What a joyous time of year at BLI! From Earth Day festivities to our upcoming Grand Opening Celebration, excitement is in the air at BLI. The summer months are bringing many visitors to campus, enabling us to share the joy of care for creation. Read on to learn about what’s been happening in Nandere.
EARTH DAY CELEBRATIONS
April 22 was Earth Day. To celebrate, BLI welcomed local primary school students to campus in order to learn about planting trees, recycling, and the importance of caring for our common home. The Caretakers led an activity in turning plastics–bottles, cans, etc. collected from the surrounding area–into pots for hanging plants. They also guided community members in planting more trees on BLI’s property. And, of course, there was time for fun and games, volleyball and jump roping. Creation care will always be a communal task; it will always take a village. BLI thus looks to forging forward, together with local students, neighbors, and friends, toward a cleaner, more sustainable future.
COMING TOGETHER AS COMMUNITY
Not only has BLI hosted its own community events, but Caretakers and staff have been busy participating in other local initiatives. Earlier in the summer, Tree Adoption Uganda hosted a Run4Climate to raise funds for tree planting and reforestation efforts. The run raised funding for the planting of 100,000 trees and restoration of 200 acres of degraded land. The BLI Caretakers enjoyed participating in the event and showcasing their athletic abilities! Local communities also celebrated World Environmental Day on June 5. Bands, government and religious leaders, development partners, and local people gathered together for a day of festivities. Read more about BLI’s participation below.
GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION
Preparations are underway at BLI for the July 29 Grand Opening Celebration. The gathering will bring together BLI supporters from across the world to celebrate the successful launch and current activities of the institute. Government ministers, religious leaders, donors, followers, friends, family, and staff will all join the Caretakers in a celebration on July 29, the Feast Day of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. This celebration has been over two years in the making, and the Caretakers are excited to share the wonderful work they have been doing. If you would like to follow along with the day’s activities, please follow us on Instagram and Facebook (linked below). You can also show your support from afar by donating below.
LAZARUS’ BIODIVERSITY ON THE RISE
The Lazarus’ Trees’ team has been hard at work in creating trails through our 200 acres of forest. There are now six established trails, all made up of different lengths and terrains. The shortest spans 257 meters while the longest is 1000 meters. These trails continue to be utilized by local groups coming to BLI to experience its biodiversity and learn about its reforestation efforts. Recently, the Avian Conservation Uganda Society visited BLI and discovered over 100 species of birds living in the forest land. Some notable species include the Martial Eagle, Meyer’s Parrot, African Harrier-Hawk, and Noobian Woodpecker.
From all of us here at BLI, we wish you a happy summer! May you enjoy God’s beautiful creation with peace and joy.
