We look forward to our tradition of offering an Alternative Giving
focus during the Advent season. Watch for details in an upcoming
email from the Global Service Committee. As we celebrate the formation of Highland’s Earth Care Team this fall, the focus for our
Alternative Giving this year will be on being stewards of God’s
earth. Gifts will include mangrove trees (see Climate Corner below) and support for our neighbors experiencing the devastating effects of climate change in Western North Carolina.
We hope you will plan on these alternative gifts as a meaningful way to honor loved
ones near and far.

Climate Corner: What do Madagascar, mangroves, and reducing carbon footprints have in common?
From the Nature Conservancy, we learn that mangroves are one of the world’s most important ecosystems. Healthy mangrove forests are hotspots of biodiversity, cornerstones of climate resilience and a source of livelihoods for coastal communities worldwide. They are carbon stores, fish factories, and coastal defenses conveying valuable benefits to people and the planet. However, these critical systems have been threatened for decades, with the total footprint of mangroves declining over the past 35 years, largely due to human activity. Mangrove trees sequester up to 5 times per hectare more CO2 than a tropical rainforest ecosystem.
Madagascar is the fourth largest island and home to one of the most biodiverse populations on earth and one of the most impoverished communities experiencing the negative impacts of climate change now. Mangroves grow naturally in the waters around Madagascar aiding in the coastal defense of the island with rising tides.
Watch for information during our Alternative Giving season about how you can donate
to help plant mangroves and thereby decrease the impact of poverty as well as CO2.