Skelmwater is a bare stony hillside dotted with baobab trees, but this has become a special place for Sarah Venter and Diana Mayne. The baobab trees here are each numbered and painted with a neat stripe around their girth. The girth of these trees has been measured since 1931. Diana and Sarah discovered this plot in 2002 when they first went to visit it and found that the measurements had been forgotten and no one was measuring them any more.
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In Africa the Baobab tree comes close to being regarded as sacred – or as the shelter under which the elders talk and consult until they reach consensus. Here is a picture of a traditional meeting place beneath a Baobab tree close to a Venda Village. It is almost as if the tree bears witness […]
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Biology and Zoology students of the University of Limpopo enjoy learning about how baobab fruit help to support rural livelihoods and the conservation of baobab trees.
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Thank you to LTT Bolt & Nut for their generous donations to the Baobab Foundation. Pre-school creches are sadly neglected in these rural areas of the Limpopo so it’s always great news when we receive donations for much needed equipment and facilities.
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Madiba's unmistakable stature as statesman, leader and human being made him visible in a way that made it possible for all to see. May his moral example be as long lived as the Baobab tree, may the memory of his wisdom serve, and be the same shade under which people have gathered in community for generations to draw inspiration for the way forward. […]
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I often get asked how old baobabs become. There is a lot of myth with most people believing that they live for up to 5000 years. I have been working with Dr Adrian Patrut, who has made it his mission to find the oldest baobab in the world. He has been at this for about […]
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When I was visiting friends in Cordoba, Argentina recently I came across this tree that looked so much like a baobab that I thought it must be some relation. When I looked it up, I found it was indeed part of the same family as the Baobab Malvaceae. Its scientific name is Ceiba speciosa commonly […]
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EcoProducts is HACCP certified! It seems that only those businesses who have to go through HACCP certification understand the gruelling and hugely demanding process one has to undergo in order to get this internationally recognised food-safety certification. So we’re thrilled to announce that we are have finally achieved this milestone! Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points is […]
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It is always a happy and vibrant day when we all go out to celebrate of a year of hard work. So much has happened for EcoProducts this year: moving to new upgraded factory premises, getting HACCP certified – two huge events! Last year we were 22 people and now we are 50 people. So we have doubled our staff and have TREBLED our production output!
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After our community workshop on Monday, my manager Colly started visiting the villages to buy our first fruit for the season. The fruit are packed into bags then loaded onto our pick-up and trailer. Each women is paid on delivery, so that she does not have to wait for payment. The bags of fruit are transported […]
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