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January 17, 2011: Wilderness Safaris and Africa Geographic Team up to Plant Trees

January 2011 – Ecotourism company Wilderness Safaris has joined forces with Africa Geographic magazine to plant over 2 000 indigenous trees in the Amatola area of the Eastern Cape in 2011, as part of the sustainability and carbon emission offset programmes of both.

The brainchild of bigFIG Digital Media, who manage Africa Geographic’s expansion into the digital media space, this project is in collaboration with local communities, NGOs and government departments, thereby ensuring that the trees are suitable for the area, make a meaningful contribution to communities and are well-looked after. 

Says Simon Espley, Africa Geographic director and CEO of bigFIG:  “During the first year of this project we will plant over 2 000 Yellowwood trees in the Amatola area of the Eastern Cape in collaboration with the Wild Bird Trust, the Cape Parrot Project, BirdLife South Africa, Rance Timber and local communities.”

Dr Steve Boyes, trustee of the Wild Bird Trust says: “There is an urgent need to rehabilitate our last-remaining Afromontane forest patches in order to save the less than 1 000 critically endangered Cape Parrots remaining in the wild, as well as for the many biodiversity and community benefits which trees bring. Aptly name ‘iziKhenene’, meaning Cape Parrot in Zulu/Xhosa, this tree planting project will focus mainly on South Africa’s national tree, the Real Yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius).”

Derek de la Harpe, Sustainability Director at Wilderness Safaris, stated, “We have helped to purchase the entire stock of saplings from two community-run nurseries, and local women from the surrounding communities will be paid to plant and care for the saplings. We are also looking to continue this project into the future, thus providing sustainable income for the community.”

Wilderness Safaris and Africa Geographic challenge all tourism industry participants to meet or beat their efforts so as to bring about a truly sustainable tourism industry in Africa.

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