Photo: Cullan Smith | Unsplash
The Benedictine monks at Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery carry with them a deep reverence for their work: “To love as God loves,” said Brother Santiago, in a video for the U.S. Forest Service. Yes, the U.S. Forest Service. For the monks -- who reside in a community in western New Mexico right beside the Gila National Forest -- that love isn’t just for their fellow man, but for the planet. This has led them to serve as volunteers in the national forest, where they are behind an effort to bring community members together for one mission: To reduce the risk of wildfires. So, outfitted in robes and carrying chainsaws, the monks have taken to tending to the forest with divine care, removing vegetation through controlled burns and fuel reduction efforts, which lessen the threat of wildfires on the property. The Monastery has also helped the Forest Service get buy-in from the community on fire prevention projects.
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