June 21, 2012

Trees – Namibia’s big five

By Barbara Curtis Most people who come to Africa want to see “The Big Five” – the five African mammals considered by hunters to be the […]
May 8, 2013

The extraordinary sausage tree

Text by Abigail Amos Although the baobab richly deserves its place as a symbol of sub-Saharan Africa, the extraordinary sausage tree is equally interesting and much […]
July 18, 2013

Makalani Palm Nuts

Text and photos by Ginger Mauney  Tall, elegant trees with long, fan-shaped leaves armed with sharp, black thorns – this is the makalani palm, Hyphaene petersiana, […]
October 17, 2014

Namibia | Tree Awards 2014

Mopane tree. Photo ©Ron Swilling – Main photo The annual Tree Award 2014 was hosted this week. The award is a Botanical Society of Namibia award […]
July 17, 2018

Life Skills From the Camel-Thorn Tree

On a recent trip to Wolwedans I found myself in awe of the thriving desert life. It hasn’t rained here in the last five years, but that doesn’t mean that this part of the world has come to a standstill. Au contraire. We discovered life, and more significantly, growth in the desert. Inspired by the acacia forest we came across I dug up some interesting facts about the hardy camel-thorn tree. My motto for 2018 is “Be as tough as a camel-thorn.” Here is why: