On Pruning and Classifying Trees
I have spent another wonderful week in Sandiara with Beersheba Project. The name of this 250-acre (100 hectare) plot of land on which I am working finds its source in the Biblical account in Genesis 21 where Abraham plants a grove of trees in the wilderness of Beersheba as a covenant between God and man. Before Beersheba constructed a fence nearly 10 years ago to enclose this piece of earth, there were only deforested fields as far as the eye could see, a common sight in the Sahel region of Senegal. Miraculous is the fact that I spent the last week combating overgrown trees. How nature loves to self-resuscitate when left to solitude devoid of mankind’s machinations. These are the before and after photos of one of the trees I fought and conquered! My hearty trimming attempt will make way for a fruit orchard. I used a technique called FMNR (Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration) that Beersheba favors for assisting in the healthy and sustained growth of its trees. Some trees were muc...