Brian Huntley standing beside a Welwitschia in the Angolan province of Namibe which is probably over 2000 years old - making it the oldest plant in Africa.
Wildlife, wild places and wild times in Angola! – 1970 to 2011. The Angola Field Group invites you to a presentation Thursday, December 15, at 8:00 PM at the Viking Club with renowned conservation scientist Dr. Brian Huntley, one of the fathers of Angolan ecology. He will present an illustrated talk on the rise, fall, and hopefully, resurrection of wildlife conservation in Angola.
Brian Huntley first visited Angola in 1970 and returned with his young wife to spend four years (1971-1975) surveying the entire country as wildlife ecologist for the then Reparticao tecnica da Fauna. After leaving the country in a column of 10,000 refugees in August 1975, he has made repeated visits to Angola from 1992 to the present. Before retirement in 2009, Professor Huntley was, for 20 years, Chief Executive of the South African National Biodiversity Institute, based at Kirstenbosch, Cape Town. He is currently a consultant to various international organisations such as UNEP, UNDP, UNESCO, etc. (Scroll down to previous posting for more details.)
Everybody is welcome to attend the presentation which will be in English. In close cooperation with the Viking Club, this event is offered free of charge. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks are sold at the bar, coupons must be purchased. The Viking Bar opens at 7:30 PM. If you would like to have a map showing the location of the Club, click here. The Viking Club is on the main floor of Predio Maianaga, Rua Marien N”Guabi, No 118, across the street from the new Panela de Barra restaurant.
A backgrounder to our speaker on Thursday, December 15, ecologist Brian Huntley, as excerpted from the Sonangol magazine, Universo, March 2011
New Nature Conservation Areas
One of the fathers of Angolan ecology and conservation is Brian Huntley, a renowned conservation scientist who has worked across Africa and until recently headed the South African National Biodiversity Institute.
Huntley has played a major role in shaping environmental sensibility and research in Angola. His work includes the development plans for existing and new protected areas, as well as closely examining wildlife populations in the southern Namibe Desert right up to lush Cabinda rainforests in the north.
Huntley’s research has resulted in 28 separate reports on the conservation and management of biodiversity in Angola, many of which serve as the basis for mapping and current scientific research.
Although officially retired, for the past year Huntley, Emeritus Professor at the University of Cape Town, has been working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), developing an environmental programme for Angola in partnership with the Angolan Government.
A large part of this is about creating the Angolan Protected Area Expansion Strategy (APAES) to preserve critical areas of natural interest. There are 11 target areas, mainly moist lowland, escarpment and montane forest systems, covering a total of 11800 square kilometers.
Huntley told Universo: “There’s a very narrow window of opportunity left in Angola to identify and protect important areas, as in those which haven’t yet been developed or inhabited, because once development starts, it’s much more difficult to protect an area.”
As part of his APAES work, this year Huntley will be travelling to a remote part of Lunda Norte, one of the target areas, for a mapping exercise.
“It’s a very important area, he explained. “It has the largest lake in Angola, white-water rivers, gallery forests, extensive woodlands, and the landscapes are stunning, and almost completely devoid of human occupation. It is in pristine condition, barely visited by humans and will be perfect for a national park.”
The Lunda Norte team will be made up of mostly Angolan students, hand-picked by Huntley who is passionate about furthering home-grown scientific research.
“For many years, perhaps as many as 30, there have been very few Angolan scientists and very few who have studied their own environment, which has led to some serious gaps in local knowledge” he said.
“But I am quite encouraged by a new generation of Angolan graduates who are showing new enthusiasm to finding out more about their own country.
“Many have been lucky enough to have been educated abroad or have had the chance to travel – but they are certainly more willing to go into the bush to discover their own country.”
Huntley said it was important that Angolans became interested in their own environment because it would foster a great sensibility in the future.
“There are several generations who for various reasons are not familiar with environmental sensibility and until now, there has been a lack of political will to confront the issues,” he explained.
He said much work was required to help Angola protect its valuable natural resources – but he said the outlook was increasingly positive.
The Red-crested Turaco is the national bird of Angola. Image taken from The Special Birds of Angola.
