Ghana's grass-roots bid to save country's last forests (AFP) 31 August 2008 - KAKUM, Ghana - For five years now the heat has been less intense and the rainfall more abundant in a small cocoa farming area in Ghana's Upper Volta region, thanks to villagers bent on affecting climate change. 1.>> 2.>> Poor nations need $130 bln a year on climate-WWF ACCRA(August 29,2008) - Rich nations will need to provide about $130 billion a year by 2030 to help developing countries cope with climate change, or about five times current flows, the WWF conservation group said on Wednesday. 1.>> 2.>> Dr. Kenneth Kaunda transplants millennium tree seedling Addis Ababa, December 21, 2007 (Addis Ababa) Former Zambian President, Dr. Kenneth Kaunda has transplanted two millennium tree seedlings here in Addis Ababa on Friday at a ceremony held at the National Palace.>>     Star planter Ethiopia to intensify tree planting ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — Star tree-planter Ethiopia will intensify its re-afforestation drive in 2008, which earned the country a pole position in the world for planting 700 million trees this year, an official said Thursday.>>   Ethiopia and Mexico leading in the drive to combat climate change NAIROBI (AFP) — More than one billion trees were planted around the world in 2007, with Ethiopia and Mexico leading in the drive to combat climate change through new lush forest projects, a UN report said Wednesday.>>     UN-backed tree-planting drive hits 1 billion goal, Ethiopia among top-ranking countries Addis Ababa, November 28, 2007 (WIC) - One billion trees have been planted under a drive backed by the United Nations and the World Agroforestry Centre across the world, and Ethiopia is among the top-ranking countries as it has planted over 700 million trees.>>   Majority of tree seedlings transplanted in states surviving Addis Ababa, November 22, 2007 (WIC) - The North Gondar Zone Agriculture and Rural Development Office said about 75 percent of the more than 72.6 million tree seedlings transplanted during the last rainy season have taken roots. >> African forestry policies, laws biased: FAO ADDIS ABEBA(November 13,2007) -Although women play key roles in forest protection and conservation, policies and laws are biased in favor of men, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Monday..>>     UN Employees transplant over 1,000 indigenous tree seedlings Addis Ababa, October 25, 2007 - Nearly 500 employees of the United Nations (UN) have transplanted over 1,000 indigenous tree seedlings at Entoto Park here on Thursday in connection with the Ethiopian Millennium.>>   Tree Planting Event at Ghandi Commemoration by Yoseph Assefa, ETFF Ethiopia Representative   October 5, 2007 Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)- A tree-planting event was organized by the Indian Women’s Association and the Ethiopian National Millennium Celebration Council at Afincho Ber Park (the former Luel Sahle Silase Gibi) in Addis Ababa last Sunday (30, September 2007). >>   ETFF Ethiopia & The Acheber Idir Workshop September 2007 Report prepared by ETFF Ethiopia   Acheber, Gurage Region (Ethiopia)- ETFF Ethiopia Chapter assisted Ato Hailu Ibssa plant 500 trees here last month. The Chapter also attended the Acheber Idir Project at the time, and here is the report.>>    More Photos From Acheber     ETFF Plants 2,600 Trees in Bale and Acheber     Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - (September 5, 2006) ETFF, in cooperation with members of its Ethiopia Chapter, planted 2,100 seedlings of the indigenous Pencil Cedar trees in Bale (Oromiya Region) and another 500 tree seedlings in Acheber (Gurage Region) during the week of August 4-6, 2007.   The Bale tree planting program was funded by ETFF NW Chapter, which raised the money during a fundraising held in Portland, Oregon in April of this year..On the other hand, the Acheber program was funded by Ato Hailu Ibsa, a goodwill promoter. More     Read Reports: - ETFF Bale Report - ETFF Acheber Report   View photos Here   More News “If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.” Confucius; 551-479 BC.   Donation Please click on the button below to make your tax deductible donation to ETFF.      WHY WE SHOULD GET INVOLVED AND DONATE By Demissew Gedamu, ETFF CO-FOUNDER Ethiopia’s tropical forests are being lost at an alarming rate, largely due to tree cutting for fuel and commercial use; also some agricultural expansion as a result of population growth. >>.   August 27, 2007 ETFF Addis to join UNEP's BILLION TREE CAMPAIGN   Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (August 27, 2007)- ETFF Addis' request to join "The Billion Tree Campaign" has been warmly welcomed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).>> Forestry possibilities in Ethiopia By E.H.F. SWAIN, FAO TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ADVISER IN FORESTRY AFTER a six month's sojourn in Ethiopia one does not speak with authority on forestry for a land as large as France and Germany combined. One can do little more than present an impressionistic sketch of information absorbed and of deductions tentatively reached, and pay tribute to the two preceding pioneers and reporters of forest explorations in this little known country, namely W.E.M. Logan, Assistant Conservator of Forests for the Gold Coast, whilst on war service in Ethiopia, and Glen Russ of the U.S.A. Technical Mission of 1944-1946.