Our Stories

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.

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.

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.

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.

Since Nerine species generally tend to have only one or two pollinators, the glorious proliferation of pollinators of this particular species is fascinating and has led to more questions.

There are few, and possibly no other, studies that have aimed to understand responses of multiple species with an entire ecosystem, making KEEP a unique, ground-breaking project.

Decent summer rains have the ability to transform Tswalu’s landscapes within a few, short weeks. Then the Green Kalahari earns its name, bursting into life as annual creepers appear, grasses flourish and perennial trees produce fruits that sustain animals and birds.

Broadly speaking, Tswalu includes five major habitats that have arisen primarily around the Korannaberg Mountains as a result of the windblown sands that comprise the Kalahari as we know it today.

Tswalu is, as we tell people, “big country” with boundaries beyond horizons. It provides a stunning backdrop to the dramatic changes that accompany each new season.