Lazarus' Trees

A forest that serves as a catalyst for a major community outreach in reforestation and community based ecological education.

 

Africa’s growing population, coupled with inadequate, and in some places non existing government energy and ecological policies has led to mass and rapid deforestation as trees are cleared for firewood and for farming purposes. But deforestation is just one aspect of a large ecological crisis facing Africa, where the effect on weather patterns and land depletion is already obvious, and will only get worse. To stop this trend requires not only a massive reforestation campaign, but sustained education efforts in ecological consciousness, creation care and the protection of mother earth.
Not unlike the biblical Lazarus who was sick and eventually died, mother earth is sick and dying at an alarming rate. The Lazarus program will seek to reverse the rapidly spreading trend of deforestation, and thus effect ecological resurrection through ecological literacy and reforestation efforts. At the heart of this program will be the planting of a natural forest and various kinds of fruit and hardwood trees. The program will realize a number of specific objectives:
  • Serve as a demonstrable effort and example of re-forestation and the renewal of biodiversity
  • Promotion of eco-tourism at the Bethany site
  • Grow various fruits for food and for the market
  • Provide education on the ecological, nutritional, medicinal and aesthetic aspects of the natural environment in general, trees in particular.
  • Serve as a catalyst and the educational base for an outreach program which will work with target schools and communities where various activities, programs, and competitions will be conducted to promote ecological literacy and re-forestation.   Scholarships and other incentives will be given to those who excel.
  • Work with target schools and communities and local councils to set up school and community forests
  • Our target is to have planted or helped in the planting of a million trees by 2050.