Bao babies’ growth in 2021

December in the southern hemisphere, Limpopo and it is time to measure the Baobab guardians’ trees again. Did they grow fatter and higher and more handsome than before? Sarah and Prince headed out on the 14th December to measure up the Guardians’ baobab babies. It’s the beginning of the growing season, the trees had not put on a lot of […] Continue Reading

Who really pollinates South African Baobabs?

The African Baobab (Adansonia digitata) is a truly trans-continental species.  It is found right across Africa, from West Africa through to East Africa and down to Southern Africa.  They have an unusual life-history in that they are physically larger and live longer than most flowering plants on earth. Pollinators more vulnerable than Baobabs Although some researchers suggest that baobabs may […] Continue Reading

Rescuing Mapungubwe ‘s Baobabs from elephant damage

Baobabs and elephants have been living in the same habitat for centuries. However, as the habitat for elephants shrink due to changing land use, they get boxed into fences with herds ever increasing on smaller and smaller patches of land. Baobabs and other trees are then being browsed more intensely, with the result that many trees do not get enough […] Continue Reading

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. 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 […] Continue Reading

Kids over the moon with new storybooks in Tshivenda

Tshedza and Zwigodini preschools’ kids were the first to receive their box of Book Dash storybooks. For many of them it is the first time they hear, see and have access to a storybook, let alone one in their very own Tshivenda language! We have divided the first hundred Book dash books, funded by Skoon, into five boxes or mini […] Continue Reading

Brand new, bright coloured Dambale Preschool

We are so happy to announce that the Dambale Preschool is finished, colourfully painted and ready to be equipped for the village’s little children!  By February this year the Baobab Foundation has received enough donations from generous supporters all around the globe to start building. Chief Nedambale then immediately appointed Mr Nelson Kwinda, a local builder, with his team. By […] Continue Reading

Looking Back: Proud Moments for Baobab Guardians

There is something magical about taking part in a creative process that helps to bring something into existence that wasn’t there before. I believe that is why our Baobab Guardian program has been so successful; people love to be part of creative magic, and Nature is all about exactly that!

101 Baobab Trees!

At the end of 2020, we planted the last 9 baobab trees.

This brings the total number of trees planted as part of our Baobab Guardians program to 101 although we had initially aimed at 100.  The extra 1 was due to one of the enthusiastic neighbours in Dambale village who also wanted to have a tree to take care of :-).  We think 101 baobab trees has a nice ring to it!

One hundred colourful stories for rural kids

One hundred colourful, new children’s books have just landed on the desk of the Baobab Foundation. These books are for our pre-schools in Venda and is published by Book Dash.  https://bookdash.org Book Dash is a South African initiative that believes every child should own one hundred books by the age of five. They gather creative professionals who volunteer to create […] Continue Reading

Dambale Pre-School rising from the dust

Dambale village never had a Pre-School. Now three classrooms and a facility building are rising from the foundations on a piece of land the chief allocated for the toddlers and pre-schoolers of this rural village in Venda. Several indigenous trees, like the beautiful Munee tree or Red Ivory (Berchemia Zeyheri) in the one corner of the yard, are preserved for […] Continue Reading