“Angola is endowed with the richest diversity of eco-regions of any African country. Its habitats range from the mobile dunes of the Namib Desert to the equatorial rainforests of Cabinda, from arid savannas of the Cunene Basin to the moist miombo woodlands of the Bie planalto, and from the floodplains of the Cuando-Cubango to the montane grasslands and forests of the Benguela highlands. It is thus not surprising that Angola has a remarkably rich birdlife, one of the richest on the continent.
Despite all the natural treasures of Angola, it remains one of the most poorly researched regions of the globe. Fortunately, this situation is rapidly changing. Increasing numbers of young Angolan biologists are joining expeditions led by international experts in the study of Angola’s biodiversity. For more than a decade, Michael Mills has been working with Angolan colleagues in exploring the far corners of the country, discovering and documenting the incredibly rich diversity of birds. Most importantly, he has been working with the local communities of Morro Moco to protect the critically threatened forests of Angola’s highest mountain, where many bird species known nowhere else, are found.
This book is a unique and major contribution to bringing the diversity and beauty, but also the rarity and vulnerability, of Angola’s avifaunal treasures to the attention of the Angolan people. By highlighting the birds of special interest to ornithologists, to conservationists, and to the general public, Michael and his collaborators have set a benchmark for promoting awareness of the importance of Angola’s avifauna and the habitats they occupy to the world at large. Without knowledge, there can be no appreciation, and without awareness there can be no conservation. As Angola’s critically important bird areas come under increasing threat, time is not on the side of the birds and their habitats. This book can help reverse the trend.” – From the Foreword by Brian Huntley to the newly published book, The Special Birds of Angola.
Hot off the press, a new book published about wild Angola, now available from Protea Publishing and Amazon.
Angola was once one of Africa’s last great wildernesses. Gorillas and chimpanzees shared the pristine rainforests of Cabinda, giant sable antelope roamed the miombo woodlands of Luando, and the enigmatic Welwitschia mirabilis crowded the plains of the Namib. But war, intrigues and arrogance have resulted in the loss and near extinction of most of Angola’s formerly abundant wildlife and the decay and erosion of a once endless Eden.
From 1971 to 1975, author Brian J. Huntley was ecologist for Angola’s five major national parks, surveying the entire country and developing the country’s conservation strategy. Integrating the historical, political, economic and environmental threads that account for Angola’s post-colonial tragedy, Huntley describes in detail the wildlife, wild places and wild personalities that have occupied Angola’s conservation landscape through four decades of war and a decade and a half of peace. Despite the loss of its innocence, Huntley believes that Angola can rebuild its national parks and save much of its wildlife and wilderness.
Brian Huntley
Author Brian J. Huntley gave a presentation to the Angola Field Group on December 2011. Following retirement in 2009 as CEO of the South African National Biodiversity Institute, he is currently an independent consultant on conservation research and implementation projects in many African countries for various United Nations agencies. He is also a Research Associate at the Centre for Invasion Biology at Stellenbosch University and an Emeritus Professor at the University of Cape Town.
For more related posts click on our birds tag. Angola is one of the countries in Africa with the highest bird diversity – 938 native species – including a high number of endemic and threatened species. Despite its richness, Angola is still one of the least known countries for birds. This lack of knowledge is mainly a consequence of both the Portuguese Colonial war and the Angolan civil war which together lasted 41 years (1961–2002), halting scientific studies and expeditions.
Download the 2018 Annual Report (Relatório Anual) of the Angolan Association for Birds and Nature (Associação Angolana Para Aves e Natureza), in English and Portuguese, compiled by Michael Mills, on Bird Conservation and Research Activities in Angola (click on the cover to download the six-page PDF):
Read about Angola’s wattled cranes, wetlands and water towers in the August 2018 edition of the International Crane Foundation’s publication, The Bugle.
“The highlands of eastern Angola are the most important water source in southern Africa, sustaining millions of people and abundant wildlife, including most of the world’s Wattled Cranes”. In April 2018 , the author’s article, Rich Beilfuss, the Foundation’s President and CEO, conducted the first-ever aerial survey of Cameia Naional Park and the surrounding Bulozi Plain of Angola – one of the largest freshwater wetlands in Africa. Their mission was to map the occurence of threatened Wattled Cranes and other large birds and mammals in this highly undocumented region “and to look for new conservation opportunities”. Click here to download the PDF.
