ReSpek Nature - How you can become part of the solution by buying a Spekboom to offset carbon emmisions
Seeds for Africa are delighted to partner with ReSpek Nature who are on a drive to plant hectares of Spekboom in the Karoo to offset Carbon emissions. Every time you purchase something Co2 is released into the atmosphere. Whether in the supply or delivery chain Co2 is generated.
Spekboom (Portulacaria afra) is a miracle plant native to the Eastern cape Karoo. It is one of the most effective plants and has incredible capacity to absorb or sequester carbon.
Due to over-grazing, development and drought, many areas of the Karoo are eroded and denuded. ReSpek Nature addresses these issues, by restoring balance and biodiversity.
ReSpek Nature has partnered with Jobs for Carbon. The literal expression of the project is the planting of spekboom cuttings in areas where it used to grow but has been degraded. The cuttings are sustainably harvested from healthy stands of spekboom, by local people who are employed through the project.
Spekboom does not recover naturally even if livestock pressure is reduced, therefore in order to restore this type of vegetation active rehabilitation measures need to be employed.
The indirect benefits of the project are far-reaching and indeed possibly not all even quantifiable - in addition to job creation and restoration with the intent of carbon farming, the project influence has permeated through the local community bringing tangible positive change to the lives of individuals directly and indirectly involved in the project, whilst simultaneously restoring the degraded landscape with spekboom.
The project in its essence is about healing that which has been damaged: healing a broken and dying landscape, and healing a broken, marginalised and isolated community.
How do Seeds for Africa fit in? At checkout you will receive the option of buying a Spekboom which ReSpek Nature will plant in the Karoo to offset the carbon emissions of your order with us. Apart from being a feel good initiative you will be making a real contribution to being a solution to carbon emissions. And because we believe so strongly in this project we will match your contribution Spekboom for Spekboom meaning that we will match your R15 contribution by also contributing R15.
To learn more about ReSpek nature please see this link to their website.
About the Author
Grant Muller is an avid gardener with over 30 years experience having grown a wide variety of plants from seed with a special emphasis on growing your own fresh food. Grants' ethos is that growing your own should be a natural part of life and should encompass the whole family. Grant also has a special interest in growing chillies, succulents, ornamentals and trees.
