Thursday, November 22, 2012

An old witness is struck


The Baobab is called the Tree of Life with good reason. It is capable of providing shelter, food and water for the animal and human inhabitants of the African Savannah regions. The cork-like bark is fire resistant and is used for cloth and rope. The leaves are used for condiments and medicines. The fruit, called "monkey bread", is rich in vitamin C and is eaten. The tree is capable of storing hundreds of liters of water. At around 20 metres tall, the Baobab tree towers majestically over its neighbors on the African savannas. But today we are finding very few or in certain areas no young Baobab trees. And scientist are trying to figure out why! In areas like Kruger where they rotate which waterholes are filled up, scientist have noticed elephant demolishing the Baobob trees just to get to the inner water of the tree, they also wonder if the groundwater levels have dried out so much that it makes it impossible for trees like these to grow. But then again, what about the areas that do have a lot of ground water. This is the Holboom tree of Bushmanland, one of the oldest trees in Namibia. It was recently struck by lighting, and by that one more old witness is lost. These trees are the witnesses of everything that was and is, they have seen animals and humans evolve and disappear, and they have seen nature grow and shrink. lets remember to appreciate and protect, the growing wonders of the world while they are still here. Maybe these trees decided that they do not wish to witness any longer how we as man are destroying nature.? well at least what we can to is :Don't just witness them disappear!

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