Available now, The Special Birds of Angola, a guide to birds of Angola by Michael Mills. Click on the book cover to download a sneak-peek of the book: This book can be purchased directly from the author: www.goawaybirding.com or via the BirdLife South Africa bookshop at www.birdlife.org.za.
The Red-crested Turaco is the national bird of Angola. Image taken from The Special Birds of Angola.
“Angola is endowed with the richest diversity of eco-regions of any African country. Its habitats range from the mobile dunes of the Namib Desert to the equatorial rainforests of Cabinda, from arid savannas of the Cunene Basin to the moist miombo woodlands of the Bie planalto, and from the floodplains of the Cuando-Cubango to the montane grasslands and forests of the Benguela highlands. It is thus not surprising that Angola has a remarkably rich birdlife, one of the richest on the continent.
Despite all the natural treasures of Angola, it remains one of the most poorly researched regions of the globe. Fortunately, this situation is rapidly changing. Increasing numbers of young Angolan biologists are joining expeditions led by international experts in the study of Angola’s biodiversity. For more than a decade, Michael Mills has been working with Angolan colleagues in exploring the far corners of the country, discovering and documenting the incredibly rich diversity of birds. Most importantly, he has been working with the local communities of Morro Moco to protect the critically threatened forests of Angola’s highest mountain, where many bird species known nowhere else, are found.
This book is a unique and major contribution to bringing the diversity and beauty, but also the rarity and vulnerability, of Angola’s avifaunal treasures to the attention of the Angolan people. By highlighting the birds of special interest to ornithologists, to conservationists, and to the general public, Michael and his collaborators have set a benchmark for promoting awareness of the importance of Angola’s avifauna and the habitats they occupy to the world at large. Without knowledge, there can be no appreciation, and without awareness there can be no conservation. As Angola’s critically important bird areas come under increasing threat, time is not on the side of the birds and their habitats. This book can help reverse the trend.”
– From the Foreword by Brian Huntley to the newly published book, The Special Birds of Angola.
Click here to download the 2017 article “Drivers of bird diversity in an understudied African centre of endemism: The Angolan Central Escarpment Forest” in the journal Bird Conservation International. Authors: Aimy Caceres, Martim Melo, Jos Barlow, Ricardo Faustino De Lima, Michael S. L. Mills.
Download the 2016 Annual Report (Relatório Anual) of the Angolan Association for Birds and Nature (Associação Angolana Para Aves e Natureza), in English and Portuguese, compiled by Michael Mills, on Bird Conservation and Research Activities in Angola (click on the cover to open a page with a PDF to download):
Download the 2015 Annual Report (Relatório Anual) of the Angolan Association for Birds and Nature (Associação Angolana Para Aves e Natureza), in English and Portuguese, compiled by Michael Mills, on Bird Conservation and Research Activities in Angola (click on the cover to download PDF):
This year saw significant changes in the logistics of running our projects in Angola, with Michael Mills moving from Luanda to Cape Town, and Aimy Cáceres moving to Luanda. A single field visit to Mount Moco allowed us to maintain the project there, which included preparing new areas for planting and expanding the nursery. The Kumbira Forest Project received a funding boost due to a second round of funding from the Conservation Leadership Programme. Aimy Cáceres is busy finishing off her PhD and will lead this project next year, working with Ninda and Sendi Baptista and Michael Mills. Another landmark achievement was raising funds to print 3000 copies of the bilingual book on The Common Birds of Luanda, which are now in Luanda and ready to be distributed to schools in 2016.
The nursery at Mount Moco Continues to work well
Photo courtesy Adam Scott Kennedy
First records of White-collared Olivebacks in Angola by Michael Mills and Pedro Vaz Pinto, 2015 (click on the cover to download PDF):
Download the 2014 Annual Report (Relatório Anual) of the Angolan Association for Birds and Nature (Associação Angolana Para Aves e Natureza), in English and Portuguese, compiled by Michael Mills, on Bird Conservation and Research Activities in Angola (click on the cover to download PDF):
Click on the cover to download PDF
This year saw good progress with our two main projects: at Mount Moco tree planting was accelerated and the nursery expanded, and 80 fuel efficient stoves were finally delivered to the community at Kanjonde, to reduce their reliance on fire wood.
