“Let us return to call of Laudato Si”: Catholic Archbishop Urges Kenyans to Revive Tree Planting Culture

He encouraged planting and the care for trees in all areas, including churches, schools, and in homes.

The Kenyan Archbishop highlighted some of the benefits of conserving the environment, especially trees and water bodies, saying, “These are the sources of many things we benefit from: clean water, fresh air, and even the beauty of our land, seen in the green grass and trees. Likewise, all of this brings about rain, because rain, water, rivers, and trees are all connected.”

Archbishop Muheria also urged the people to care for the environment as part of solving the climate change issues, saying, “Let us then pray that God gives us the strength to protect the environment. Let us pray that the unpredictable rains, the periods of cold and heat that have emerged due to climate change may be addressed, so that we may help restore the natural balance God intended in His creation.”

The Kenyan Member of Opus Dei spoke about “a project focused on planting about ten million trees” in Kenya, and challenged Parishes and Dioceses in the country to prepare seedlings and tree nurseries for about 10,000 trees per Parish.

“We have many Parishes in this country. If every station, every local church, could have two or three thousand trees this year, and if we combine all of that, I think it would not be hard to reach ten million trees. Every local church should aim to plant a thousand trees. If we do the math, we will reach ten million trees,” Archbishop Muheria said in his July 28 reflection.

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Focusing on waste recycling as part of environmental conservation, he urged Kenyans to also “find ways of collecting the waste thrown away, especially plastic bottles, which after being used for water are carelessly discarded.”

He called on those blessed with resources to put up small environmental conservation projects in Kenya for the purpose of caring for the environment and also as a way of employment creation for young people in the East African nation.

Sabrine Amboka is a Kenyan journalist with a passion for Catholic church communication. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from St. Paul's University in Kenya.