Celebrities back Tree Aid’s appeal to save the Metema forest

Several high-profile names are supporting a call from Tree Aid to bring a forest in Ethiopia back from the brink of extinction.

Tree Aid, a charity that works with people in the drylands of Africa to tackle poverty and the effects of the global climate crisis by growing trees, is pushing for urgent action to save the Metema forest in Ethiopia from going extinct during the next 20 years.

At present, the forest runs the risk of being engulfed by surrounding desert, a result of rising temperatures that have caused dry, infertile land to spread further south in recent years ‘like a wave in slow motion,’ as Chris Packham – one of the initiative’s high-profile supporters – puts it.

‘People in the Sahel are living with the devastating effects of our global climate crisis,’ he adds, referring to those in northern Ethiopia who rely on the land to survive.

These local communities are currently facing frequent droughts and food shortages, which will be exacerbated tenfold if the Metema ‘green belt’ is not protected.

With almost a third of Ethiopians living in poverty, this region has become a lifeline, primarily because of the Boswellia trees that populate it, which provide up to 30% household income for families selling frankincense resin to be used in essential oils around the world.

For this reason, it’s a top priority on the environment protection agenda.

Fortunately, Tree Aid has launched its Future Forest appeal, which aims to raise £352,875 for the Great Green Wall, an inspiring African-led movement that’s restoring and ‘re-greening’ 8,000km of land across the country to ultimately stop the Sahara from advancing any more than it already has (100km since 1950).

This will act as a ‘carbon sink’ for the entire planet by eventually sequestering 250 million tonnes of carbon before 2030. Donations from the public will be matched pound for pound by the UK government until July 11, doubling the fundraising total.