A highlight of the year was delivering 80 fuel efficient stoves to the community at Kanjonde.
At Kumbira, seven weeks of field study were undertaken by Aimy Cáceres and colleagues, where a detailed study of Gabela Akalat range sizes and habitat use was undertaken, and tree biomass evaluated.
Aimy Cáceres radio tracking (left) a tagged Gabela Akalat (right).
Additionally, good progress was made with the registration of the Associação Angolana para Aves e Natureza (the Angolan Association for Birds and Nature) with the registration certificate now issued. Other highlights include that the bilingual book on The Common Birds of Luanda was completed and will be launched with the launch of the NGO this year, 2015, and several peer-reviewed publications were produced.
Click here to read this recent paper (March 2014) on historical data on birds of Angola based on the Angolan ornithological collection held by the Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical (IICT) in Lisbon, Portugal.
Nursery workers in the process of planting some of the 42 newly planted trees in a recently cleared area.
The challenge to prevent deforestation on Mount Moco, Angola’s highest mountain, continues in Huambo province. A total of 181 trees have been planted to date and there are 500 seedlings in the nursery, waiting to be planted. Click here to read Michael Mills’ latest report (February 2014).
Download the 2013 Annual Report (Relatório Anual) of the Angolan Association for Birds and Nature (Associação Angolana Para Aves e Natureza), in English and Portuguese, compiled by Michael Mills, on Bird Conservation and Research Activities in Angola:
Click on cover to download.
Summary – This year saw good progress with our two main projects: at Mount Moco tree planting was accelerated and the nursery expanded, and at Kumbira seven weeks of field study were undertaken by Aimy Cáceres. Additionally, the first official meeting of the Associação Angolana Para Aves e Natureza (the Angolan Association for Birds and Nature) was held to commence the registration of an NGO, a first annotated birder’s checklist of Angolan birds with English and Portuguese names was published, and during a field trip a new species of primate (bushbaby) was confirmed by members of the Nocturnal Primate Research Group, Oxford Brookes University, U. K. Other highlights of the year were the publication of several papers and the start of field surveys in the northern escarpment forests (part of a project funded by BirdLife South Africa).
Resumo – No decorrer deste ano os nossos dois projectos principais avançaram a bom ritmo: no Monte Moco a plantação de árvores acelerou e o viveiro foi aumentado; em Kumbira, a Aimy Cáceres levou a cabo uma expedição de sete semanas. Para além disso, teve lugar o primeiro encontro oficial da Associação Angolana Para Aves e Natureza com o objectivo de iniciar o processo de registro da Associação como ONG, foi publicada a primeira lista das aves de Angola, e uma nova espécie de primata (galago) foi confirmada por membros do Nocturnal Primate Research Group (Grupo de Investigação de Primatas Nocturnos da Oxford Brooke University, Reino Unido). Vários artigos científicos foram publicados e iniciou-se o trabalho de exploração/inventariação das florestas da escarpa norte (parte de um projecto financiando pela BirdLife South Africa).
Seven weeks of field study were undertaken by Aimy Cáceres in Kumbira Forest, pictured here with the Endemic Gabela Bush-shrike. Photo courtesy Henriette Koning.
Ricardo Lima spent 4 weeks radio tracking endemic Gabela Akalat and Bush-shrike in Kumbira. Photo courtesy Henriette Koning.
Logging the Kumbira Forest, a biodiversity hotspot poses a threat to endemic species. Photo courtesy A.Cáceres from http://kumbiraforest.blogspot.pt
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Michael Mills and Martim Melo have launched the first birder’s checklist of Angolan birds published in Portuguese and English. It is available for free in pdf format and can be downloaded on the Birds Angola website: www.birdsangola.org/birdlist.htm.
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Mount Moco Project Update Report: January 2013, available to read as a two page PDF here.
The tree nursery employees and one additional assistant, standing proudly beside the nursery and in the area now planted with 108 trees. Photo courtesy Michael Mills.
