Our Stories
Vegetation Stories
THE USE OF BURROWS AS TEMPORARY DENS
Part four in our series about the use of burrows in an environment, like the Kalahari, where denning, or finding shelter underground for fragile cubs and pups, is critical to surviving temperature extremes.
HOW A CHANCE DISCOVERY TOOK TSWALU’S BUTTERFLY COUNT UP TO 83
The chance discovery of a Pale Ciliate Blue brings Tswalu’s species count to 83 butterflies, which is remarkable for a semi-arid area in the southern Kalahari according to lepidopterist Reinier Terblanche.
WHY BIODIVERSITY MATTERS
Biodiversity accounts for the variety and variability of life on earth, from genes to entire ecosystems. Marcus Westberg outlines the many reasons why restoring biodiversity is essential to both planet and people.
TWO CHEFS, ONE MISSION – SUSTAINABLE DINING
Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen talks to us about finding inspiration in nature and community, and sharing the Klein JAN kitchen with Wolfgat’s Kobus van der Merwe for a once-off Kalahari-themed dinner.
KALAHARI ANIMALS AND THEIR BURROWS
Part three in our series about the importance of burrows in the Kalahari describes the many types of burrows that protect animals from extreme temperatures, while providing safety, shelter and a place to sleep.
ANIMAL ARCHITECTS OF THE SOUTHERN KALAHARI
Part two in our series about the value of burrows in the Kalahari explains the difference between master diggers, like aardvark, and those animals that modify or simply move into existing burrows.
LIFE BENEATH THE KALAHARI
The first in a series of stories by Helen Mertens about the value of burrows in the Kalahari ecosystem, and the interconnectedness of life in the fascinating underground world below the sand.
IN CONVERSATION WITH RINA STUTZER
Rina Stutzer took many walks from Dedeben and beyond to familiarise herself with the landscape. In this Q&A, she talks about methodology, inspiration and the wisdom of trees.
BOSCIA TREES AND BUTTERFLIES
Current research has confirmed that Tswalu Kalahari is distinctly a source area for the butterfly migration, thanks to the large number of Boscia albitrunca trees on both sides of the Korannaberg mountains.