South African Conservationist Plants Trees Amidst Local Resistance

In South Africa’s Limpopo province, Tshilidzi Mulugana founded Niani Youth Development to educate young people about conservation and replant indigenous trees. Mulugana began a grassroots initiative in 2019, receiving temporary funding from Kruger National Park and the forestry department before resources dried up after six months.

Despite this, he and his wife continue to plant trees, facing challenges from community members who rely on selling firewood and the impact of recurring floods which have damaged local vegetation. Mulugana fears future generations may not recognize native tree species like mopani and leadwood, which are vital for both habitat and local livelihoods, mopani trees, for example, support the harvest of nutritious mopani worms.

He describes the work as feeling like “climbing Mount Kilimanjaro without assistance,” highlighting the difficulty of changing attitudes toward environmental protection within the community. He hopes to restore the landscape to its condition in the late 1980s, fostering a relationship between people, animals, and biodiversity. Mulugana continues his efforts, driven by a love for the environment and a belief that local action is essential for its preservation.