>>   Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Forests: By Alemayehu Wassie The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church has long history of planting, protecting and preserving of trees. >> Aba Hailegebresilasse - Lalibela's tree planting monk Unlike most monks Aba Hailegebresilasse is a very active man, living in poverty and spending little time begging for coins to make ends meet. Besides his religious activities he spends much time tree planting and looking after his trees. >>   Saving Ethiopia's Forest — And Its Women Christian Science Monitor- Since she was 6 years old, Maselech Mercho has hiked up into the lush Entoto hills near Addis Ababa to gather wood, illegally, from the protected eucalyptus forests. She has no tools but her hands, so she pulls the branches she can reach, and carries out some 65 pounds of firewood on her back. >> Ethiopia's forests face extinction "Four decades ago, 40% of Ethiopia was covered by forests, now this has dropped to only 2.7%," agriculturist Mr Lemessa. BBC News- Ethiopia could have no natural forests left by 2020, according to the author of a new UN report on forest fires in Ethiopia.>>   May 21, 2007 Sister city needs 'green' rescue (Corvallis Gazette-Times) In the city of Gondar in northern Ethiopia, about 200,000 people rely on the Angereb Dam for their water. >> Articles by ETFF Members The following articles were submitted by Dr. Badege Bishaw Afroforestry and Community Forestry for Rehabilitation of Degraded Watersheds on the Ethiopian Highlands (PDF File) Deforestation and land degradation in the Ethiopian Highlands: A Strategy for Physical Recovery (PDF File) Forestry Education, Training and Professional Development in Africa (PDF File)   A Neglected Environment Amelioration & Socioeconomic Rehabilitation Technology- By Dr. Dawit Tadesse The causes of environmental degradation in Ethiopia are many. One that stands out most but difficult to effectively deal with is the increasing cutting of sparsely planted or surviving trees around villages or deforestation of remnant of old forests for household and commercial uses. The household uses of woods are primarily for cooking and construction while the commercial use of woods is for a cash source to many poor households.>> ETFF's Goal The goal of ETFF tree-planting campaign is to let the barren lands, which are the blight of many Ethiopian farmers, be covered with trees and grass. Help farmers to have ideas of where to obtain seed/seedlings, how to plant and maintain them, and how to get economic benefit from trees.  Ethiopia's Forests Ethiopia's forests are declining alarmingly. Ethiopia has many regions which were once rich in vegetation and are now rocky, desert areas. Desertification and erosion have further increased within the past decade Because of the demands for fuel, construction and fencing, at least 77% of the country's tree cover has been cut down in the last 25 years. Forest coverage has reached to 2.7 per cent now from 40 per cent eighty years ago. This coverage is far below the international standard. According to experts, a country requires at least 10 percent of the land should be covered by forest. It may take hundred years to replace the destroyed forests, and still we are not late to start challenging the problem before the depletion of the forest reaches to a level that it would make life impossible.  Wood as Energy Source Wood is the primary energy source for the majority of the people living in Ethiopia. Almost all people are cooking or heating with wood. Women and children have to spend many hours of the day, possibly the whole day, for nearly their whole life searching for firewood! Reforestation programmers are bound to fail where the people and animals living nearby are in desperate need of fire wood and fodder. A replacement for firewood has to be found! Environmental Conservation Trees play important roles in environmental conservation to facilitate sustainable agricultural development. Trees naturally filter our water and clean our air, removing carbon dioxide- the prime greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. Trees are essential if the world’s cultures and environments are to sustain themselves. Trees are essential to control soil erosion, land degradation and desertification.

Press Releases   UNICEF pledges to contribute 20 million trees..... ETFF Fundraising Event in Oregon nets $2,700 Portland, Oregon (April 14, 2007)- The Ethiopian Tree Fund Foundation Northwest Chapter held a successful fundraising event in Portland, Oregon on April 14, 2007, where it raised $2,700 for ETFF's first tree planting campaign project in Ethiopia..   The Northwest Chapter is the first chapter established by the ETFF with the task of organizing the residents of Oregon and SW Washington. Fundraising Event Photos