment). So we planted indigenous species.

I have to admit that I left after about 2 hours as they were waiting for the second lot of seedlings to arrive, having planted all that were available and there still being holes to fill!