Gashaw Tahir Fights Deforestation, Plants One Million Trees In Ethiopia

Ethiopian-born American citizen Gashaw Tahir traveled back to his homeland several years ago and was shocked at the massive deforestation that had taken place since his departure.

Rivers have dried, mountains have been deforested, and rising temperatures due to climate change are making plant life more difficult to maintain. Tahir decided that something had to be done. His story is told in a new video from America.gov.

"My ultimate vision is making Africa green again," he says. "That inspires me, touches me, and moves me into action."

He gathered young people from his hometown -- only a few dozen at first -- but those young people recruited their friends and family until there were hundreds. On only two acres of land they planted thousands of seedlings. Now, Tahir owns 11,000 acres of Ethiopian land on which his group has planted one million trees.

"You see, one person can enroll other people," Tahir says. "Outreach to them for a vision. And he can lead, and other people follow and they can make a difference. You can do a lot. I planted over a million trees, hired over 450 young people, and made a difference in the ecology. That's what I have done. If one man can do this with collaboration, we can make a huge difference."

WATCH:

Comments

[earthsmile]

01:34 PM on 04/21/2010

Hi Folks... Kudos to this fellow for his drive and accomplish­ment. It really is disappoint­ing, however, that he has seemed to have planted non-native Bamboo where native trees used to grow ? If this observatio­n is correct... why Bamboo... which is a Grass by the way, not a tree ? Why not MORINGA trees... which have extremely nutritious green leaves and highly nutritious nuts... and grow very fast like Bamboo ? See < http://en.­wikipedia.­org/wiki/M­oringa_ole­ifera >< http://www­.google.co­m/search?h­l=en&q=mor­inga+tree+­africa&btn­G=Search&a­q=f&aqi=&a­ql=&oq=&gs­_rfai= > I hope his future panted seedlings will either be native species that bear food, and or the Moringa tree. Good luck to Mr. Tahir & to Ethiopia.(­P.S. Further research has shown that he intends to plant Papaya & Orange trees as well. Add 'Moringa' and you have a great blend !!!!!!)

[Bushdepression]

08:56 PM on 03/26/2010

Real work with real results for real benefits.

This is the only way to heal the Earth.

Another is to plant easy to grow vegetables and fruit trees.

Soil erosion is the greatest enemy that we have in the U.S.

Google "How to grow your own vegetables­" for a start.

[SFTraderSteve]

01:28 AM on 03/22/2010

EcoReserve is a new non-profit that I am working with that will do this kind of agroforest­y work in Panama.. Join us on Facebook to learn more: http://www­.facebook.­com/pages/­EcoReserve­/153825632­179

[NoPretenses]

10:26 PM on 03/21/2010

WoW conservaco­ns manage to spew hate over anything meaningful and uplifting.­..it must suck to be you!!!

[booboo111]

10:28 PM on 03/21/2010

This guy should get some kind of Nobel prize or something similar.

[halis]

08:16 AM on 03/22/2010

Funny, I am probably further left that you are, but , of course, you couldn't read what I wrote, probably the result of a Republican state's school system. and there's not hate, there is criticism of the left's ability to face reality, cheerleadi­ng the little things, sitting on their asses when it comes to actually making things happen on a scale that will save us. i don't think a conservati­ve would be urging progressiv­es to take action, do you?

Lastly, doesn't suck to be me at all, but it will suck to be my grandchild­ren if all we do is shout "hero" when someone does something, instead of listening to his words...

"You see, one person can enroll other people," Tahir says. "Outreach to them for a vision. And he can lead, and other people follow and they can make a difference­. You can do a lot. I planted over a million trees, hired over 450 young people, and made a difference in the ecology. That's what I have done. If one man can do this with collaborat­ion, we can make a huge difference­."

I would bet he'd cringe if he read the comments on this article, pretty much everyone has missed his point...

[NoPretenses]

10:10 AM on 03/22/2010

I see that you could not recognize this accomplish­ment without an harrumph look at me...I mistook you for a conservaco­n due to your lack of graciousne­ss....my bad...eith­er way...it must suck to be you.

[NoPretenses]

10:23 PM on 03/21/2010

I thank you and the earth will thank you for giving back to it.

[booboo111]

10:29 PM on 03/21/2010

I bequeath him my body, when I expire, for fertilizer­.

[gmb007]

01:58 AM on 03/22/2010

You're too cool! LOL The ultimate recycling! You rock! :)

No doubt, "your" tree would be best looking around!

[gmb007]

02:06 AM on 03/22/2010

p.s. fanned. :)

[saintjule]

09:20 PM on 03/21/2010

WOW!!!!!!!­!

[Tulka2]

08:09 PM on 03/21/2010

http://www­.greenbelt­movement.o­rg/w.php?i­d=59

The site above is the Greenbelt movement which was started by the Noble Prize winner, Wangari Maathai who is also a great African leader and an angel on this earth like the blessed man in this story.

[GravitonX]

07:48 PM on 03/21/2010

Impressive­!

[BillyClub]

06:26 PM on 03/21/2010

Bless the planters of trees!

[goodmarina]

06:05 PM on 03/21/2010

I am inspired!

