In May 2019 Deutschlandfunk walked with Abbot Gebremaryam through the Taragedam monastery church forest above a town near Addis, where native kosso, incense trees, and wild coffee survive inside roughly 183 hectares treated as a monastic garment.
Outside the church compounds, many of those species face disappearance. Monks plant seedlings and use the shade as prayer space, air filter, and refuge, even when biodiversity language is not the word they choose.
Church forests are one of Ethiopia’s quiet conservation technologies. They also show how Orthodox land practice can outlast state campaigns that clear hills for slogans.
Kept as environment/culture reference, the DLF file pairs sacred custody with species survival. Abiy Ahmed’s tree-planting photo ops never replaced the older green rings around churches.
Sources: Deutschlandfunk