The tree that doesn’t die

Baobabs are very difficult to kill, they can be burnt, or stripped of their bark, and they will just form new bark and carry on growing. When they do die, they simply rot from the inside and suddenly collapse, leaving a heap of fibres, which makes many people think that they don't die at all, but simply disappear! A Baby Baobab tree looks very different from its adult form and this is why the Bushmen believe that it doesn't grow like other trees, but suddenly crashes to the ground with a thump, fully grown, and then one day simply disappears. No wonder they are thought of as magic trees! 

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Calling the community

Calling the community

I was visiting a village in Venda the other day and needed to talk to the community about when I would be collecting baobab fruit.  During the day people are scattered and busy with other chores so it’s difficult to get to speak to everybody at the same time.  The headman’s wife was so excited […]

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Baobab Harvesters visit EcoProducts Factory

Baobab Harvesters visit EcoProducts Factory

EcoProducts invited 30 baobab harvesters from across the Venda area to visit the new EcoProducts Baobab Processing Facility in Makhado. The purpose of the visit was to show the harvesters where the fruit goes and what happens to the fruit once it arrives at the factory.  We also wanted the harvesters and the factory staff to meet and to discuss the collection and processing challenges, and how these can be overcome through better understanding of the process.

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Look honey! I shrunk the baobab tree!

Look honey! I shrunk the baobab tree!

I  have never quite understood the appeal of bonsai, so I decided to see for myself what it was all about.  I visited Lampies Schoeman who has about 100 trees, surely one of the largest collection of baobab bonsai in the world!  He has grown and created most of his bonsai himself over the last […]

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