The report is written by Michael Mills. Summary: “Very satisfactory progress was made with the reforestation project during the January 2013 field trip to Mount Moco. Eighty six new trees were planted onto the mountain, bringing the total of planted trees to 108, and covering an area of about 100 x 20 m. Two new nursery areas for growing tree saplings in bags were cleared inside a nearby forest patch and more than 300 saplings were planted into bags, to join the ninety trees already in bags and not yet planted back on the mountain. I estimate that 80 of these plants will be ready for planting by the next field visit.”
Notes on birds in the Lubango Bird Skin Collection, Angola 16-18 January 2013 by Michael Mills, member of the Angola Birders. “During January 2013 I had the privilege of visiting the Lubango Bird Skin Collection in Angola for three days, to study some of the 40000 bird skins in the collection. This was the first step at studying various taxonomic questions related to Angolan birds, and clarifying various identification questions. Some notes based on this visit follow…” Click hereto download the report (it is a 13 MB PDF due to many photos).
Birds in the Lubango Bird Skin Collection. Photo courtesy Michael Mills.
Birds in the Lubango Bird Skin Collection. Photo courtesy Michael Mills.
An update from our friends at the Angola Birders, the 2012Annual Report: Bird Conservation and Research Activities, compiled by Michael Mills:
“This year was a year of consolidation. Three important tasks were initiated and two of these were completed. Firstly a project vehicle was purchased and registered in Luanda and secondly Michael obtained a work permit for Angola. Both activities required a month in Luanda, without the option of traveling, which limited field time this year but should greatly enhance efficiency in the future. The third action was to initiate the registration of an Angola bird conservation society, a process which is still ongoing. Other highlights of the year were the publication of several papers, constructing a new nursery facility at Mount Moco and Aimy Cáceres commencing field work for her PhD at Kumbira.”
To download the 10 page report (PDF) click here. _____________________________________________________________________________________ KUMBIRA FIELD TRIP REPORT October 11-November 7, 2012 by Aimy Cáceres Pinedo. Download here (12 page PDF). Information about the Kumbira Forest Project including a list of bird species endemic to Angola and present in the Scarp Forest is available via her blog: kumbiraforest.blogspot.pt
Kumbira Forest.
_____________________________________________________________________________________ A FEW BIRDING FIELD NOTES:
The egg collection of the weavers in the Lubango Museum has been digitised and added to PHOWN (photos of Weaver Nests, http://weavers.adu.org.za/phown.php). Read more about this data at http://weavers.adu.org.za/newstable.php?id=240 or go directly to a listing of the records at http://weavers.adu.org.za/phown_query.php?ask=Angola. PHOWN is a Virtual Museum, citizen science project of the Animal Demography Unit at the University of Cape Town, to collect and monitor breeding distributions and colony sizes of weaver birds globally.
Thank you to avid birder Michelle de Cordova for sharing this listof birds she spotted in her garden in the Alvalade area of Luanda.
View some incredible photos taken by Kostadin Luchansky during our January 6 birding trip here.
For your reference, a list of 170 birds found in Angola -including scientific names AND references to the birds spotted on May 8th- can be downloaded in a Word document here, courtesy of our resident birder Ronnie Gallagher
Below are photos from our May 8, 2008 trip to Quicama National Park and the wetlands of Saco dos Flamingos, taken by Ronnie Gallagher:
Namaqua Doves
Black Bellied Bustard
African Fish Eagle
Red Billed Helmet Weaver (centre) and Yellow Billed Hornbill (right)
A team of 45 researchers has brought together all that is known on Angola’s biodiversity in a free book, Biodiversity of Angola – Science & Conservation: A Modern Synthesis (2019, editors: Brian J. Huntley, Vladimir Russo, Fernanda Lages, Nuno Ferrand), an open access multi-authored book that presents a ‘state of the science’ synthesis of knowledge on the biodiversity of Angola. The book identifies Angola as one of the most biologically diverse countries in Africa, but notes that its fauna, flora, habitats and the processes that drive the dynamics of its ecosystems are still very poorly researched and documented.
The above images from the book are an example of woodlands converted by repeated hot fires into shrub lands in Bicuar National Park, Angola. These satellite images from Google Earth were taken between 1984 and 2016. The red line marks the western border of Bicuar National Park. Courtesy Biodiversity of Angola (chapter title: Landscape Changes in Angola).
