Deserts into forests
John Tyler has a knack for finding articles which he shares with others who he feels may be interested . Recently he found one about a man whom he thought was the brother-in-law of Angie Fearon , who used to be a member of St Margaret ’ s . John Goss confirmed that John Tyler was right and reminded us that the man in question had spoken at St Margaret ’ s . John Goss has also been in contact with him in the last two years about our Carbon Action Project and , specifically , carbon offsets .
So , who is this man ? He is an Australian agronomist , Tony Rinaudo , who is working to turn African deserts into forests . Mr Rinaudo is currently the natural resources management specialist at World Vision Australia .
Growing trees from stumps , or farmer managed natural regeneration ( FMNR ) is a centuries-old method of cultivation practised around the world . Now , FMNR forms a central pillar of the organisation ' s goal to end extreme poverty by 2030 .
FMNR is a low-cost and accessible means of addressing deforestation and land degradation , which are significant issues negatively impacting rural communities all over the world .
Using FMDR enables rural communities to adapt in ways that strengthen the ability of forests to grow back and , thus , potentially to achieve economic growth and improved food security resulting from higher productivity levels .
Mr Rinaudo quotes permaculture founder Bill Mollison , who said " though the problems of the world are increasingly complex , the solutions remain embarrassingly simple ." " I love that ," says Mr Rinaudo , who has become known as the " forest maker " for his work re-greening degraded land around the world .
Mr Rinaudo ' s Christian faith underpins his lifelong dedication to land restoration . He says that his experience has reinforced for him that God provides everything we need for life . He says , " It ' s been a wonderful journey " and " I ' m still on that journey , still learning , and still dependent on God to reveal his secrets in nature as we try to solve some of the world ' s greatest problems ."
- Brian Rope
St Margaret ’ s News 12 August 2022