In Madagascar this past June I was able to be apart of a truly incredible moment. The “Hands in Dirt” nursery has done amazing work since it opened, planting over 50 species of hard-wood trees and starting one of the first successful reforesting sites in the dry-dicidious forest. But the moment I was able to share with the workers at the nursery was just a glimpse at the amazing things God is doing through their work.
The team has worked hard at collecting seeds from all over Madagascar to restore what once was. More than a year ago the team went to a national forest (area not deforested) to collect seeds and asked to partner with the forest administration for the common goal of restoring Madagascar’s forest’s. Their response to such a partnership was a swift no, as they could not associate with such a small start up nursery run by the poor, uneducated malagasy youth (but they could collect some rotten seeds this time).
Madagascar is commonly known for the “Baobab” tree. People say “God uprooted the tree and stuck it in the ground upside down.” Six of the Eight Baobab species are endemic (only found there) in Madagascar. Unfortunetly because of the vast deforestation, some of these Baobabs are on the brink of extinction. One of the endangered species of Baobab’s (Adansonia Madagascariensis Boensis) was in this nearby National forest the team collected seeds from. This specific Baobab trio (pictured below) is the last known fruiting (seed bearing) Baobabs of this species in the world. Some believe that the tree has become endangered because whatever lemur or bat that would eat it’s fruit and “propagate” the tree, has probably become extinct.
The team collected as many pods (which looked to be all rotted) as they could. They took the seeds back to the nursery, planted them, watered them, and waited, but nothing grew. A season went by and the faithful nursery crew continued to tend to those pods and watered them by the bucket full, pulled by hand, from a 40ft well.
And when I went to visit…
They had sprouted!!!!!! Around 40 seeds sprouted and became mature seedlings. The humble “Hands in Dirt” nursery probably has a percentage of the population of the most rare baobabs in the world. As soon as word got out to the National forest that the little nursery had some of these seedlings, they quickly called to partner (as nobody has ever been able to propagate this tree).
My great joy was to see this awesome crew replant the very first Baobab seedling in the Sarobidy Maternity Center’s Garden.
God has truly blessed their work. And may He continue to show them the fruit of their labor as their lives and land are reconciled back to Him.
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