Goha Mariam Church Forest (Est. A.D.)
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Olea grows slowly but has high survival success once established even under environmental stress. Its seeds are easily dispersed by birds from one habitat to another and so Olea appear widely in the Church forests.
-- Photo by Trees ForTheFuture -
Dung beetles provide an important service by both removing human and animal waste from the forest floor and by spreading seeds through out the forest.
-- Photo by Heather and Mike -
Small islands of forests around the churches are almost all that is left of the once vast forests of N. Ethiopia. The church forest communities protect the forests for spirituality and ecosystem services.
-- Photo by Tree Foundation -
There are approximately 30,000 Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Churches with 40 million followers. The Church perceives nature to include people, trees, animals, water, land features and the nation as a whole.
-- Photo by Tree Foundation
Forest Health Indicators for Goha Mariam Church Forest
of Forest
Remaining
Species
Remaining
Cattle Trails
In the Forest
Cut Trees
In the Forest
Wall
Completed
Located deep in the highlands east of Anbesame town is Goha Mariam church. The journey to reach this site is long as no paved roads exist nearby. With the exception of farmers’ homes that dot the landscape, urban development is minimal. Goha Mariam is nearly circular and is protected by a stone wall that surrounds the forest keeping out livestock. Surrounding cropland is dominated by maize and tef, though exotic eucalyptus is also widely cultivated. Wildlife is abundant in the forest and the church priests are excited to point out porcupine dens and share stories of genet sightings.
Goha Mariam Church Forest Area: 3.5 hectares (34648 m2)
Goha Mariam Land-Use Breakdown:
• Agricultural Land: 78.98%
• Grazing Land: 8.56%
• Church Forest: 3.00%
• Urban Land: 3.67%
• Tree Cover: 5.78%
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