Download Biodiversity of Angola – Science & Conservation: A Modern Synthesis(2019, editors: Brian J. Huntley, Vladimir Russo, Fernanda Lages, Nuno Ferrand), an open access multi-authored book that presents a ‘state of the science’ synthesis of knowledge on the biodiversity of Angola, based on sources in peer-reviewed journals, in books and where appropriate, unpublished official reports. The book identifies Angola as one of the most biologically diverse countries in Africa, but notes that its fauna, flora, habitats and the processes that drive the dynamics of its ecosystems are still very poorly researched and documented. Click here to download the book as a PDF or EPUB (552 pages). The book is also available for sale online in a print version.
Download South West Angola: a portrait of land and life (2019), the most informative book published to date about southwest Angola, covering the provinces of Namibe, Cunene and Huíla, written in both English and Portuguese, by the Namibian father-daughter team of John and Stephie Mendelsohn. This comprehensive book brims with images, maps, graphs and charts that capture the faces, spaces and places of the great open landscapes that makes up southwest Angola. Click on the cover to download the book (420 page PDF).
Download An atlas and profile of Moxico, Angola by John Mendelsohn and Beat Weber (44 page PDF). Click on the cover to download.
View a video titled “A Weekend Away on a Turtle Research Trip” produced by Robyn Fox, February 2015.
Turtle Trip 2015 to Kissemba Beach in Zaire province. Photo by H. Koning.
The Angola Field Group was invited to visit Project Kitabanga at its location in Zaire province. Here we joined some university students patrol the 3 kilometer stretch of protected beach. The Science Faculty at Agostinho Neto University has been running its research project at Kissemba Beach since 2011. Project Kitabanga started in 2003 at Palmeirinhas Beach, south of Luanda. The Angola Field Group began its annual Turtle Trips in 2004.
Pictured is a baby Olive Ridley Turtle. Photo by H. Koning.
Click here to download the 8-page PDF “Luanda—the largest illegal ivory market in southern Africa”, by Esmond Martin and Lucy Vigne, from Pachyderm No. 55 January–June 2014.
Abandoned plantation with high canopy trees in Kumbira.
From 29 to 31, 2013, the Angola Field Group was invited to camp at and visit “The Kumbira Forest Project”, a project which aims at protecting forests for the benefit of threatened Angolan birds. Kumbira is the largest remaining forest of the central Angolan Escarpment also known as the Scarp. Located in Kwanza Sul, the Scarp is one of the most interesting areas in the country in terms of biodiversity, and has 14 out of the 15 endemic bird species, six of which are threatened.
During colonial times, most of the forests of the scarp were converted into coffee plantations by clearing vegetation from under the trees, leaving the tall canopy mostly intact resulting in what is known as “coffee forests”. Then came the civil war and the plantations were abandoned. This allowed the recovery of the understory vegetation which may have been beneficial for the bird community, especially the endemics. Now that the war is over, subsistence farms are appearing all over Kumbira and the other Scarp forests. Not only understory vegetation but also canopy forest is being destroyed to plant sun-loving crops such as cassava, maize, banana and sweet potatoes. Charcoal production and logging has also been observed in the area.
We visited Aimy Caceres, the Peruvian biologist and PhD student researching this project, and learn about the efforts being undertaken to ensure the conservation of the forest. More information and photos at her blog: http://kumbiraforest.blogspot.com
Team of university students working in the Kitabanga Project.
On Thursday, May 30, 2013, the Angola Field Group hosted a presentation about the marine turtle conservation project initiated ten years ago by the Science Faculty of Agostinho Neto University (UAN). The Kitabanga Project started at Palmeirinhas Beach south of Luanda and now has extended to Bentiaba in Namibe province, Kissembo in Zaire province as well as the beach near the mouth of Rio Longa. Our guest speaker is Dr. Michel Morais who teaches in the Biology department at UAN.
Climbing Mount Moco – May 2010 Field Trip
Something to sing about –Angola Field Group participants make it to the top of Angola.
Mount Moco is in the mountainous province of Huambo, on the road from Alto Hama to Lobito. We set up camp over half a kilometer from the village of Kanjonde, formerly known as Moco, which means knife in Umbundu.
