| Green Travel News |
Safari company &Beyond has launched a 5-year research project aimed at measuring the amount of carbon that is sequestered by the spekboom plant on the wildlife-rich Kwandwe Private Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The company, which is known for its commitment to sustainable responsible travel and community empowerment, owns and operates 46 luxury lodges and camps in South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya and India.
The spekboom (or pork bush) is a remarkable “super plant.” Research findings suggest that up to 4 tons of carbon can be captured by each hectare of spekboom a year—a total of 18,600 tons. The reintroduction of this indigenous tree into certain areas of Kwandwe’s 22 thousand hectares of pristine wilderness is an important conservation feat, and will play a vital role in the ongoing biodiversity of the Reserve.
“This project was set up in consultation with Mike Powell from Rhodes University’s Restoration Research Group, with the main aim to restore degraded spekboom thicket on Kwandwe due to its extraordinary carbon-storing capabilities. At the same time, we have improved soil quality and played an important part in counteracting the effects of global warming,” says Tim Vuyk, Kwandwe general manager.
Making a difference
Kwandwe’s team of wildlife specialists and researchers work closely together to ensure the ongoing conservation success of the Reserve. Together with carnivore research and rhino darting and monitoring, the spekboom research is just one of the ways that Kwandwe continues to take care of the land. Guests staying at any one of Kwandwe’s 4 luxurious safari lodges —all members of Relais & Châteaux—can be assured that they are making a difference to ongoing biodiversity protection, conservation development and empowerment of neighboring communities.
