Combretum zeyheri covered in its well-known fruits

A Combretum zeyheri tree laden with fruit as seen here in the Sabie River basin is among the easier kinds to recognise by tourists interested in something more than lions making a kill. Start with the easy ones!

There are overseas visitors who learn more about South African animals and plants in one visit than many locals do in a lifetime. But then, not everybody is that interested in nature, or don’t know enough about the less obvious features of charm and excitement it harbours.

The education system is rightly increasing emphasis on the natural environment. Knowledge of nature increases not only the possibilities for enjoyment, but also for quality of life. Exposing especially the youth, increasing their awareness of the interdependence among all living things, is an asset that can turn the current tide of degradation of nature: Every child hooked on nature becomes a conservation asset.