Beat presents the Soba of Kanjode, left, with a detailed map of the Moco area.
At sunrise we headed out of camp to climb to the top of Angola – it was a long tough climb over uneven terrain scattered with rocks hidden under high grass but the stillness and beauty of the constantly changing scenery compensated for aching muscles. We descended from 1950 meters to1850 meters and then climbed up to 2620 meters. Only the first part of the trek had a trail. We crossed through four ravines and rivers and passed through miombo woodland before reaching the plateau at the base of the final ascent to the peak.
Local guide Antonio points to Mt. Moco way off in the distance.
Over rivers and ravines.
Waiting for the others at the edge of the miombe. Village lads climbed to the top with ease.
Difficult terrain since the tall grass hides rocks scattered underfoot.
View from the top looking across the valley to a distant chain of mountains.
The first ones to the top had time for a nap before the descent.
Looking at a patch of Afro-montane forest still remaining in the cleavage of the mountain.
Farming high up on a de-nuded slope of Mount Moco.
Field group birding with John Medelssohn.
Mount Moco also offers a display of flowers including protea.
And at the very top, a special reward – a natural rock garden.
All photos by Henriette Koning.
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In the two photos below, hippos viewed on the Queve River near Ebo in the province of Kwanza Sul during the July 2010 field trip. To book a trip to see the hippos, contact Raul Joseathospedaria-ebo@hotmail.com or visit his website: www.hospedaria-ebo.com
Headwaters of the Okavango at Tchinyama, 30 km south of the city of Huambo.
Download a map of the Okavango River Basin:
The Okavango is a truly unique river facing a very unique set of challenges at a pivotal time in its history. Unlike most rivers of the world, the Okavango flows not into the sea, but into the vast expanse of sand; the Kalahari Desert! The river starts as the Cuito and Cubango tributaries in the highland plateau of Angola where most of the water flows in from an approximately 120,000 km catchment area of diverse and somewhat unchartered geographical and ecological characteristics. Serving a lifeline of clean water for people, livelihoods and ecosystems, the river then flows in a narrow channel forming the border between Angola and Namibia for 1000km. The river crosses Namibia and enters Botswana in Mohembo spreading out to form the panhandle. The waters of the River then spill into the Okavango Delta; a unique wetland of global significance, one of the largest desert oases in the world!
Unlike most rivers of the world, the waters of the Okavango are clear and contain few dissolved chemicals, solutes or pollutants. The riparian landscapes along many of the waterways remain pristine and natural plant and aquatic life remains healthy. The river safely and securely supports people, their livestock and a myriad of livelihoods ranging from artisanal fisheries to small scale agriculture. The Okavango Delta, a unique and fragile ecosystem is a significant source of tourism income and cultural value to the people of Botswana.
This near pristine status of the Okavango is a byproduct of history and geopolitics orchestrated far beyond the borders of the River Basin that shaped the Southern Africa of today. Nevertheless the current situation offers the “guardians” of the Okavango a unique and time-bound opportunity to forge a plan to “have the cake and eat it too”; the opportunity to channel the rich resources of the River towards much needed socio-economic development without compromising the immense value inherent to the current ecological integrity of the system.
Thanks to Chaminda Rajapakse, Project Manager, Environment Protection and Sustainable Management of the Okavango River Basin Project (EPSMO) for providing this information. EPSMO is a joint initiative of the Governments of Angola, Botswana and Namibia represented by the Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM) in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
FIELD TRIP PHOTO GALLERY:
Angola Field Group Members gather together in front of a baobob tree during the August 2, 2009 field trip to the Miradouro da Lua (the Lunar Landscape)
Heading to the southern boundary of Quicama National Park.
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Camping in Quicama National Park near Rio Longa.
King Fisher in Quicama National Park.
Destroyed railway bridge on the Dande River, Bengo Province.
Stream in the Bengo Valley.
Overnight camping trip to Praia das Oncas to watch turtles laying their eggs.
A Ridley Olive turtle preparing to lay her eggs, Praia das Oncas.
Cleaning-up the beach near Barra do Dande, in Bengo province.
Barra do Dande’s ‘secret beach’ at low tide.
All photos by Henriette Koning.
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