By Dr Sarah Venter

Baobab Wilding at Mabvete Village

After 2 years of growing baobabs for transplanting into the wild we planted out 30 young trees.  In January 2023 baobab growers in Mabvete village received baobab seedlings to grow. They were to plant the trees in the ground in their homesteads, water them, look after them and protect them from goats until they reached a hight of at least [...] Continue Reading
By Dr Sarah Venter

After good rain wild Planted baobabs need to survive overgrowth

Wild planted baobab trees at Nthakeni were assessed with the help of Nathan Clemes and Amber Numamoto from Unrooted in the UK.  We found that the high rainfall had caused a lot of vegetation growth around the seedlings which were suffocating the plants.  The plants were left as they were so that we can learn how young seedlings grow and [...] Continue Reading
By Dr Sarah Venter

Working with the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT)

Sarah Venter spent a few days in the field with John Davies from the Endangered Wildlife Trust working together on a vulture conservation and tree meshing project along the Western Limpopo River.  The collaborative project will help protect vulnerable bird species such as Pels Fishing Owls and White Backed Vultures and protect the integrity of the riverine forest along the [...] Continue Reading
By Dr Sarah Venter

Why is meshing baobabs so important?

In this video Dr Sarah Venter explains how important baobabs are in our landscapes. Baobabs are hotspots of biodiversity hosting dozens of bird, animal and reptile species. She explains how to mesh baobabs to protect them from elephant damage. Tswehe Wildlife Reserve offers an opportunity for visitors to mesh their own baobab. Dr Sarah Venter explains how important it is [...] Continue Reading
By Dr Sarah Venter

Baobab Guardian program comes to a successful end

Ten years ago (2014) the Baobab Foundation established the Baobab Guardians program.  Women from different villages in Niyani volunteered to be Guardians of young baobab trees to protect them from browsing goats.  The program planted 101 baobab trees and successfully brought them up the height that they would flourish for the next few centuries. This week the last nine Guardians [...] Continue Reading
By Dr Sarah Venter

Be patient, baobabs take their time

The “plantation-style” baobab trees planted into the ground in Mabvete village were measured in November 2024.  The late rains meant that they have only just started to flush their new leaves.  We were hoping that they would have grown tall enough to plant out into the wild this year, but they are not quite there yet.  We will have to [...] Continue Reading
By Dr Sarah Venter

PHASA Foundation and Honorary Rangers help protect baobabs

As part of the ongoing work to protect baobabs from hungry elephants another two trees were meshed in Mapungubwe National Park this week.  Working with SANParks, Working on Fire and the Honorary Rangers we plan to mesh 20 more baobabs in the park.  With financial support from the PHASA Foundation we have already meshed 8 baobabs in Mapungubwe NP this [...] Continue Reading
By Dr Sarah Venter

Volunteer to mesh a baobab!

Tswehe Reserve is a magical area in the Tuli Block in Botswana.  The reserve has numerous baobabs dotted across the landscape from the Limpopo River in the south to the vast mopani veld in the north.  Lloyd and Isabel Gillespy run an impact programme that offers immersive nature experiences and opportunities to contribute to meaningful conservation management.  Their program now [...] Continue Reading
By Dr Sarah Venter

Climate change and baobabs: what’s the real story?

As global temperatures continue to rise millions of life-forms around the globe are under threat. Plants and animals differ in their ability to cope with variable climate conditions with many being sensitive to the slightest change and thus may be the first to die.  In contrast, baobabs are well adapted to changes in temperature and rainfall as can be seen [...] Continue Reading
By Dr Sarah Venter

Learning from Ratho – how to protect riverine forests

Baobabs are not the only species being destroyed by elephants.  Many species of trees along the Limpopo River are disappearing at an alarming rate.  Ratho, a citrus farm situated west of Pont Drift and opposite the Tuli Block of Botswana took action before it was too late.  They have used electric fencing to protect riverine forests and where the forests [...] Continue Reading