Celebrating Earth Day
Martin (left, pictured with his son), is the Village chief in Mkanda, Malawi. Walking through Martin’s village felt different from so many others. There was tree cover, shade, the ground was moist, the air was cooler. I asked Martin, ‘Why have you left your trees standing? Why have you not cut them down for fuel?’ Martin answered with a big smile on his face, ‘because they give us oxygen, they are so good for my people!’ We shook hands and laughed. ‘This is so good to hear,’ I added, ‘we love the way you think.’
This story is so encouraging because more than 96% of the 18 million people in Malawi use firewood or charcoal for household cooking and heating. The forest cover which once blanketed the entire country, stands now at only 27.2%. This is the reason trees are so important in Malawi. Five main benefits to having trees include: they cool the air, convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, hold moisture in the ground, and bring water back to the surface by root systems, lengthening growing seasons for farmers. Trees create structure in the earth stopping erosion and so help protect against flooding. Trees produce fruit, seeds, pods, and oils that all help provide nutrition.
COMPACT is committed to teaching and educating about the benefits of trees and sustainable farming through our training programs. Please share our work, and the benefits of trees with your friends today! Visit our website compactrf.com
by Zeb Williamson
Four Seasons
The Four-Season Gardens in Lilongwe, Malawi, is a sanctuary for any passing traveller and an amazing resource of biodiversity for local horticulturalists. John & Lesley Sprowson have, over 35 years, built an amazing nursery and landscape business. Not only do they grow thousands of varieties of plants and flowers, but they have the very highest pedigree of clients. Currently they are preparing to landscape the grounds of the new American Embassy.
They also train local people in composting and have a commercial size plot dedicated to the process. Compact recently sent their Field Manager, Luke Beka, on the three day course to broaden his skills in scaling up the composting process. John & Lesley are fantastic people who are only too delighted to share their abundant knowledge.
