Baby giants reaching for the sky
The Baobab Guardians’ trees were measured in April 2021 and many of the trees grew over one meter of lush green shoots in just six months.
Doris Chauke protect her tree with a fence of old mattress springs.
It is the result of this season’s excellent summer rains on these, normally arid parts of the bushveld between the Soutpansberg mountain range and the Limpopo river in the far North of South Africa.Some of the trees were browsed by goats when the Baobab Guardians were not watching, but now, extra precautions have been taken to prevent it from happening again.
Lea Tshedtsi’s tree have lush green shoots from the main stem of her baby Baobab.
All sorts of fences are now rising up around the trees; some made of stones, shade-cloth-and pieces of corrugated iron to keep the goats out. Others, like Phophi’s, which was planted in October 2020 and is protected with an old matrass spring barrier, has grown from 50cm to 130cm in six months.
Phophi’s tree grew almost a meter this season.
Fourteen of the baby Baobab trees have reached their target three-meter growth-height as a result of the good rains. Three meters is the height at which we hope they will be safe from goat damage. The guardians whose trees have reached their three-meter target will soon receive a certificate to recognize their good work in looking after these baby trees until they can survive on their own’.
