Cooking and Cuttin’ Up Trees

After a very busy few days, the Global Navigators had time to wind down on Sunday. However, they stopped by the kitchen in the morning to help the Mokolodi staff prepare lunch. They made fat cakes, beet salad, and pounded beef to make seswaa...and had a great time doing it! Later in the day, we made our way into the bush to do team-building exercises! The Navigators were sweating and tired afterward, but it was a blast to see them put their heads together and help one another. The day was completed by watching the sunset behind the lake. 
Monday morning, the Navigators helped the Mokolodi Rangers with their soil erosion management and bush encroachment management activities. We kicked it off with the soil erosion prevention plan. Tires had to be loaded up into a pickup truck, then taken over to an area impacted in the reserve. Here, the tires were placed into a ditch, before rocks and sticks were added to help pack the space. This slows the flow of water and thus slows erosion. Next began bush encroachment prevention. Brush packing is where a dominant/overgrown species, in this case, acacia trees, were cut down and separated then spread out. This helps protect new grass and plants from animals coming to eat them, essentially giving them a safe space to grow. It aids in diversifying the flora in the area. The Navigators were not only learning about land rehabilitation but putting it into practice (and got a good workout in too). They all did an amazing job, even though it was hard work!
We had free time to recharge when we returned. The Navigators worked on assignments and played games together. The day ended with a game drive and nature walk, where we were joined by zebra at the waterhole. We had a seat and enjoyed yet another beautiful sunset as a group.