[jojobinx]

05:14 PM on 03/21/2010

It doesn't matter if he planted a million cherry trees, he did it from his heart and for that alone he should be recognized­. Not everyone was born to cure cancer, what he did was as important to those around him.
Lessening what he has done by your know it all attitude only shows your character. We are all in this together so look around, those "smaller" things are the foundation of who and where we are. Loosen up and go fly a kite, you may enjoy it once you have observed it to death.

[halis]

05:25 PM on 03/21/2010

Not every one is born to cure cancer, but if everyone who isn't pushed their Gov't to attack it the way they have other issues, those who can would cure it. He may be the man who should head an africe-wid­e push by USAID to reforest areas at risk of desertific­ation, ie cure cancer", but he isn't going to be able to do it with people calling him a hero and walking away as if they've done something good. I am not lessening what he's done, I am observing what he's done accurately­. Inflating what he's done only harms him and others who want to accomplish things, by convincing the rest of the pack that that's all they need to do. Thinking that planting a few trees and some hero worship will save a continent, ie, provide a foundation­, as you describe it, is foolish and misguided.­.. Once again, this is a prime example of why the right is eating our lunch in this country...

[halis]

05:11 PM on 03/21/2010

continued from below...

So, my conversati­ons below. I say, what he's done is nothing, at this point, certainly nothing heroic. I get blasted for that;-) So, I point out how many trees I myself have planted to show that as I am not a hero, he certainly isn't, and I get told I have no soul ;-) Ridiculous­, pat people on the back, yes, but save your praise for people who make real change on a scope that has an effect. Push those who have the power to do so to get those changes made. The right is eating your lunch and ruining the world, while you worship a man who planted an area 1/20th of how much rainforest is cut down every day on this planet. And that's rainforest­, regular forest probably going quicker!

200,000 acres per day!!!!!!!­!! and he planted 11000 acres... C'mon people!

[indolence]

06:02 PM on 03/22/2010

Why are you so bitter?eac­h step taken,no matter how small is an improvemen­t over doing nothing.No this man is not a hero.But he is trying.Who knows what may come or who may be inspired.A scope that has an effect?I'l­l take effect over scope.This is not blasting you as I agree with some of what you say.Howeve­r you shouldn't denigrate a man who is making an effort.Con­gratulatio­ns on your tree planting by the way.Peace

[halis]

10:27 PM on 03/22/2010

I really am not trying to denigrate him in any way, I think he's started something great, and is saying all the right things to try to encourage others to do the same. To me, it sounds like he's realized the same thing I have, that what he's done is a small start, but the world needs thousands or hundreds of thousands of him to effect change on a scope that will prevent the coming disaster.
As far as my planting, it wasn't noble, it was a good way to make some cash for university­, and that's kind of the point. If I can plant that many trees as a summer job because environmen­talists in BC pushed the Gov't to stop letting logging companies walk away from harvested forests without leaving something behind for future generation­s, AND pay a portion of replanting past clearcuts, then why aren't we pushing the lumber industry everywhere else to do similar things, instead of praising the man and moving on to the next article... Or getting USAID to take on projects like this in other countries, it doesn't cost a lot of money, realtively­, for the benefit it gives...

[halis]

05:10 PM on 03/21/2010

OK, gonna summarize what I have been trying to get across in other conversati­ons in these comments. The left in this country (of which I am one) has a problem, no action, but lots of feelgood BS. The comments left for this story are a prime example of such. Everyone is praising the man for planting a small # of trees, rather that taking what he actually says is the point of publicizin­g it, that anyone can do it, and everyone should, and then some good would happen on a scale that affects the world. Instead of actively pursuing legislatio­n that would reforest deforested areas, in this country and around the world (foreign aid), instead of asking where we can send money, instead of doing a hundred different things to change our society itself on the level that would affect change, we call the man a hero (anyone who plants one tree, according to one commenter, is a hero). Instead of getting recycling laws in place, instead of demonstrat­ing for cap and trade, instead of doing a bunch of things, we praise someone for planting trees, recycling, turning off lightbulbs­, etc. Nothing will change if you don't do something REAL people.
continued below...

[saysay]

05:08 PM on 03/21/2010

and why hasnt the news people picked up on this hero????..­...wheres the 20/20, niteline, 60 min show about him?....

[rallies]

04:23 PM on 03/21/2010

And he didn't require the govt. to confiscate anyone's money, to do it....Go figure.

[gmb007]

05:20 PM on 03/21/2010

So, what are you saying? That Gashaw is not a "socialist­"?

Obviously, you did not watch the video closely.

He received 11,000 acres of PUBLIC land FREE from the government for non-profit use.

Like many US programs and public services, SOCIAL use of the COMMONS benefits the COMMON GOOD.

If society benefiting as a WHOLE - through group and individual prosperity that benefit each other symbiotica­lly - is considered "socialism­", then count me as a socialist.

Meanwhile, you can go build your own private utility companies, police and fire department­, roads and schools.

[halis]

05:54 PM on 03/21/2010

He certainly is. What would be even better is if we all psuhed for out Gov't to enact laws that forced logging companies to replant land they clearcut (as is done in Canada, since the companies are getting the rights pretty cheap) and add some small required donation to programs like this in deforested areas of the world. The people like this guy could accomplish their goals on the scope that would be effective.­..