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Indigenous Shrub & Tree walk       Woodlands Stop Over & Lodge




     I was lucky enough to meet Anne and Mike through the
     magazine, and on a couple of occasions, when visiting

     Francistown, I managed to go on a few walks at
     Woodlands Stop Over and Lodge.

     The diversity of trees, shrubs and plants in the area is astounding. A
     looped circuit has been cleared, that touches on the historical Hunter’s
     road, and then delves back into riverine forests, taking the hiker from the
     manicured camping and lodge area, with many planted indigenous trees, to
     the open bush, with trees and shrubs growing in their natural environment.


     The path begins in open woodland, before circling back into the large can-
     opied forests growing along stream beds that branch off from the Ntasha
     river, and finally reaches the banks of the broad river, where enormous
     Acacia galpinii trees can be seen. It is not only worth doing to see the trees,
     shrubs, and many vines that clamber through the canopies, but also for the
     birds that accompany the hiker along the path.          Text & photos by S.C




























    Above: Rhus lancea  Opposite Page: Catophractes alexandrii; Commiphora glandulosa; Tinnea
    rhodesiana; Terminalia prunoides leaf  & pod;          Acacia nigrescens; Acacia galpinii
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