Malawi – Running for Reforestation

September 8^th

Hello everyone!

As I mentioned in my previous blog, much of Malawi is currently suffering from rapid, human-driven deforestation. Malawi has lost 85% of its trees in the last 20 years and at current rates of population growth and deforestation, by 2030 it will no longer have enough biofuel to sustain the population.

Avoiding the trees on Zomba Plateau

Deforestation affects many areas of life, from the air we
breathe to the water we drink

There are many ways of trying to help with this problem. Previously we have planted trees in local villages.

Running through the trees - hopefully other can do this in the future.

At this event they were giving away plants to take home -
we took a guava plant amongst others to use in our house.

One new method is to run through one of the very forests which is suffering from deforestation: Zomba Nature Reserve.

The Zomba Nature Reserve is around 130 sq km in size

The view at the halfway point of my 10km run

More commonly known as Zomba plateau, the land above the old capital of Malawi. It soars above the town, regularly towering over 1800m into the sky with a peak of almost 2100m. The top has some incredible views of land and lakes, as you can see from a previous visit.

The drive up to the plateau offers some spectacular views

The new Mulunguzi Dam was finsihed in 2001 

The dense woodland slightly below was our point of interest for this weekend, however. Much of it consists of pine trees which are not indigenous to the region.

The tree types found in Malawi can be found here

The remaining indigenous trees are the ones which are being chopped down at an alarming rate, mainly due to the high demand for firewood.

Some of the roads are quite wide due to deforestation

Possibly on purpose, our running route went through a logging area

To help combat this, a variety of running events were initiated, with all money raised being donated to The Reforestation of the Environment and Ecosystem of Zomba: TREEZ.

The event's web page

Many people came to the event, which was started and
is managed by Zomba Forest Lodge

The run started at a hotel on the plateau, veering off the road after about 500 metres and into the greenery.

As is customary in Malawian runs, the roads were not blocked off

Most of the route was on trails such as these

The run was difficult at times due to the elevation and hilly nature of the massif. I expected trees but was surprised at having to cross streams and precarious bridges.

Crossing the stream by using the rocks slowed most people down

A runner crossing the bridge - I was so busy taking a video
that I misplaced my step and put my left foot through the crack

There were of course some beautiful views. It was also very tranquil running through the forest, save for the occasional hum of a motorised saw which helped remind me of the reason for the race. I came quite close to falling quite a few times as I was busy taking photos when running, rather than looking at the slightly uneven terrain I was running on.

Another obstacle in the forest

The penultimate kilometre of my 10km jaunt took me over the Mulunguzi Dam, which provides Zomba with its water supply.

The new dam cost almost $29 million

Apparently the dam is much wider than it used to be

After a tough final kilometre – uphill and without much shade – I made it back in about 47 minutes. I wasn’t bothered about recording a fast time as I wanted to appreciate the plateau.

Running the painful final kilometre with a man called Gift -
we encouraged each other to the line

One of the first half-marathon runners - the winning time was
something like 1hr 21mins

Another way of appreciating Zomba is to eat its fruit. It is the best place in the country to get granadillas and a variety of berries, including strawberry, raspberry and mulberry. We stocked up on these before leaving the following day.

I forgot to take photos of the fruit on the plateau - here are
some delicious Zomba strawberries

Hannah used the mulberries to make an amazing crumble

The following day we also played on one of the stranger golf courses I have ever seen, which is based in the main town below the plateau.

The first hole of Zomba's 9-hole golf course

Putting on the 'green'

That isn’t a bunker. It’s the green. Being public land, people can walk across the fairways with happy abandon. One consequence of this is that the flags are not left in the holes; instead, one poor soul walks around with you in the morning heat and puts the flag in each time.

Our greenkeeper and his flag

Technique: woeful

It is not lost on me that deforestation probably created this golf course. I can’t do much about that but I would love to see Malawi move away from chopping down such an important part of its landscape for short-term firewood. Organisations like TREEZ have the potential, with the right support, to protect and regenerate the plateau. I hope paying to run through such a beautiful place has helped.

You'll hear plenty more about this little one soon!

Love you all,

Matt

Malawi – The rainforest with no rain

August 4-5

Hello everyone!

Malawi may be a small country but weekend trips from Lilongwe can initially seem few and far between. With a bit of research (and a 4x4 vehicle), however, there are some hidden gems which may not get the same levels of attention as the country’s main attraction of its eponymous lake. Ntchisi is one of those.

Nitchisi Forest Reserve

The garden in Ntchisi Forest Lodge - on a clear day you can see the lake

Ntchisi is home to the only rainforest in southern Africa. That’s not a misprint. Rainforest. In a country where it doesn’t rain for eight months of the year.

Water!!

The difference in colour is stark

Don’t picture the Amazon at this point. It is scientifically called an ‘African montane rainforest’, meaning that it is capable of creating its own moisture. It isn’t your stereotypical rainforest in that it can’t create clouds to control its climate.

Hiking through the rainforest is quite an adventure

Long, thin vines hanging from the trees

What it is in this small rainforest area is green. Vividly green. There isn’t much of the rainforest – recent measurements have its area as 2.5km² – but it is eerily silent and obviously beautiful.

Gnarled branches blocking the trail were quite common

Many plants that grow here will not be found elsewhere in Malawi

Surrounding this area is a much larger tract of Miombo woodland. You have to walk through this forest to get to the rainforest, and much of it is a delightful hike. The vast majority of it is silent, save for the crunching of foot over leaves and branches and the occasional chirping of a bird or slithering of a land creature.

It can be hard to know the 'border' between rainforest and woodland

The views from up high were incredible

The vast majority. Not all, unfortunately. The other sound which sometimes pierces the tranquillity is that of an electric saw.

A sawing machine which has clearly been hard at work

Workers working to create a clearing

The hiking paths actually take you straight through the heart of a major problem in Malawi: deforestation. Trees are being chopped down in every direction.

Government statistics suggest forest areas are depleting by 2.6% annually

The main reason is for deforestation is charcoal production

It can be a scene of devastation at times, which is heart-breaking as we all know the importance of forests and trees for our long-term future and sustainability. The managers of the lodge I camped at suggested that a long-term vision doesn’t seem to be in place, and replanting of trees isn’t happening nearly enough to compensate for this plundering of the forest. Having been to a forest further north in Luwawa, I know that Ntchisi’s forest is not the only one being destroyed in the country.

Some forests have enlisted the army to stop illegal logging

The forest that currently exists in Ntchisi is beautiful, a world away from Lilongwe but less than a two hour drive. The views, particularly at sunset, are stunning.

View from Sunset Rock

The big red ball just missed the tree on the horizon

I say two hours. That’s if you follow the proper directions given by friends and the lodge’s website. Let this be a lesson for anyone who intends to drive around Malawi – don’t use Google Maps!

When I drove, this was shown to be the quickest route

Most of the roads were very dusty - the lodge decided
my car was so filthy that it needed a wash!

Ntchisi has a lovely forest and is a great weekend getaway from Lilongwe. An area of peace and tranquillity – we just have to hope that the deforestation is decelerated so people and wildlife can continue to enjoy this unique spot in the region.

Love you all,

Matt