Measuring Baobab girth

It feels a bit like when you mark off the height of your children on the doorpost, but every year in May Diana Mayne, a baobab colleague, and I visit Skelmwater Baobab research plot to do annual growth measurements. This research plot was started in 1931 to measure the annual diameter growth of baobabs. This year was the 83rd measurement and most of the trees got a bit wider due to the good rains, but some years if its very dry, the trees shrink. This little tree is the smallest tree on the plot.

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BAOBAB – TREES OF GENERATIONS

BAOBAB – TREES OF GENERATIONS

Photographic artist Elaine Ling http://buff.ly/14RLYG2 says of her pictures of Baobab trees in Africa: "These miraculous giants are one of the largest living things on the planet and have a potential lifespan of more than a thousand years. They are great friends to their human neighbours—providing an ever-renewing source of textiles, netting, baskets and roofing. Their nutritious […]

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Pretty pods!

Pretty pods!

Not just a highly nutrititious food, with some imagination, skill and flair look at these amazingly creative decor ideas with Baobab pods!  find them here, here and here.

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Monitoring with baobab harvesters

Monitoring with baobab harvesters

Last week I did my annual baobab fruit monitoring trip where I gather research information on a spcecific population of 40 baobab trees.  This year I am looking at how much fruit each tree produces each year and how that varies from season to season and between land use types.  Usually I have a field assistant whom I […]

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