Page 22 - Discover Botswana 23rd Edition 2023

BASELINE OKAVANGO:
The Quest to Measure the Heartbeat of the Okavango
WORDS BY: STEVE BOYES
IMAGES BY: KOSTADIN LUCHANSKY
The Okavango Basin is one of Earth’s largest undeveloped river basins. Within it lies the Okavango Delta; an anomaly visible from space in the middle of the Kalahari Desert. It is a true natural wonder. The Okavango Delta is the 1,000th UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the best way to experience it is on a traditional dug-out canoe, known locally as a mokoro. These vessels put you right down at water level amongst the water lilies, and immersed in the abundance of life. Using mekoro, staying close to the water, the Wild Bird Trust
(WBT) has completed 12 annual research transects of the entire Okavango Delta. Following in the footsteps of the Wayeyi people of the Delta, adopting their craft and techniques to conduct our work, guided by their traditional knowledge and cultural heritage, we have begun to unravel the present-day secrets of this enigmatic Delta... the “Mother Okavango.”
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