My first trip to East Africa renewed my soul. It sparked a spiritual awakening within me that remains with me still. For that I’m grateful.
My second trip has left me saddened at what we’ve lost.
The Cloud Forests that grew in the ridges above the Ngorongoro Crater are dying. It can’t be seen while driving through them nor does it seem possible that the moisture laden mists that feed them will evaporate. But that is what’s happening.
At 7 am we drove through thick fog to access the Crater below the ridge. By the time we reached the Crater, the fog had begun to lift. I looked towards the forest and realized that it had browned, from the ground upwards. The Cloud Forest depends upon the foggy mist for survival. Elephants, leopards, and hundreds of bird species make their homes in the upper reaches of the forest. I don’t know how long it will take for the Cloud Forest to die. But I know that the animals who rely on them won’t have time to evolve.
I had never been in a Cloud Forest before. The rain forest of Brazil was stunning. The coastal forests of California, Washington, Oregon, Maine are breathtaking. And as I remembered these forests, I thought about our own in Colorado. They’ve been ravaged by invasive insects. Our majestic lodgepole and ponderosa pines are dying because of the pine beetle. Thousands of acres have been lost creating fuel for wildfires. Our naturally arid climate (we are a high desert after-all), has become more so. Drought kills what the beetles don’t. Fires take the rest. Torrential rains result in floods. Considering the size of Colorado, the disasters consume just a small part. Our mountains are still forested. Same goes for East Africa. There’s still habitat that supports animal lives
But for how long? I don’t know. And it makes me sad.
The other thing that I found disheartening was the dismantling of US Aid. In Kenya and Tanzania that meant the cancelling of water projects, HIV and healthcare initiatives. Someone stepped in to replace American aid. It was China. They’ve expanded their work. I met recipients of US Aid while I was there. Our projects didn’t simply sustain people living in a “shithole country”. It helped propel young people to medical, engineering, law schools. You see, when a small community has access to clean water, life changes. Less time is spent on gathering the necessities. Children can attend school. And schools change their lives.
The cost to the US taxpayer was $36.18 (Oxfam).
What we’ve lost is already monumental, but what we’ll lose in the future is devastating. The Elephant doesn’t know his habitat will continue to shrink; that what will be left will result in conflict over scarce resources. The East African children who grow up to become doctors won’t be thanking the US. They’ll favor China.
And that breaks my heart.
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